Cardiology Letters 2016, 25(2):85-90

Circulating microparticles - new risk factor, or biomarker for cardiovascular diseases?

Dukát A¹, Šimko F²

¹ II. interná klinika LFUK a UN Bratislava

² Ústav patofyziológie LFUK a III. interná klinika LFUK a UN Bratislava, Slovenská republika

Microparticles represent the complex of vesicular structures originating from plasmatic membranes of endothelial cells, thrombocytes, erythrocytes, mono-cytes or myofibroblasts. They are released from the daughter cells under various physiological and pathological circumstances in the process of cellular activa­ tion, apopthosis and/or damage. Among the immediate simuli of this release are various humoral factors, shear stress and inflammation, but also the physical load. As they carry cellular antigens and receptors from the cellular parts, they may serve for the intercellular transmission of biological signals and information. During the transmission of parts of the mother cells into the specific target cells they activate them and alter them phenotypically. These biological attributes determine their presence on the physiologic processes of coagulation, angiogenesis and vasoregulation, but also on pathologic situations such as inflammation, hypercoagulation, atherosclerosis, hypertension, thromboembolic disease, diabetes mellitus and heart and renal failures. In addition they have the value of a biomarker of presence of disease, or the prognostic marker in some pathological states.

Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; biomarkers; microparticles

Published: February 1, 2016  Show citation