ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The area of myocardial infarction is the determinative factor of acute myocardial infarction prognosis. Amelioration of blood transportation and replacement therapy can reduce infarction area. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into cardiovascular tissue and are easy to obtain. After cultured and expanded in vitro, they can become the ideal cells for cardiovascular replacement therapy.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of intracoronary transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of myocardial infarction. DESIGN: Self-control observation taking the patients as subjects.SETTING: Department of Cardiology, Department of Nuclear Medicine,Echocardiogram Room, Nanjing First Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 20 patients with acute myocardial infarction who received the therapy of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplantation in the Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University during March 2003 to March 2004 were recurited. Informed consents were obtained from the patients, and the complete postoperative follow up was over 3 months. The patients include 15 male and 5 female, and they were aged (64±10) years.METHODS: All the patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to treat infarction-related blood vessel. Autologous bone marrow was taken from the patients, then stem cells were extracted to be performed in vitro induction, differentiation and proliferation, and transplanted infarction-related blood vessel through coronary artery at the mean number of (21.7±30.14)× 107 within 2 weeks. Before and 3 months after transplantation of stem cells, patients underwent gated dual-isotopic myocardial perfusion/metabolic imaging (18-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose, 18F-FDG) examination. Survived and necrotic myocardia were predicted and infarction area was obtained. At the same time, wall motion and heart function index were evaluated with ultrasound cardiography (UCG)examination, and they were re-checked 3 months after operation to evaluate the amelioration of wall motion and heart function index. A 5-point scale was used in the evaluation of gated dual-isotopic myocardial perfusion/metabolic imaging (18F-FDG) examination: point 0: normal, 1: sparse, 2:obviously sparse, 3: defected. Evaluative standard of UCG: point 1: normal,2: reduced, 3: obviously reduced, 4: no ventricular wall motion or paradoxical motion; Wall motion with 2 points or more than 2 points suggests it is improved.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Results of gated dual-isotopic myocardial perfusion/ metabolic imaging (18F-FDG-SPECT); ②Infarctionrelated myocardial segment score and heart function index before and after stem cell transplantation of patients in ECG follow-up observation.RESULTS: All the 20 patients participated in the result analysis.Results of gated dual-isotopic myocardial perrusion/metabolic imaging (18F-FDG-SPECT): The myocardial perfusion defect area of 20 patients was significantly reduced after therapy than before therapy [(33±15)%,-(44±18)% ,P ＜ 0.05]; Metabolie defect area was significantly reduced after therapy than before therapy [(33±17)%, (43±21)% ,P ＜ 0.05];Before therapy, there were 199 segments, in which blood flow reperfusion was matched to glycometabolism defect, and they were determined as necrotic myocardium. After therapy, blood flow perfusion metabolism was improved in 79 segments, but blood flow perfusion and glycometabolism were not improved significantly in 120 segments (P ＜ 0.05). Results of UCG: ejection fraction of patients was significantly larger after therapy than before therapy [(53±8)%, (42±7)% ,P ＜ 0.05].CONCLUSION: Intracoronary transplantation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for treating myocardial infarction is simple to operate. After therapy, the infarction area is obviously reduced, myocardial blood flow perfusion and metabolism of necrotic area improve, myocardial segments without survival determined before operation reduce sigrificantly and the heart function of patients improve.