Effects of off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting on function and viability of circulating endothelial progenitor cells

Both on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting elicit mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells into the peripheral blood. On-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, however, impairs the migratory function and viability of these vascular repair cells, which are conversely preserved after off-pump surgery. Further work is necessary to determine whether the function and viability of endothelial progenitor cells correlate with vascular outcomes and whether their therapeutic modulation may one day benefit coronary artery bypass grafting patients.