Increases in plasma T beta 4 after intracardiac cell therapy in chronic ischemic heart failure is associated with symptomatic improvement

Aim: T beta 4 is an integral factor in repair of myocardium in animal models. To investigate whether T beta 4 is important in human cardiac disease and has a role in mediating the beneficial cardiac effects of bone-marrow-derived stem cell (BMSC) therapy, we measured serial plasma T beta 4 levels in patients enrolled on the REGENERATE-IHD cell therapy trial. Patients & Methods: Plasma T beta 4 concentrations were measured in 13 patients who received BMSCs and 14 controls. Results: There was a significant increase in plasma T beta 4 in the BMSC group 24 h after intracardiac injection. Increases in T beta 4 levels were associated with improvement in New York Heart Association symptom class. Conclusion: This exploratory study highlights the need for further study of T beta 4 in human cardiovascular disease.