Vascular disease and cell activation: exploration of cell adhesion phenotype by quantitative flow cytometry.

The pathogenesis of atheromatous and/or thrombotic vascular diseases involv es rheological parameters, soluble mediators and cellular agents. The many studies that have tried to establish correlations between plasma factors, s hear stress and the risk of ischemia have left some questions unanswered. C urrent exploration methods are now focusing on the determining role of cell s. Activated cells express adhesion molecules on their membranes, which all ow to communicate in a homo- or heterotypical manner. Quantifying adherence molecules on the surface of platelets, leukocytes and endothelial cells pr ovides an assessment of the "adhesive phenotypical profile". Quantitative c ytometry, using beads coated with a known amount of immunoglobulins as cali brators, is perfectly suited, through its multiple parameter analyses and t he specificity provided by monoclonal antibodies, for the quantification of membrane antigens. Measuring the adhesive profile on the surface of cells that are implicated in vascular disease makes it possible to correlate that phenotype to the ischemic risk in such diversified pathologies or circumst ances as intermittent angor, myocardial infarction, angioplasty, insulin-de pendent diabetes or pre-eclampsia. In addition,: that quantification permit s monitoring the action of new therapeutical agents targeting adherence mol ecules.