title: Safety and feasibility of countering neurological impairment by intravenous administration of autologous cord blood in cerebral palsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We conducted a pilot study of the infusion of intravenous autologous cord blood (CB) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) to assess the safety and feasibility of the procedure as well as its potential efficacy in countering neurological impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients diagnosed with CP were enrolled in this study if their parents had elected to bank their CB at birth. Cryopreserved CB units were thawed and infused intravenously over 10~20 minutes. We assessed potential efficacy over 6 months by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and various evaluation tools for motor and cognitive functions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients received autologous CB infusion and were evaluated. The types of CP were as follows: 11 quadriplegics, 6 hemiplegics, and 3 diplegics. Infusion was generally well-tolerated, although 5 patients experienced temporary nausea, hemoglobinuria, or urticaria during intravenous infusion. Diverse neurological domains improved in 5 patients (25%) as assessed with developmental evaluation tools as well as by fractional anisotropy values in brain MRI-DTI. The neurologic improvement occurred significantly in patients with diplegia or hemiplegia rather than quadriplegia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autologous CB infusion is safe and feasible, and has yielded potential benefits in children with CP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyung Vin
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jin Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Hyun-Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Hye-Ryeong
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Se-In
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Hyung Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jang Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Um
authors.forename: Mi Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yun Young
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Young-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hee-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Su Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Soo-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Wonil
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Yoon-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000379:methods*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011859:Radiography; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000009:adverse effects