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Fig. 3 Serum from HF patients inhibits sprouting and branching in endothelial cells, and Sema3F levels in serum from HF patients correlate with its anti-angiogenic effect HUVECs were incubated for 16 to 18 h with 30 % serum from patients with CAD (n = 10), HF (n = 21) or EBM with 2 % FCS (control, n = 12) and then assayed on Matrigel® for 2.5 h. (A) Cumulative sprout length and (B) branch points of capillary-like structures were diminished in response to HF serum compared to treatment with serum from CAD subjects. Box plots extend from the 25th to the 75th percentile with the median marked. Whiskers extend from the 10th to the 90th percentile. The results were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA test followed by Bonferroni's multiple comparisons test: *p < 0.05 CAD vs. controls or CAD vs. HF (n, number of patients). (C) Serum Sema3F levels were significantly higher in patients with HF (n = 21) compared to patients with CAD (n = 10). Box plots extend from the 25th to the 75th percentile with the median marked. Whiskers extend from the 10th to the 90th percentile. Mann-Whitney test, *p < 0.05 CAD vs HF. (D) The cumulative sprouting length failed to attain statistical significance (Spearman's r = 0.4180, p = 0.0666), the branch points of the Matrigel® wells that had been treated with serum from HF patients (n = 21) exhibited an inverse correlation with serum Sema3F concentration (E, Spearman's r - 0.4543, p < 0.05).