Background: Circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) play an important role in endothelial repair. We evaluated numbers of CD34+ cells in patients with stable angina pectoris (AP) and influence of abnormal glucose metabolism (AGM) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) on this parameter.

Methods: Blood samples were taken from 54 persons (mean age 54.3 ± 1.0 years): 36 patients with AP (16 with AGM, 20 without) and 18 controls. CD34+ cells were measured by flow-cytometric analysis. Besides, CPCs numbers were estimated in patients without AGM undergoing coronary angioplasty on the 1^st day and the 3^rd-5^th day after the procedure.

Results: All patients with AP had reduced numbers of CPCs by 29% in comparison to control subjects (p=0.01). The group of patients with AGM displayed a tendency to greater decrease in CPCs’ count than group without (p=ns). On the 1^st day after PTCA we observed significant reduction of CPCs number in comparison to this parameter before the procedure (p=0.03). On the 3^rd-5^th day after coronary intervention the number of CPCs increased (insignificantly) as compared to the 1^st day after PTCA but did not reach the level observed before the procedure. No significant difference was found between CPCs numbers on the 1^st day after PTCA and this parameter in patients with AP and concomitant AGM (p=ns).

Conclusions: AP was associated with CPCs reduction, especially in patients with concomitant AGM. Coronary intervention also led to significant decrease in CPCs’ count. The influence of AGM and PTCA on CPCs level was similar. These findings suggest a possible use of CPCs as a new diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for AP treatment.