title: Vitamin D effect on umbilical cord blood characteristics: a comparison between African Americans and Caucasians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Umbilical cord blood (UCB) units collected from African Americans (AAs) have lower total nucleated cell (TNC) and CD34+ cell counts and are more likely to disqualify for banking compared to other ethnic groups. Furthermore, AAs have higher prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency. Given the importance of 25(OH)D in hematopoiesis, we examined the racial differences in UCB unit 25(OH)D content and its correlation with UCB cellular characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 119 UCB units that did not meet the TNC count banking criteria were analyzed. Fifty-one UCB units were collected from AA mothers and 68 from Caucasian mothers. We analyzed UCB volume, hematocrit (Hct), TNCs, mononuclear cells (MNCs), CD34+ cells, plasma 25(OH)D concentration, and progenitor clonogenic capacity measured by colony-forming cell (CFC) assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to Caucasians, AAs had significantly lower UCB 25(OH)D levels (p<0.0001), TNCs (p=0.002), MNCs (p=0.026), and CD34+ cells (p=0.026). Severe deficiency (25(OH)D<10 ng/mL) was only detected in AAs. No difference in median CFC count/10,000 MNCs was detected between AAs and Caucasians. Independent of race, a significant association was detected between 25(OH)D level and TNCs (r=0.193 p=0.035) and Hct (r=0.196 p=0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate the importance of 25(OH)D level as a racially independent predictor of UCB cellular characteristics and support further investigation of bioactive vitamin D and other predictors of hematopoiesis on cord blood quality.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Lamis K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Eldjerou
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Cogle
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Emma H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Rosenau
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program, University of Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Clay A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Michele W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Sugrue
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoyne
authors.affiliation: Michigan Blood Cord Blood Bank, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.affiliation: LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.affiliation: San Diego Blood Bank Cord Blood Program, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sazama
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wingard
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
authors.forename: Abba C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Zubair
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D