OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to identify short-term result of cell transplantation in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) patients who were treated by intracoronary transplantation of autologous mononuclear bone marrow cells (BMCs) in addition to standard therapy.

METHODSBased on given standard therapy, eighteen patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were enrolled and divided into transplantation group and control group. The clinical characteristics of two groups were comparable. Among these patients, 10 patients were performed percutaneous coronary autologous BMCs transplantation. Blood routine test, hepatic function, renal function, glucose, triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, low density cholesterol (LDL), high density cholesterol (HDL), uric acid (UA) and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured at the time point of pre-operation and some time after transplantation. All patients were monitored under ultrasonic cardiography, Holter, six-minute-walk test and magnetic resonance imaging over a period of at least 6 months. Annual hospital days were recorded during two-year follow-up.

RESULTSBlood routine test, hepatic function, renal function, glucose, TG, cholesterol, LDL, HDL, UA and hsCRP had no significant differences among 48 hours, 3 months and 6 months after transplantation compared with control and pre-transplantation (P > 0.05). Six-minute-walk distance elevated significantly six months after BMCs transplantation compared with control and pre-transplantation [(494.3 +/- 62.8) m vs (307.2 +/- 75.0) m, (321.5 +/- 63.7) m, P < 0.05]. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the sizes of LVEDd had no significant changes compared with that of control and pre-transplantation (P > 0.05). Myocardium lesion area measured by (MRI) seemed decrease in transplantation group compared with that of control and pre-operation [(4.96 +/- 0.47) cm(2) vs (5.12 +/- 0.54) cm(2), (5.02 +/- 0.39) cm(2), P > 0.05], but there was no significance. None of proarrhythmias and side effects had been observed around transplantation and 2 years follow-up. There was no significant difference in survival between two groups in 2 years follow-up. Interestingly, annual hospital day in BMCs transplantation patients was significantly shorter than that in control group [(30.2 +/- 11.2) d vs (43.6 +/- 9.8) d, P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONSAutologous bone marrow mononuclear cells transplantation can prolong six-minute-walk, decrease re-hospitalization rate, elevate exercise ability and help to improve cardiac function in patients with IDC. In addition, it was demonstrated that cell transplantation is safe.