Autologous Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells for Limb Salvage in Diabetic Foot Patients with No-Option Critical Limb Ischemia

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) are reported to prevent major amputation and healing in no-option critical limb ischemia (NO-CLI). The aim of this study is to evaluate PBMNC treatment in comparison to standard treatment in NO-CLI patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The study included 76 NO-CLI patients admitted to our centers because of CLI with DFUs. All patients were treated with the same standard care (control group), but 38 patients were also treated with autologous PBMNC implants. Major amputations, overall mortality, and number of healed patients were evaluated as the primary endpoint. Only 4 out 38 amputations (10.5%) were observed in the PBMNC group, while 15 out of 38 amputations (39.5%) were recorded in the control group (p = 0.0037). The Kaplan–Meier curves and the log-rank test results showed a significantly lower amputation rate in the PBMNCs group vs. the control group (p = 0.000). At two years follow-up, nearly 80% of the PBMNCs group was still alive vs. only 20% of the control group (p = 0.000). In the PBMNC group, 33 patients healed (86.6%) while only one patient healed in the control group (p = 0.000). PBMNCs showed a positive clinical outcome at two years follow-up in patients with DFUs and NO-CLI, significantly reducing the amputation rate and improving survival and wound healing. According to our study results, intramuscular and peri-lesional injection of autologous PBMNCs could prevent amputations in NO-CLI diabetic patients.