Autologous transplantation of peripheral blood endothelial progenitor cells (CD34+) for therapeutic angiogenesis in patients with critical limb ischemia.

AIM: Intramuscular injection of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may constitute an alternative treatment strategy for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). We performed transplantations of EPCs (CD34(+)) extracted from peripheral blood in patients with CLI. The objective of this report is to present the method and early results of intramuscular autologous peripheral blood CD34(+) cell transplantation in the ischemic limb.
METHODS: CD34(+) cell transplantation was performed in 2 limbs of 2 patients with CLI, in cases in which it was not possible to perform surgical or percutaneous revascularization. The patients received a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) prior to the treatment. CD34(+) cells were retrieved from peripheral blood and injected directly into the muscle of the ischemic limb.
RESULTS: CD34(+) cells retrieved in patient 1 were 1 x 10(5)/ml and in patient 2 were 1.6 x 10(5)/ml. Transcutaneous oxygen pressure in the foot increased and clinical symptoms improved. Newly visible collateral blood vessels were directly documented by angiography.
CONCLUSION: Satisfactory clinical improvement was achieved by using peripheral blood EPCs (CD34(+)) in the patients with CLI. No complications arose following the intramuscular administration of peripheral blood CD34(+) cells.