With the methods used, we found no effects of intracoronary injection of autologous mononuclear BMC on global left ventricular function.

In patients with STEMI and multivessel disease who underwent primary PCI of an infarct-related artery, the addition of FFR-guided complete revascularization of non-infarct-related arteries in the acute setting resulted in a risk of a composite cardiovascular outcome that was lower than the risk among those who were treated for the infarct-related artery only. This finding was mainly supported by a reduction in subsequent revascularizations. (Funded by Maasstad Cardiovascular Research and others; Compare-Acute ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01399736 .).

Rationale The ACCRUE (Meta-Analysis of Cell-based CaRdiac stUdiEs) is the first prospectively declared collaborative multinational database including individual data of patients (IPD) with ischemic heart disease treated with cell therapy. Objective We analyzed the safety and efficacy of intracoronary cell therapy after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) including IPDs from 12 randomized trials (ASTAMI, Aalst, BOOST, BONAMI, CADUCEUS, FINCELL, REGENT, REPAIR-AMI, SCAMI, SWISS-AMI, TIME, LATE-TIME; n=1252). Methods and Results The primary endpoint was freedom from combined major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE; including all-cause death, re-AMI, stroke, and target vessel revascularization). The secondary endpoint was freedom from hard clinical endpoints (death, re-AMI, or stroke), assessed with random-effects meta-analyses and Cox regressions for interactions. Secondary efficacy endpoints included changes in end-diastolic volume (ΔEDV), end-systolic volume (ΔESV), and ejection fraction (ΔEF), analyzed with random-effects meta-analyses and analysis of covariance. We reported weighted mean differences between cell therapy and control groups. No effect of cell therapy on MACCE (14.0% vs. 16.3%, hazard ratio 0.86, 95%CI: 0.63;1.18) or death (1.4% vs 2.1%) or death/re-AMI/stroke (2.9% vs 4.7%) was identified in comparison to controls. No change in ΔEF (mean difference: 0.96%, 95%CI: −0.2;2.1), ΔEDV, or ΔESV was observed compared to controls. These results were not influenced by anterior AMI location, reduced baseline EF, or the use of MRI for assessing left ventricular parameters. Conclusions This meta-analysis of IPD from randomized trials in patients with recent AMI revealed that intracoronary cell therapy provided no benefit, in terms of clinical events or changes in left ventricular function.

2D-STE (two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography) is a novel echocardiographic modality that enables angle-independent assessment of myocardial deformation indices. In the present study, we tested whether peak systolic epsilon(parallel) (longitudinal strain) values measured by 2D-STE could identify areas of MI (myocardial infarction) as determined by CE MRI (contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging). Conventional echocardiographic apical long-axis recordings were performed in 38 patients, 9 months after a first MI. Peak systolic epsilon(parallel) measured by 2D-STE in 16 left ventricle segments was compared with segmental infarct mass and transmurality assessed by CE MRI. Segmental values were averaged to global and territorial values for assessment of global function and myocardial function in the coronary distribution areas. CE MRI identified transmural infarction in 27 patients, and a mean infarct size of 36+/-25 g. Peak systolic epsilon( parallel) correlated with the infarct mass at the global level (r=0.84, P<0.001). A strain value of -15% identified infarction with 83% sensitivity and 93% specificity at the global level and 76% and 95% at the territorial level, and a strain value of -13% identified transmural infarction with 80% sensitivity and 83% specificity at the segmental level. Global infarct mass correlates with the wall motion score index (r=0.70, P<0.001), and left ventricular ejection fraction measured by MRI or echocardiography (r=-0.71 and -0.58, both P<0.001). In chronic infarction, peak systolic epsilon(parallel) measured by 2D-STE correlates with the infarct mass assessed by CE MRI at a global level, and separates infarcted from non-infarcted tissue. Global strain is an excellent predictor of myocardial infarct size in chronic ischaemic heart disease.