Insulin Resistance and Oxidative Stress Influence Colony‐Forming Unit‐Endothelial Cells Capacity in Obese Patients

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between a sub‐population of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), namely colony‐forming unit‐endothelial cells (CFU‐EC), their colony‐forming capacity and variable clinical parameters, including insulin resistance and oxidative stress, in obese individuals. Thirty‐eight obese adults (aged 42.5 ± 12.7), with BMI 32.3 ± 4.0 and 13 normal‐weight controls (aged 48.2 ± 12.9; BMI 23.2 ± 2.3) were studied. CFU‐EC colony‐forming capacity was impaired in the group of obese individuals compared to the normal‐weight controls (P = 0.001). The inverse correlation between homeostasis model assessment‐insulin resistance (HOMA_IR) index and CFU‐EC number (r = ?0.558, P < 0.0001) as well as positive total antioxidant status of plasma (TAS)/CFU‐EC relation were noticed during the study. Additionally, correlations between the concentration of triglycerides (TG), high‐density lipoproteins (HDLs), and body composition parameters in the obese participants were established. Our results demonstrate that insulin resistance and oxidative stress have a significant impact on the CFU‐EC colony formation in obesity. Moreover, in multivariate regression analysis, in both studied groups, the HOMA_IR index and HDL concentration were independent predictors of the number of CFU‐EC. Endothelium dysfunction, which can be present in obesity, may in part be caused by EPC function impairment in this condition.