Stem cells in the treatment of chronic spinal cord injury: evaluation of somatosensitive evoked potentials in 39 patients.
METHODS
A prospective, non-randomized clinical series trial.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of autogenous undifferentiated stem cell infusion for the treatment of patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) on somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs).


METHODS
A public tertiary hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.


METHODS
Thirty-nine consecutive patients with diagnosed complete cervical and thoracic SCI for at least 2 years and with no cortical response in the SSEP study of the lower limbs were included in the trial. The trial patients underwent peripheral blood stem cell mobilization and collection. The stem cell concentrate was cryopreserved and reinfused through arteriography into the donor patient. The patients were followed up for 2.5 years and submitted to SSEP studies to evaluate the improvement in SSEPs after undifferentiated cell infusion.


RESULTS
Twenty-six (66.7%) patients showed recovery of somatosensory evoked response to peripheral stimuli after 2.5 years of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
The 2.5-year trial protocol proved to be safe and improved SSEPs in patients with complete SCI.


BACKGROUND
None.
Cristante
A F
AF
Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, 04018-001 São Paulo, Brazil. aacristante@uol.com.br
Barros-Filho
T E P
TE
Tatsui
N
N
Mendrone
A
A
Caldas
J G
JG
Camargo
A
A
Alexandre
A
A
Teixeira
W G J
WG
Oliveira
R P
RP
Marcon
R M
RM