Fifty percent of diabetics (7% of general population) suffer from peripheral arterial occlusive disease, which may lead to amputation due to critical limb ischemia (CLI). The aim of our study was to prevent major limb amputation (MLA) in this group of patients using a local application of autologous bone marrow stem cells (ABMSC) concentrate. A total of 96 patients with CLI and foot ulcer (FU) were randomized into groups I and II. Patients in group I ( n = 42, 36 males, 6 females, 66.2 ± 10.6 years) underwent local treatment with ABMSC while those in group II ( n = 54, control, 42 males, 12 females, 64.1 ± 8.6 years) received standard medical care. The frequency of major limb amputation in groups I and II was 21% and 44% within the 120 days of follow up, respectively ( p < 0.05). Only in salvaged limbs of group I both toe pressure and toe brachial index increased (from 22.66 ± 5.32 to 25.63 ± 4.75 mmHg and from 0.14 ± 0.03 to 0.17 ± 0.03, respectively, mean ± SEM). The CD34⁺ cell counts in bone marrow concentrate (BMC) decreased (correlation, p = 0.024) with age, even though there was no correlation between age and healing. An unexpected finding was made of relative, bone marrow lymphopenia in the initial bone marrow concentrates in patients who failed ABMSC therapy (21% of MLA). This difference was statistically significant ( p < 0.040). We conclude ABMSC therapy results in 79% limb salvage in patients suffering from CLI and FU. In the remaining 21% lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia were identified as potential causative factors, suggesting that at least a partial correction with platelet supplementation may be beneficial.

Background and Purpose: The purpose was to assess quantitatively and qualitatively the composition and structure of cerebral thrombi and correlate them with the signs of intravital clot contraction (retraction), as well as with etiology, severity, duration, and outcomes of acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We quantified high-resolution scanning electron micrographs of 41 cerebral thrombi for their detailed cellular and noncellular composition and analyzed histological images for the overall structure with the emphasis on red blood cell compression, fibrin age, and the signs of inflammation. Results: Cerebral thrombi were quite compact and had extremely low porosity. The prevailing cell type was polyhedral compressed erythrocytes (polyhedrocytes) in the core, and fibrin-platelet aggregates were concentrated at the periphery; both findings are indicative of intravital contraction of the thrombi. The content of polyhedrocytes directly correlated with the stroke severity. The prevalence of fibrin bundles was typical for more severe cases, while the content of fibrin sponge prevailed in cases with a more favorable course. The overall platelet content in cerebral thrombi was surprisingly small, while the higher content of platelet aggregates was a marker of stroke severity. Fibrillar types of fibrin prevailed in atherothrombogenic thrombi. Older fibrin prevailed in thrombi from the patients who received thrombolytics, and younger fibrin dominated in cardioembolic thrombi. Alternating layers of erythrocytes and fibrin mixed with platelets were common for thrombi from the patients with more favorable outcomes. Thrombi with a higher number of leukocytes were associated with fatal cases. Conclusions: Most cerebral thrombi undergo intravital clot contraction (retraction) that may be of underestimated clinical importance. Despite the high variability of the composition and structure of cerebral thrombi, the content of certain types of blood cells and fibrin structures combined with the morphological signs of intravital contraction correlate with the clinical course and outcomes of acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND:The aim of the study was to investigate the role of von Willebrand factor (vWF), the vWF-cleaving protease, ADAMTS13, the composition of thrombus, and patient outcome following mechanical cerebral artery thrombectomy in patients with acute...

Objectives The aim of this retrospective study was to compare intracranial arterial stenosis in patients with stroke using 3 different methods: transcranial color‐coded duplex sonography, computed tomographic (CT) angiography, and digital subtraction angiography in a common clinical practice. Methods Sixty‐seven patients (47 male and 20 female; age range, 23–79 years; mean age ± SD, 62.0 ± 9.5 years) were enrolled in this study over 40 months. All patients underwent examinations of the intracranial arteries using transcranial color‐coded sonography, CT angiography, and digital subtraction angiography. Findings were divided into 4 groups: normal, mild stenosis (<50%), severe stenosis (50%–99%), and occlusion. Results Because of technical reasons or an insufficient bone window, 465 of 536 arterial segments in 67 patients were evaluated; 12 stenotic and 15 occluded segments were detected using digital subtraction angiography. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of transcranial color‐coded sonography and CT angiography in comparison with digital subtraction angiography as a reference standard were 88.9%, 94.8%, 51.1%, and 99.3% and 81.5%, 98.7%, 78.6%, and 98.6%, respectively. The agreement between transcranial color‐coded sonography and CT angiography was 93.8% (κ = 0.559); between transcranial color‐coded sonography and digital subtraction angiography, it was 93.9% (κ = 0.588); and between CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography, it was 96.6% (κ = 0.697). Conclusions Moderate agreement was found between CT angiography, transcranial color‐coded sonography, and digital subtraction angiography in the evaluation of intracranial stenosis. Computed tomographic angiography and digital subtraction angiography are sufficient for assessment of the diagnosis.