title: Therapeutic neovascularization by the implantation of autologous mononuclear cells in patients with connective tissue diseases.
abstract: Vasculopathy in patients with connective tissue diseases (CTDs), including systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is a serious complication that mainly affects small arteries and capillaries, reduces the blood flow and causes progressive tissue ischemia. Recently, CTD patients have been reported to have abnormalities in circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs); these abnormalities are believed to contribute to the pathophysiology of vasculopathy and to the premature and accelerated development of atherosclerosis in CTD patients. Furthermore, we are currently conducting a clinical pilot study to determine the efficacy of implanting autologous mononuclear cells obtained from the bone marrow and peripheral blood into the ischemic digits or limbs of CTD patients. In this review, we discuss the role of EPCs in the process of neovascularization and in the pathophysiology of CTDs, and we describe a clinical pilot study on the use of autologous cell therapy for treating ischemic digits in patients with CTDs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. masafumi2@jichi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Izawa
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishigatsubo
authors.forename: Kazuteru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: Yoshifusa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minota
authors.forename: Toyoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murohara
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Uichi
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005121:Extremities / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000628:therapy; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000637:transplantation*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34