Bone Marrow Derived Adult Stem Cells for Chronic Heart Failure

Exclusion Criteria

• •Recent acute coronary syndrome as judged by a rise of Troponin above normal values in the last 6 months
• •The presence of cardiogenic shock
• •The presence of acute left and/or right-sided pump failure as judged by the presence of pulmonary oedema and/or new peripheral oedema
• •Known severe pre-existent left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction \< 10% prior to randomisation)
• •Congenital cardiac disease
• •Cardiomyopathy secondary to a reversible cause e.g. thyroid disease, alcohol abuse, hypophosphataemia, hypocalcaemia, cocaine abuse, selenium toxicity \& chronic uncontrolled tachycardia
• •Cardiomyopathy in association with a neuromuscular disorder e.g. Duchenne's progressive muscular dystrophy
• •Contra-indication for bone marrow aspiration
• •Known active infection
• •Known infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), or hepatitis C virus (HCV) syphilis or HTLV
• •Lifestyle with high risk for infection with HIV, HBV or HCV syphilis or HTLV
• •Serum creatinine \>200 umol/L
• •Chronic inflammatory disease
• •Serious known concomitant disease with a life expectancy of less than one year
• •Follow-up impossible (no fixed abode, etc)
• •Previous participation in this study
• •Female subjects of childbearing potential
• •Atrial fibrillation
• •Patients who have responded to the implantation of a biventricular pacemaker
• •Weight \>140kg