[Pathohistological characteristics of muscles in patients with chronic lower limb ischemia]

Despite the widespread occurrence of ischemic diseases of the lower extremities, including atherosclerosis and diseases with an autoimmune component of their pathogenesis, the pathohistological signs of damage and concomitant chronic ischemia, compensatory tissue responses as intracellular and cellular regeneration remain out of the field of vision in researchers.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the signs of damage (the extent of necrosis and apoptosis, capillary density (CD)) and regeneration (the cross-sectional muscle fiber area (CSMFA), the proportion of centrinucleated muscle fibers (CNMFs), and that of connective tissue), by using the gastrocnemius medial head biopsy specimens obtained from patients with heterogeneous forms of chronic lower limb obliterating diseases (CLLODs).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The investigation included the biopsy specimens obtained from 44 men under 65 years of age (their mean age was 54±9.8 years) with Stage IIB-IV chronic limb ischemia (according to the A.V. Pokrovsky-Fontaine classification) with its history of at least six months. The nosological entities were atherosclerotic lesion in 33 patients (distal atherosclerosis n=13), multistage lesion (n=8), and Leriche's syndrome (n=12); autoimmune-mediated vascular injury in 11 patients (Buerger's disease (n=7) and nonspecific aortoarteritis (n=4)). The similar muscle fragments obtained during autopsy from the deceased without obvious signs of cardiovascular system diseases were examined as a control.

RESULTS

It was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the nosological entities, as compared to the control in terms of CD and CSMFA (a decrease), the proportion of CNMFs and that of connective tissue (an increase). No substantial differences were found in the studied parameters between the nosological entities.

CONCLUSION

The findings may suggest the universal mechanism for damage to striated muscle tissue because of circulatory hypoxia, regardless of its etiology and the common character of tissue compensatory-adaptive responses (regeneration).

[Outcomes of using autologous peripheral-blood stem cells in patients with chronic lower arterial insufficiency]

Presented herein are the outcomes of using autologous peripheral blood stem cells (SCs) in patients with stage II В lower limb chronic obliterating diseases (according to A.V. Pokrovsky's classification). Autologous SCs had previously been stimulated by means of the recombinant granulocytic colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for five days. On day six, we performed mobilization of the peripheral blood stem cells on the MSC+ unit by means of leukopheresis followed by intramuscular administration of half of the obtained dose into the affected extremity. The mean number of the transplanted mononuclears amounted to 6.73 ± 2.2 x 10(9) cells, with the number of CD34+ cells averaging 2.94 ± 2.312 x 10(7). Assessing the therapeutic outcomes at 3 and 6 months of follow-up showed a statistically significant increase in the ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) [being at baseline 0.59 ± 0.04, at 3 months - 0.66 ± 0.04 (P=0.001), and after 6 months - 0.73 ± .08 (P=0.035)], accompanied and followed by improved measures of the treadmill test, with the pain-free walking distance at baseline equalling 102.2 ± 11.55 m, after 3 months - 129 ± 11.13 m (P<0.001), and after 6 months - 140 ± 13.11 m=0.021 vs baseline). The findings of the immunohistochemical study confirmed the development of neoangiogenesis in the skeletal muscle and a 25 percent increase in the capillary-network density following administration of autologous stem cells into the muscle. The method of transplanting peripheral-blood autologous stem cells for treatment of patients presenting with distal forms of chronic obliterating insufficiency of the lower limbs proved safe and efficient. The findings obtained during this study made it possible to recommend extending the indications for its application at the expense of patients with critical ischaemia.