title: Transcoronary infusion of cardiac progenitor cells in hypoplastic left heart syndrome: Three-year follow-up of the Transcoronary Infusion of Cardiac Progenitor Cells in Patients With Single-Ventricle Physiology (TICAP) trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to assess midterm safety and clinical outcomes of intracoronary infusion of cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) after staged palliation in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective, controlled study, 14 consecutive patients with HLHS who were undergoing 2- or 3-stage surgical palliations were assigned to receive intracoronary CDC infusion 1 month after cardiac surgery (n = 7), followed by 7 patients allocated to a control group with standard care alone. The primary end point was to assess procedural feasibility and safety; the secondary end point was to evaluate cardiac function and heart failure status through 36-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No complications, including tumor formation, were reported within 36 months after CDC infusion. Echocardiography showed significantly greater improvement in right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) in infants receiving CDCs than in controls at 36 months (+8.0% ± 4.7% vs +2.2% ± 4.3%; P = .03). These cardiac function improvements resulted in reduced brain natriuretic peptide levels (P = .04), lower incidence of unplanned catheter interventions (P = .04), and higher weight-for-age z score (P = .02) at 36 months relative to controls. As independent predictors of treatment responsiveness, absolute changes in RVEF at 36 months were negatively correlated with age, weight-for-age z score, and RVEF at CDC infusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intracoronary CDC infusion after staged procedure in patients with HLHS is safe and improves RVEF, which persists during 36-month follow-up. This therapeutic strategy may enhance somatic growth and reduce incidence of heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tarui
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Daiki
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ousaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohtsuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan. Electronic address: hidemasa@md.okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hidemasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D018729:Fontan Procedure; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D018636:Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012307:Risk Factors; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right
keywords: cardiosphere; congenital heart disease; heart failure; hypoplastic left heart syndrome; stem cell therapy