Assessment of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Senescence and Endothelial Dysfunction among Adults with High Cardiovascular Risk

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Biological aging has been associated with the occurrence of adverse cardiovascular outcomes; however, the underlying mechanism of this process remains unknown. Objectives This study sought to evaluate if peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) senescence and endothelial biomarkers could influence cardiovascular (CV) risk and be suitable markers for the early detection of cardiovascular diseases in adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study patients free of CVD were classified as lower (n=32) and higher Interheart Risk (IHR) scores (n=28). PBMC senescence was assessed by estimating the telomerase activity (TA) and detecting the presence of senescent cells and endothelial dysfunction by estimating the concentration of nitrite and nitrate and of total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). All p-values