The decrement in circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in type 2 diabetes is independent of the severity of the hypoadiponectemia

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with a decreased level of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and adiponectin. Experimental studies suggest a potential link between hypoadiponectinaemia and the depletion of the EPC level. This study investigated the relationships between adiponectin level and EPC in patients with type 2 DM. Methods A total of 95 type 2 DM patients (58.5 ± 8.8 years, 42 men) and 95 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls were recruited. Circulating EPC levels were determined by flow cytometry using CD133+, CD34+, CD133+/KDR+ and CD34+/KDR+ as surface markers. Plasma adiponectin levels were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. EPC function was studied by in vitro tube formation and migration assay. Results The levels of CD133+ (p < 0.001) and CD133+/KDR+ (p < 0.001) EPCs were independently associated with the presence of type 2 DM. The levels of CD34+ (p = 0.004) and CD34+/KDR+ (p = 0.013) EPCs were independently associated with haemoglobin A$_{\rm{1c}}$. Nevertheless, there was no relationship between the number of EPCs and adiponectin level. Tube formation assay showed impaired pro‐angiogenic function of EPC in DM patients compared with controls (p = 0.007). Interestingly, adiponectin supplementation (5 µg/mL) increased tube formation by 17.6% in EPCs from DM patients (p = 0.002). It also significantly enhanced cell migration by 35.9% in EPCs from DM patients (p = 0.01). Conclusions We detected no relationship between the reduction in the level of EPC and in the level of total adiponectin in blood from patients with type 2 diabetes. EPC from patients with diabetes were stimulated when exposed to adiponectin in the test tube, findings that warrant further study. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.