title: [Treatment of lower limb ischemia with combination of traditional Chinese medicine and transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells: a report of 23 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the therapeutic effect of transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells combined with traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of limb ischemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with limb ischemia were treated. G-CSF was used to stimulate the bone marrow. The mononuclear cells were separated from the aspirated bone marrow fluid in the stem cell studio. The cell amount was above 1x10(9). The transplantation was performed by the way of intra-muscular multi-injection. Traditional Chinese medicine for replenishing qi to activate blood was prescribed from the first day after operation. The pain, poikilothermia, ulcer or necrosis and ankle/brachial index (ABI) of the ischemic limb were evaluated before and after the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pain score and poikilothermia score decreased one month after the transplantation, with distinct differences as compared with the scores before the treatment (P<0.05). The ABI increased gradually after the treatment, and one month after the treatment, it was 0.15 higher than that before the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells combined with traditional Chinese medicine can decrease the symptoms and signs of severe lower limb ischemia effectively, and improve the circulation of the ischemic area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China. yangb5191@sina.com
authors.forename: Bo-Hua
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jian-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Ling-Qun
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Feng-Tong
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: You-Shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000628:therapy*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000637:transplantation; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor