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BackgroundCardiovascular disease has been linked to endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) depletion and functional impairment in atherosclerosis and aortic stenosis. EPCs may play a pivotal role in vascular grafting. However, the EPC depletion in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients has not been compared to coronary artery disease-free valvular replacement patients with aortic stenosis.MethodsWe aimed to assess the basal number of CD34+/KDR+ and CD34+/CD144+ cells in CABG patients, compared to aortic stenosis valvular replacement patients. 100 patients (51 CABG and 49 valvular surgery ones) were included in the present study. All CABG or valvular patients had angiographic demonstration of the presence or the absence of coronary artery disease, respectively. Numbers of CD34+/KDR+ and CD34+/CD144+ were assessed by flow cytometry of pre-surgical blood samples.ResultsWe found a lower number of CD34+/CD144+ cells in CABG patients compared to valvular patients (0.21 ± 0.03% vs. 0.47 ± 0.08%), and this difference remained statistically significant after the P was adjusted for multiple comparisons (P = 0.01428). Both groups had more EPCs than healthy controls.ConclusionsPre-surgical CD34+/CD144+ numbers are decreased in CABG patients, compared to valvular patients with absence of coronary disease.