Ventricular fibrillation following autologous intramyocardial cell therapy for inherited cardiomyopathy

Received 5 February 2008; received in revised form 7 August 2008; accepted 15 September 2008. published online 25 November 2008.

Abstract

A 41-year-old male with cardiomyopathy from an inherited β myosin heavy-chain mutation underwent treatment for heart failure with intramyocardial cell transplantation. He received direct injections into his heart of autologous precursor cells isolated from his blood. He immediately suffered ventricular fibrillation. Although he was resuscitated, he experienced a prolonged downward course that prohibited his undergoing transplantation. His autopsy revealed marked fibrosis throughout the myocardium with areas of mononuclear cell infiltrate. This case highlights the potential adverse effects associated with intramyocardial therapy in the cardiomyopathic heart.

Keywords: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Intramyocardial cell therapy, Stem cells, Transplant

a Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

b Department of Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

c Department of Surgery, Section of Cardiac and Thoracic, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

d Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

e Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

Corresponding author. 5841 S. Maryland, MC6088, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Tel.: +1 773 702 2672; fax: +1 773 702 2681.

This work was supported by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to E.M.M.

PII: S1054-8807(08)00125-7

doi:10.1016/j.carpath.2008.09.004

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