Molecular and Morphologic Characterization of Circulating Endothelial Cells (CEC)

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 18 - 80 years old.
2. Must be reliable, cooperative and willing to comply with all protocol-specified procedures if consented.
3. Able to understand and grant informed consent

4. Subjects must meet one of the following (a-c):

   1. Healthy control subjects not meeting any exclusion criteria for controls below
   2. Patients scheduled for an open vascular procedure of an arterial structure
   3. Patients with acute MI defined as:

   i. Clinical history and symptoms consistent with acute MI AND ii Elevated cardiac markers (CKMB, Troponin I or T) consistent with MI (abnormals are according to enrolling institution's lab standards) AND iii. Able to complete study enrollment (consent & blood draw) within 48 hours of presentation to the study site.

Exclusion Criteria:

General Exclusion Criteria:

1. Has a significant medical condition that in the investigator's opinion may interfere with the patient's optimal participation in the study.

Exclusion for Healthy Controls:

1. Age greater than 35
2. Previous history of coronary artery disease or MI
3. Diabetes
4. Peripheral arterial disease
5. Hypertension (>140/90 or on blood pressure medication)
6. Sickle cell disease
7. Acute or Chronic kidney disease
8. Acute or Chronic vascular conditions, not otherwise specified
9. Active or history of inflammation of connective tissue and vascular structures (i.e. vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis)