title: Incidence of ventricular arrhythmias after stem cell therapy in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment with stem cells in several cardiomyopathies may be related to the increase in arrhythmias.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether intracoronary injection of stem cells in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy is associated with increased incidence of ventricular arrhythmias, compared to the Control Group.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study that evaluated the medical records of 60 patients who participated in a previous cross-sectional study. The following data were collected: age, gender, drugs used and Holter variables that demonstrated the presence of arrhythmias. Holter was performed in four stages: randomization, 2, 6 and 12 months segments. The Control Group received medical treatment and intracoronary injection of placebo and the Study Group had drug treatment and autologous stem cell implant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference between Control Group and Study Group when analyzing the arrhythmia criteria. In the intra-group analysis, significant difference was found between the Holter tests of the Study Group for the variable total ventricular premature beats when compared with baseline, with p = 0.014 between Holter at randomization and Holter at 2 months, p = 0.004 between Holter at randomization and Holter at 6 months, and p = 0.014 between Holter at randomization and Holter at 12 months. The variable non-sustained ventricular tachycardia between Holter at randomization and Holter at 6 months showed p = 0.036.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intracoronary injection of stem cells did not increase the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy compared to the Control Group.
authors.forename: Adriana Sebba Barroso de
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Weimar Kunz Sebba Barroso
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Sandra Araujo
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Elis Marra de Moreira
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Luís Antônio Batista
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sá
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rassi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013997:Time Factors