Characterization of mesenchymal heart cells obtained from patients with tetralogy of Fallot and ventricular septal defect

Objective. Phenotypic analysis of cardiac mesenchymal cells from patients with a ventricular septal defect and tetralogy of Fallot.

Methods. The study included cardiac mesenchymal cells from 8 patients with ventricular septal defect and from 18 patients with tetralogy of Fallot who underwent surgery. Using the flow cytometry method, the content of the following antigens on the cell surface was evaluated: CD31, CD34, CD90, CD117, CD146, CD166, PDGFRB.

Results. Cardiac mesenchymal cells from patients with ventricular septal defect are statistically significantly different from patients with tetralogy of Fallot in surface markers CD90 and PDGFRB. The content of a stem cell marker PDGFRB tends to decrease with age in patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

Conclusion. The cells obtained from myocardial tissue from patients with tetralogy of Fallot and from patients with ventricular septal defects have characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells. The differences found between the cells from the two groups of patients indicate that pathology can affect the phenotype of cardiac mesenchymal cells. Apparently, the stem properties of the mesenchymal heart cells tend to decrease with age.

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