Effect of early rehabilitation on endothelial progenitor cells, stromal cell-derived factor alpha 1 and motor function recovery after acute cerebral infarction

Abstract

Objective To observe the effects of early rehabilitation training on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), stromal cell-derived factor alpha 1 (SDF-1α) and motor function recovery in hemiplegic patients with acute cerebral infarction. Methods Fifty hemiplegic patients after a first acute cerebral infarction were randomly divided into a control group (n=25) and an experimental group (n=25). Both groups of patients were given routine drug therapy, while the experimental group also received early rehabilitation (within 48 hours of onset). EPCs and SDF-1α levels in peripheral blood were measured before and after one week of treatment, and Fugl-Meyer assessments and modified Barthel index scoring were conducted at admission and after three months of treatment. Results There was no difference between the 2 groups before the treatment. After a week of treatment, however, the EPC and SDF-1α values of both groups had increased, with those of the experimental group increasing significantly more than in the control group. Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the increase in EPCs was positively correlated with the SDF-1α increment in the first week. After 3 months of treatment, the average FMA and MBI results of the experimental group were significantly better than those of the control group. Conclusion Early rehabilitation training can help to further improve the recovery of motor function for hemiplegic patients after acute cerebral infarction. This may be related to its effect in upregulating the expression of SDF-1α, thus contributing to the mobilization of EPCs in the bone marrow. Key words: Cerebral infarction; Rehabilitation; Endothelial progenitor cells; Stromal cell derived factor 1α