Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: The Effects of Autologous Intracoronary Stem Cell Transplantation In Patients With End-Stage Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Brief Summary: Several studies have documented that transplantation of bone marrow-derived cells (BMC) following acute myocardial infarction is associated with a reduction in infarct scar size and improvements in left ventricular function and perfusion. The available evidence in humans suggests that BMC transplantation is associated with improvements in physiologic and anatomic parameters in both acute myocardial infarction and chronic ischemic heart disease, above and beyond the conventional therapy. In particular, intracoronary application of BMC is proved to be safe and was associated with significant improvement in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with chronic heart failure.

In contrast to ischemic heart failure, the data on effects of BMC transplantation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy are limited to pre-clinical studies. In a rat model of dilated cardiomyopathy, intramyocardial delivery of pluripotent mesenchymal cells improved LVEF, possibly through induction of myogenesis and angiogenesis, as well as by inhibition of myocardial fibrosis, suggesting that the beneficial effects of stem cell transplantation in dilated cardiomyopathy may primarily be related to their ability to supply large amounts of angiogenic, antiapoptotic, and mitogenic factors. Similarly, transplantation of cocultured mesenchymal stem cells and skeletal myoblasts was shown to improve LVEF in a murine model of Chagas disease.

Study Aim:

To define the clinical effects of BMC transplantation in dilated cardiomyopathy in a pilot clinical study investigating the effects of intracoronary CD34+ cell transplantation on functional, structural, neurohormonal, and electrophysiologic parameters in patients with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Normal coronary angiogram
* Left ventricular ejection fraction \< 40%
* NYHA III or IV heart failure symptoms
* Bone marrow reactivity (G-CSF test)
* Presence of viable myocardium

Exclusion Criteria:

* Hematologic malignancy
* Multiorgan failure
B: Major Inclusion Criteria:

* Be ≥ 18 and \< 95 years of age.
* Provide written informed consent.
* Diagnosis of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.
* Be a candidate for cardiac catheterization within 5 to 10 weeks of screening.
* Been treated with appropriate maximal medical therapy for heart failure.
* Ejection fraction below 40% and either a left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) \> 5.9cm in male subjects, an LVEDD of \> 5.6cm in female subjects or left ventricular end diastolic volume index \> 125 mL/m2
* Be able to undergo an MRI or CT.

Major Exclusion Criteria:

* Baseline glomerular filtration rate equal or \< 45 ml/min/1.73m2.
* Be eligible for or require standard-of-care surgical or percutaneous intervention for the treatment of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.
* Presence of a prosthetic aortic valve or heart constrictive device.
* Presence of a prosthetic mitral valve.
* Previous myocardial infarction (MI) as documented by a clinical history that will include an elevation of cardiac enzymes and/or ECG changes consistent with MI.
* Diagnosis of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy due to valvular dysfunction, mitral regurgitation, tachycardia, or myocarditis.
* Previous treatment for post-infarction left ventricular dysfunction including PCI and thrombolytic therapy.
* Documented presence of a known LV thrombus, aortic dissection, or aortic aneurysm.
* Documented presence of epicardial stenosis of 70% or greater in one or more major epicardial coronary arteries.
* Documented presence of aortic stenosis (aortic stenosis graded as 1.5cm2 or less).
* Documented presence of moderate to severe aortic insufficiency (echocardiographic assessment of aortic insufficiency graded as ≥+2).
* Evidence of a life-threatening arrhythmia in the absence of a defibrillator (nonsustained ventricular tachycardia ≥ 20 consecutive beats or complete second or third degree heart block in the absence of a functioning pacemaker) or QTc interval \> 550 ms on screening ECG.
* AICD firing in the past 30 days prior to the procedure
* Be eligible for or require coronary artery revascularization.
* Diabetic with poorly controlled blood glucose levels and/or evidence of proliferative retinopathy.
* Have a hematologic abnormality as evidenced by hematocrit \< 25%, white blood cell \< 2,500/ul or platelet values \< 100,000/ul without another explanation.
* Have liver dysfunction, as evidenced by enzymes (ALT and AST) greater than three times the ULN.
* Have a coagulopathy condition = (INR \> 1.3) not due to a reversible cause.
* Known, serious radiographic contrast allergy.
* Known allergies to penicillin or streptomycin.
* Organ transplant recipient.
* Have a history of organ or cell transplant rejection
* Clinical history of malignancy within 5 years (i.e., patients with prior malignancy must be disease free for 5 years), except curatively-treated basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or cervical carcinoma.
* Non-cardiac condition that limits lifespan to \< 1 year.
* On chronic therapy with immunosuppressant medication.
* Serum positive for HIV, hepatitis BsAg, or viremic hepatitis C.
* Female patient who is pregnant, nursing, or of child-bearing potential and not using effective birth control.
* Have a history of drug or alcohol abuse within the past 24 months.
* Be currently participating (or participated within the previous 30 days) in an investigational therapeutic or device trial.
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Established dg. of dilated CMP (defined according to ESC position statement - absence of any stenotic lesions on coronary angiography, no congenital heart disease, no primary valve disease on echocardiography, and no history of hypertension or alcohol abuse1)
* left ventricular ejection fraction \< 30%
* NYHA functional class III or IV for at least 3 months before referral
* Optimal medical management for at least 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

* Left ventricular aneurysm or thrombus
* Hematologic disease
* Multiorgan failure
* Active malignancy
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of chronic, severe, diffuse, multivessel atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for CABG.
* Echocardiogram-assessed LVEF between 25 and 55% (Simpson's rule).
* Angina (or equivalent) functional class II to IV (Canadian Cardiovascular Society) despite maximally tolerated medical therapy.
* Abnormal myocardial perfusion tests:

  i. Cardiac scintigraphy ii. Magnetic resonance imaging iii. Dobutamine-atropine stress-echocardiogram
* Non-candidates for a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to ANY of the following:

  i. High risk lesion ii. Extensive lesion iii. Diffuse, small vessel disease
* Non-candidates for a complete CABG, or candidates for a complete CABG in whom, according to an expert panel, there is a high probability of failure of the grafts due to the extension and severity of the disease, with diffuse, small vessel involvement.
* To provide a signed, written informed consent, according to the National Guidelines for Clinical Trials.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe valve heart disease requiring surgical repair.
* Serologic diagnostic of Chagas' disease.
* Symptoms of heart failure, even from an ischemic etiology, in the absence of objectively documented myocardial ischemia.
* Malignant ventricular arrhythmias (like VT), unless an ICD have been placed.
* Any acute coronary syndrome in the past 3 months.
* End-stage renal disease requiring maintenance dialysis.
* History of neoplasia.
* Drug or alcohol abuse.
* Life expectancy below 2 years.
* Enrollment in any cell therapy trial in the past 2 years.

Answer: A