Fetal stem cells in combined treatment of chronic heart failure and their effect on morphofunctional parameters of the left ventricle myocardium

Abstract

Fetal stem cells treatment (FSCT) is assumed to be a new direction in a combined therapy for the patients with the severe chronic heart failure (CHF).Material and methods. 20 patients (average age of 50.1 ± 1.1 yrs.) with CHF functional class III-IV (FC) undergoing the transplantation of the cryopreserved cells of the fetal liver and heart obtained from 5-8 weeks gestation embryos were examined. The control group (CG) of 20 patients was compared by gender and age with the main group (MG).Results. Within 6 months after FSC therapy CHF patients reported a significant improvement of the contractile activity of the left ventricle (LV) heart muscle in echocardiography (EchoCG) findings (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) increased by 20.9 % being 2-fold higher than in patients without FSCT, p<0.05) and in features of LV remodeling (left ventricle end diastolic volume (LV EDV) decreased by 20.5 %, p < 0.05). Serum NT-proBNP significantly raised within 1 month after FSCT by 33.8 %, 50 % and 65.1 % in 1, 3 and 6 months respectively (p<0.001) and was significantly lower after a month of treatment compared with CG (р<0.05).As a result of general condition improvement in CHF patients significant elevation in 6 minute walking distance (6MWD) test was observed and the distance walked increased 7.3-fold (p<0.001), 10.3-fold (p<0.001) and 12.5-fold (p<0.001) vs. the baseline in 1, 3 and 6 months, respectively, which was generally 2-fold higher than in patients of the CG. DASI score increased by 54.6 %, after 3 months — by 63.2 %, after 6 months — by 66.4 %, which is significantly higher than the baseline (p<0.05 vs. baseline).Conclusion. It has been proven that combined treatment of CHF patients using FSCs along with the standard therapy increases the LV myocardial contractility, lowering the blood serum NT-proBNP level and results in overall life quality improvement among the patients.