title: Establishing a cord blood banking and transplantation program in Mexico: a single institution experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the past decade, umbilical cord blood (UCB) banking and transplantation have increased significantly worldwide. The experience in developing countries, however, is still limited. In January 2005 the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) initiated its UCB banking and transplantation program. This study reports on the experience generated at this institution during the first 2 years of activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A public UCB bank was established at La Raza Medical Center, IMSS, in Mexico City. Good manufacturing practices and standard operating procedures were used to address donor selection, as well as UCB collection, processing, and cryopreservation. Based mainly on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and total nucleated cell (TNC) content, specific UCB units were thawed, processed, and released for transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on stringent selection criteria, 360 UCB units were collected from January 2005 to December 2006. A total of 201 (56%) units (minimum volume, 50 mL without anticoagulant) were processed and stored. Median values for specific parameters were as follows: volume, 89.9 mL; viability, 94.8%; TNCs, 0.91 x 10(9); CD34+ cells, 3.13 x 10(6); and colony-forming cells, 1.20 x 10(6). During this period, 10 units had been released for transplantation to seven patients (six children and one adult). Engraftment was observed in five patients; four of them were still in remission (114-293 days after transplant). In spite of showing sustained engraftment, one patient died on Day +88. Two patients showed no engraftment and died 29 to 30 days after transplant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained during this initial period are encouraging and indicate that the UCB banking and transplantation program at IMSS will help to improve already existing hematopoietic cell transplant programs in Mexico. The experience generated at IMSS may be helpful to other institutions, particularly those in developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Umbilical Cord Blood Bank and the Department of Pediatric Hematology, La Raza Medical Center, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Novelo-Garza
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Limon-Flores
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guerra-Marquez
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Luna-Bautista
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Juan-Shum
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Montero
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Valle
authors.forename: Maria Antonieta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vélez-Ruelas
authors.forename: Hector
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mayani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D013997:Time Factors