Use of a new fluid biopsy technique may help identify patients at high risk for MI, researchers reported.
The high-definition circulating endothelial cell (HD-CEC, Epic Sciences) assay identifies and characterizes circulating endothelial cells. Elevated circulating endothelial cell counts have been reported in multiple diseases, including CVDs, cancer and systemic vasculitis, according to study background information. Previous research has shown that increased numbers of circulating endothelial cells are strongly associated with an ongoing MI and could be a diagnostic tool to predict MI, Kelly Bethel, MD, of Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, Calif., and colleagues wrote.