Hepatic diseases: cirrhosis; consequences of hepatitis

Treatment.

Immature (stem) cells are grafted either directly into the patient’s liver or intravenously. The grafted cells intensify reparative processes in the liver.

The treatment is conducted in the surgical department.

Infectious safety.

The donor material is subjected to 3-level testing for infection (2 immunoenzyme analyses and 1 PCR examination).

Side effects.

Typical surgical complications cannot be completely excluded in the case of intrahepatic cell transplantation. No long-term complications are registered.

Clinical effect.

The grafted cells are capable of improving hepatic functionality and of suppressing the development in the liver of pathological connective tissue.

STEM CELLS IN COMBINED TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CIRROTIC LIVER

STEM CELLS IN COMBINED TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CIRROTIC LIVER

The data presented herein are based on results of treating 60 cirrhosis patients, who have been admitted to Municipal clinical hospital № 2 over the time from 2003 to 2005 year. The trial group composed of 30 patients who received stem cell-based treatment along with the conventional therapy. The control 30 patients were given the conventional therapy alone. The trial group and the control one were carefully balanced by their clinical characteristics (see Table 1).

 

 

 

Table 1. Patients’ characteristics.

Characteristic Trial (n=30) Control (n=30)
Sex
Male 12 (40%) 14 (47%)
Female 18 (60%) 16 (53%)
Mean age 47 ± 3 45 ± 4
Length of disease 5.9 ±1.7 5.3 ± 1.4
Etiological agent
Hepatitis C virus 6 (20%) 7 (23%)
Hepatitis B virus 3 (10%) 3 (10%)
Hepatitis C+B virus 4 (13%) 3 (10%)
Chronic alcohol intoxication 10 (34%) 9 (30%)
Primary biliary cirrhosis 7 (23%) 8 (27%)

Each patient of the trial group was cell-grafted tree times. The duration of follow-up time was 1 year. No long-term complications, which might be related to the grafted cells, were noted. With treatment, the index of disease severity decreased in the trial group by 42%. At the same time this index increased in the control group by 21%. The life quality of the trial patients improved by 29%, whereas that of the control patients deteriorated by 25%. The cell-based treatment promoted normalization of both biochemical blood parameters and blood coagulability. On the other hand, the indices of hepatic blood flow in the trial patients kept at the initial level. The multiple focuses of hepatic regeneration in the form of cluster of polynucleated hepatocytes were histologically detected at 6 months after the last cell transplantation.

Thus the results suggest that stem cell transplantation may represent a safe and effective treatment for cirrhosis patients.

For more information see the publications .

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