Marked Decrease of Plasma VEGF After Implantation of Autologous Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells in a Patient with Critical Limb Ischemia

Abstract

The authors performed autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells implantation (BMI) in a 79-year-old man with critical limb ischemia. After BMI, the resting pain of the ischemic leg improved gradually. They measured the plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the blood from bilateral femoral veins. Before BMI, the plasma VEGF and bFGF concentrations were much greater in the ischemic leg than in the other lower limb, but decreased to the same concentrations as those in the contralateral lower extremity after BMI. The large concentrations of the angiogenic factors VEGF and bFGF in plasma indicate the severity and extent of the leg ischemia. BMI resulted in lower levels of VEGF and bFGF, and this fall is the hallmark of the effectiveness of BMI in the treatment of peripheral artery disease.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Tateishi E , Matsubara H , Murohara T , et al : Therapeutic angiogenesis for patients with limb ischemia by autologous transplantation of bone-marrow cells. Lancet 360:427-435, 2002.

Fujita S , Hakoshima A , Fujiwara Y , et al : Physical training does not increase VEGF in skeletal muscle of rat with peripheral arterial insufficiency. J Jpn Coll Angiol 43:59-63, 2003.