title: A comparative analysis of the transplant potential of umbilical cord blood versus mobilized peripheral blood stem cells.
abstract: Human umbilical cord blood (UCB) is currently considered as a third source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation, following the bone marrow and growth-factor-mobilized peripheral blood (MPB). To evaluate the potential benefits of UCB, we performed a comparative study of the properties of the stem cells in UCB and MPB samples. CD 34+ cell determination and CFU-GM colony assay showed a lower frequency of committed progenitors in UCB than in MPB. In contrast, a higher of the CD 34+ CD 38- subset in UCB suggested that more primitive, multipotent progenitors are enriched in UCB than in MPB. Phenotypic analysis of UCB lymphocytes revealed a reduced level of T cell subsets, especially cytotoxic CD 8+ lymphocytes, which might minimize graft versus host disease in clinical practice. In conclusion, UCB is an attractive alternative source for stem cell transplantation, but ex vivo expansion of stem/progenitor cells could be effective for attaining rapid and safer hemopoietic reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gomi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wakabayashi
mesh_terms: D001772:Blood Cell Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells; D006801:Humans; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets