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Figure 1 Induction of apoptosis in HUVECs by the serum of patients with CHF. A, Apoptosis rates of HUVECs after exposure to 10% serum of patients with CHF as compared with healthy volunteers (control group) for 18 h. Box plots show median, 75% quartile and total range of values (*p < 0.001 vs. control group). B, Deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation in HUVECs after 18-h incubation with the serum of a representative patient with CHF. Left lane, Serum of a healthy volunteer (control). Upper panel, Ethidium bromide staining of the gel to demonstrate equal loading of DNA. C, Cell viability after incubation with CHF or control serum for 24 h (*p = 0.002 vs. control group). D, Correlation of apoptosis induction by the serum of patients with CHF symptoms according to the NYHA classification (*p < 0.05 vs. NYHA class II; **p < 0.001 vs. control group). Data are presented as the mean value ± SEM. E, Shed membrane particles detected in human plasma derived from control subjects as compared with patients with CHF (mean ± SEM) (*p < 0.001).