Clinical Research Of Induction Therapy With Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Cadaveric Kidney Transplantation

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)inpreventing early acute rejection after renal transplantation.Methods:172primary cadaveric renal allograft recipients in our department weresplit into two groups treated with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hU-MSCs group, n=121) or not (control group, n=51). Main immunosuppressivetherapy regimen consisted of steroids, tacrolimus or cyclosporine and mycophenolatemofetil in all recipients.Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of transplantkidney, incidence of acute reaction (AR), graft survival and the use ofimmunosuppressive agents were recorded within12months.Results: In hU-MSCs group, the incidence of AR was9.09％at6th monthrespectively, no significantly lower than15.69％(P=0.208) in the control group. TheeGFR at7days post-transplantation was significantly higher in the hU-MSCs groupthan in the control group (P＜0.01). The dose of FK506was lower in the hU-MSCsgroup than in the control group (P＜0.05).However,the dose of CsA was lower in thehU-MSCs group than in the control group(P＜0.05) after2months ofpost-transplantation.The rate of infection was no significant(P>0.05)post-transplantation.The incidence of liver function abnormalities postoperative in thehU-MSCs was9.92%(12/121),lower than the control group,41.18%(P<0.001).Conclusion: Induction therapy with hU-MSCs appeared to be better clinical outcomesas far as early renal graft function allowing the use of lower immunosuppressivedrugs maintenance doses without compromising patient safety and graft outcome andreduce the toxicity to the liver.