Improvement in asymmetric dimethylarginine and oxidative stress in patients with limb salvage after autologous mononuclear stem cell application for critical limb ischemia.

Background: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, acts as an inhibitor of angiogenesis and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Administration of stem cells may affect endogenous mechanisms that regulate ADMA production and metabolism. The aim of the present study was to analyze ADMA concentration and changes in oxidative stress in patients with advanced critical limb ischemia (CLI) after bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell (BM-MNC) therapy.

Characteristics of responders to autologous bone marrow cell therapy for no-option critical limb ischemia.

Background: The present study investigated factors associated with therapeutic benefits after autologous bone marrow cell (BMC) therapy in patients with "no-option" critical limb ischemia (CLI).

Methods And Results: Sixty-two patients with advanced CLI (Rutherford category 5 or 6) not eligible for revascularization were randomized to treatment with 40 ml of autologous BMCs (SmartPreP2) by local intramuscular (n = 32) or intra-arterial (n = 30) application. The primary endpoint was limb salvage and wound healing at 12 months.