title: Quality of life in patients with retinitis pigmentosa submitted to intravitreal use of bone marrow-derived stem cells (Reticell -clinical trial).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a severe neurodegenerative disease of the retina that can lead to blindness. Even without treatment, a clinical study with the use of stem cells is currently underway and the results are being evaluated. In the present report we assess the vision-related quality of life in patients with RP submitted to intravitreal use of bone marrow-derived stem cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 20 patients with RP submitted to intravitreal use of bone marrow-derived stem cells. We evaluate the vision-related quality of life (VRQOL) of patients using the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25). Patients were scheduled to answer the questionnaire before treatment and 3 and 12 months after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients completed the survey as scheduled. There was a statistically significant improvement (P<0.05) in the quality of life of patients 3 months after treatment, whereas by the 12th month there was no statistically significant difference from baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cell therapy with intravitreal use of bone marrow-derived stem cells can improve the quality of life of patients with RP, although the improvement is lost with time. A larger number of cases will be necessary to evaluate the repercussions of this therapy on the quality of life of these patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01560715 . Registered March 19, 2012.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. rubenssiqueira@terra.com.br.|Rubens Siqueira Research Center, Sao Jose do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil. rubenssiqueira@terra.com.br.|Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirao Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil. rubenssiqueira@terra.com.br.
authors.forename: Rubens C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. amessias@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Messias
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Katharina.Messias@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Messias
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. rsarc@bol.com.br.
authors.forename: Rafael S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Arcieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Beneficencia Portuguesa Hospital, Sao Jose do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil. milruiz@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Milton A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Rubens Siqueira Research Center, Sao Jose do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil. Neiglene@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Neiglene F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Biology, Paulista University (UNIP), Sao Jose do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil. liacampanha1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lia C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. retinausp@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jorge
mesh_terms: D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000628:therapy*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*