Search

The mechanisms of fibrinolysis have been suggested to be linked to the pathogenesis of peripheral artery disease. The impact of therapeutic angiogenesis on the parameters of fibrinolysis was studied in critical limb ischemia (CLI). CLI patients (N = 29) and blood donors as controls (N = 29) were enrolled. Bone marrow (600 ± 50 ml) was centrifuged (3200g, 20 min, 22°C), bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (100-120 ml) were separated by Optipress I and implanted into the ischemic limb using intramuscular injections. ELISA was employed for the assessment of plasma tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels. Patients were followed-up prior to the procedure and after 1, 3 and 6 months. All stage-IV patients (N = 22) had ischemic lesions. The lesions resolved in 10 patients. Five patients underwent major amputation; they all were stage-IV. Ischemic lesions persisted in seven patients beyond 6 months. The t-PA levels were higher in patients compared with the healthy controls both at baseline (P < 0.01) and after 6 months (P < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the t-PA levels during the follow-up. PAI-1 was higher in patients than in the healthy individuals at baseline (P < 0.001) and at month 1 (P < 0.05). However, no difference in PAI-1 levels between the patients and the healthy individuals was found after 3 and 6 months. The PAI-1 levels were significantly downregulated during the follow-up compared with the baseline (P < 0.0001). Therapeutic angiogenesis for the CLI downregulates PAI-1 levels, thus having a systemic effect on fibrinolysis.

Platelets are required for the recruitment of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMMNC) into ischemia-induced vasculature, which underlines their key role in angiogenesis. The difference in platelet immunophenotype between healthy controls and patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) treated with therapeutic angiogenesis (TA) using BMMNC was assessed. The impact of TA on the expression of platelet membrane markers was studied as well. CLI patients (N = 26) and blood donors as controls (N = 21) were enrolled. Bone marrow (600 ± 50 ml) was centrifuged (3200 g, 20 min, 22 °C). BMMNC (100-120 ml) were separated by Optipress I and implanted to the ischemic limb using deep intramuscular injections. Flow cytometry was employed for the peripheral blood platelets immunophenotyping. CD41FITC, CD62PE, CD36FITC, CD29FITC antibodies were used. Patients were followed up prior to the procedure and at months 1, 3 and 6. The expression of CD41 was lower in CLI patients than in the controls. P-selectin (CD62P) was higher in CLI patients than in controls at the baseline and at month 6. It was significantly down-regulated at month 3, however not at months 1 and 6 compared to baseline. Platelet GPIV (CD36) was higher at the baseline, but not during the follow-up compared to the controls. β1-integrin (CD29) progressively decreased during the follow-up as compared to the baseline value. Platelets in CLI express P-selectin, GPIV and β1-integrin more abundantly than platelets of healthy subjects. TA down-regulates the expression of the respective markers. Possible mechanism could be higher clearance of the activated platelets in the ischemic tissues during angiogenesis.

Hemorrhagic complications are usually manifestations of the progress of severe pancreatitis. In major arterial hemorrhage resulting from pancreatic inflammatory disease, visceral angiography is valuable in localizing the site of bleeding, and hemostasis can be achieved by transcatheter arterial embolization. Successful transcatheter embolization of bleeding in the anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery using ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx) was performed in a 38-year-old woman with acute biliary necrotic-hemorrhagic pancreatitis.

Background: Critical limb ischaemia (CLI) is defined as a chronic rest pain, lasting more than 2 weeks, requiring analgesics and/or with present skin defects. Autologous transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells has been used successfully in CLI., Aim: The salvage of critically ischaemic limb by endotel progenitory cells (EPCs) from patient's bone marrow. To assess efficacy and safety of critical lower limb ischaemia treatment with marrow stem cell autotransplantation., Methods: 9 patients suffering from CLI have been enrolled. They did not require emergency amputation and had previously been unsuccessfully treated with conventional therapy. Mononuclear cells were isolated from the bone marrow taken from illiac crest and injected in the gastrocnemius muscle and pedal region of the affected limb. Patients have had evaluated: local finding, pain index, quality of life index, ABI, fotopletysmography, markers of endothelium and trombocytes' activation and digital subtractive angiography., Results: Pain severity decreased in all of patients. Three of them are with no pain and no claudication. Lesions resolved in two patients, partially in three patients. Crural amputation was required in two patients, amputation of leg in 1 patient. No side effects of the therapy were observed. One patient died without connection with procedure., Conclusions: Marrow stem cell autotransplantation into the ischaemic lower limb seems to be a potentially effective method of peripheral perfusion enhancement. Further studies are needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms of such improvement.