title: Autologous bone marrow cell therapy for patients with peripheral arterial disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early-phase clinical trials suggest that autologous bone-marrow-derived cells (BMCs) may have a positive effect on patients with severe peripheral arterial disease (PAD). However, the therapeutic effects of BMCs treatment in various aspects remain controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a meta-analysis using data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by comparing autologous BMCs therapy with controls in patients with severe PAD. Pubmed, EMBASE, EBSCO and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials ( to approximately April 2011) were searched.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven RCTs with 276 patients were included. Pooled comparisons of studies found that BMCs therapy significantly improved ankle-brachial index (ABI) by 0.10 (95% CI, 0.07 to 0.14; p < 0.00001), transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcO(2)) by 13.39 mmHg (95% CI, 6.69 to 20.1 mmHg; p < 0.0001) and pain-free walking distance by 119.91 m (95% CI, 90.71 to 149.11 m; p < 0.00001). BMCs therapy significantly decreased scale of rest pain by 1.13 (95% CI, -1.71 to -0.54, p = 0.0002) and helped heal ulcers (OR, 7.17; 95% CI, 2.66 to 19.32; p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our analysis based on seven RCTs suggests that autologous BMCs therapy, has a beneficial effect on physiologic and anatomic parameters in patients with severe PAD.
authors.affiliation: Nanjing University Medical School, Center of Translational Medicine, Nanjing 210093, China. qian_gao@nju.edu.cn
authors.forename: Yanting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010147:Pain Measurement; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking; D014945:Wound Healing