Colonization of LVADs with AC133⁺VEGFR-2⁺ cells.

An LVAD opened after explantation (A) 28 days after placement revealed formation of neo-intima on both the sintered titanium housing (right) and the polyurethane diaphragm (left) surfaces. The phenotype of the mononuclear cells derived from the neo-intima formed, analyzed by dual-color flow cytometry, demonstrated the presence of AC133⁺VEGFR⁺ (B) as well as CD34⁺VEGFR-2⁺ (C) endothelial precursor cells.