A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was performed in 50 patients with chronic MI. The patients were randomly allocated into CABG with stem cell transplantation (group A) and CABG only (group B) groups. CMR assessments of global and segmental left ventricular function and scar tissue were performed before surgery and repeated at 12 months after CABG and aBM-MNC transplantation.
The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improved by 13.5 % and 8.0 % in group A and B respectively (P = 0.04). Segmental analysis of regional LV function recovery indicated that more improvement in contractility was found in group A within the same degree of the infarct transmurality (P = 0.017) and showed a predominant interaction in the most severely affected segments (76-100 % , P = 0.016). Decrease in infarct size between the two groups did not reach statistical difference (9.4 % vs. 6.0 % , P = 0.100).
CMR assessments revealed reversed ventricular remodeling and improved systolic function and scar reduction in patients who underwent aBM-MNC transplantation during CABG. And the conjunctional use of CABG and stem cell therapy could improve the left ventricular function in patients with chronic MI.