Intra-coronary bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a randomized controlled study

Abstract

Background: Stem cell transplantation is a potential treatment to improve left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the outcomes still are controversial.

Objective: To determine the 6-month LVEF of the patients who underwent intra-coronary bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMC) transplantation in patients with STEMI compared with controlled subjects.

Material and method: After successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in STEMI patients who had LVEF was less than 50% were randomized to intra-coronary BMC transplantation or control. Bone marrow aspiration of 100 cc was performed in the morning. After cellprocessing for three hours, the suspension of BMC about 10 cc were infused to infracted area using standard PCI technique. Balloon occlusion for three minutes was performed during cell infusion. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine LVEF scar volume and LV volume before and six-month follow-up.

Results: Between September 2006 and July 2008, 23patients (11 in BMC group and 12 in control group) were enrolled. Mean BMC count before transplant was 420 x 10(6) cell with 96% viability. At six-month follow-up, New York Heart Association function class significantly improved in both groups (2.3 +/- 0.6 to 1.2 +/- 0. 4 for BMC and 2.3 +/- 0.7 to 1.3 +/- 0.5 for control group) but no difference was seen between groups. However, scar volume, wall motion score index, and LVEF did not show improvement after six months in both groups (33.7 +/- 7.7 to 33.5 +/- 7.6 for BMC and 31.1 +/- 7.1 to 32.6 +/- 8.3 for control group). No complication was observed during the procedure.

Conclusion: BMC transplantation intra-coronary in patients with STEMI in KCMH was feasible and safe but LVEF improvement could not be demonstrated.