Circulating Endothelial Cells in Venous Blood as a Marker of Endothelial Damage in Chronic Venous Insufficiency: Improvement with Venoruton

Abstract

Damage to endothelial cells is common in vascular disorders and in reactions associated with transplantation. An elevated number of circulating endothelial cells indicates the extent of endothelial damage in a variety of disorders. In chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), the number of endothelial cells is abnormally increased, and this can be considered an important indication of endothelial damage. A group of 23 subjects with two levels of CVI (severe and very severe with previous ulcerations) with an increased endothelial cell count (seen by microscopy) was studied and treated for 4 weeks with oral Venoruton (0-[beta-hydroxyethyl]-rutosides) (1 g/day) to evaluate the effects of treatment on the circulating endothelial cells in blood taken from a peripheral leg vein. The controls comprised two groups with comparable age and sex distribution, one of healthy individuals and one of CVI subjects. After 4 weeks, a significant decrease was noted in endothelial cells both in subjects with CVI and in those with very severe CVI with previous ulcerations. This study suggests that endothelial cells may play a significant role in venous disease, being both an indication of severe disease and a further problem in itself. The use of Venoruton appears to decrease the number of circulating endothelial cells. This suggests an important role of this compound in protecting the endothelium and offers new potentially important therapeutic options that are not limited only to venous disease.