Intracoronary transplantation of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for ischemic cardiomyopathy due to isolated chronic occluded left anterior descending artery.

Background. Studies have revealed that stem cells improve clinical outcomes in patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy, but the role of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells is not well understood. Methods. Twenty-two patients received an implantation of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell therapy; another 23 patients were placed in a control group after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the chronically occluded left anterior descending artery. Results. Reversible defect in the cell therapy group decreased from 16 ± 8% at baseline to 6 ± 2% at 12 months (p < 0.05), and this improvement was maintained throughout the entire follow-up period. Compared to the control group (5 ± 3 METS at baseline vs. 5 ± 3 METS at 3 months; p = NS), the level of exercise tolerance improved significantly 3 months after cell therapy (5 ± 2 METS at baseline vs. 7 ± 3 METS at 3 months; p < 0.05). The NYHA function class also improved in the cell therapy group (2.7 ± 0.8 at baseline vs. 1.6 ± 0.1 at 3 months; p < 0.05). PCI alone did not increase left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), but following stem cell therapy, the LVEF increased significantly from 26 ± 6% at baseline to 37 ± 9% at 3 months (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Intracoronary transplantation of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells improved clinical outcomes in patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy.