A novel, bedside technique to rapidly identify umbilical cord blood units with high total nucleated cell numbers

BACKGROUND With increasing demand for umbilical cord blood units (CBUs) with total nucleated cell (TNC) counts of more than 150 × 10(7) , preshipping assessment is mandatory. Umbilical cord blood processing requires aseptic techniques and laboratories with specific air quality and cleanliness. Our aim was to establish a fast and efficient method for determining TNC counts at the obstetric ward without exposing the CBU to the environment. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Data from a total of 151 cord blood donations at a single procurement site were included in this prospective study. We measured TNC counts in cord blood aliquots taken from the umbilical cord (TNCCord ), from placenta (TNCPlac ), and from a tubing segment of the sterile collection system (TNCTS ). TNC counts were compared to reference TNC counts in the CBU which were ascertained at the cord blood bank (TNCCBU ). RESULTS TNCTS counts (173 ± 33 × 10(7) cells; calculated for 1 unit) correlated fully with the TNCCBU reference counts (166 ± 33 × 10(7) cells, Pearson's r = 0.97, p < 0.0001). In contrast, TNCCord and TNCPlac counts were more disparate from the reference (r = 0.92 and r = 0.87, respectively). CONCLUSIONS A novel method of measuring TNC counts in tubing segments from the sterile cord blood collection system allows rapid and correct identification of CBUs with high cell numbers at the obstetric ward without exposing cells to the environment. This approach may contribute to cost efficacy as only CBUs with satisfactory TNC counts need to be shipped to the cord blood bank.

Hygiene da criança, do nascimento á quéda cordâo umbilical /

Tesis Univ. Río de Janeiro.

Use of umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry in the monitoring of pregnancy in women with pre-existing diabetes

Background: The usefulness of umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry for the monitoring of diabetic pregnancies is controversial. The aim of the present study was to assess whether umbilical artery Doppler velocity waveform analysis can predict adverse perinatal outcomes for pregnancies complicated by pre-existing diabetes mellitus. Methods: All diabetic pregnancies (type 1 and 2) delivered at Mater Mothers' Hospital, Queensland, between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 1999 were included. All pregnant diabetic women were monitored with umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry at 28, 32, 36, and 38 weeks' gestation. Adverse perinatal outcome was defined as pregnancies with one or more of the following: small-for-gestational age, Caesarean section for non-reassuring cardiotocography, fetal acidaemia at delivery, 1-min Apgar of 3 or less, 5-min Apgar of less than 7, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy or perinatal death. Abnormal umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry was defined as a pulsatility index of 95th centile or higher for gestation. Results: One hundred and four pregnancies in women with pre-existing diabetes had umbilical arterial Doppler studies carried out during the study period. Twenty-three pregnancies (22.1%) had an elevated pulsatility index. If the scans were carried out within 2 weeks of delivery, 71% of pregnancies with abnormal umbilical Doppler had adverse outcomes (P < 0.01; likelihood ratio, 4.2). However, the sensitivity was 35%; specificity was 94%; positive predictive value was 80%; and negative predictive value was 68%. Only 30% of women with adverse perinatal outcomes had abnormal umbilical arterial Doppler flow. Conclusion: Umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry is not a good predictor of adverse perinatal outcomes in diabetic pregnancies.

Complete Integrability of a Nonlinear Elliptic System, Generating Bi-umbilical Foliated Semi-symmetric Hypersurfaces in R^4

Николай Кутев, Величка Милушева - Намираме експлицитно всичките би-омбилични фолирани полусиметрични повърхнини в четиримерното евклидово пространство R^4

Totally Umbilical Pseudo-Slant Submanifolds of a Nearly Cosymplectic Manifold

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 53C40, 53B25.

Outcomes after Unrelated Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation for Children with Osteopetrosis.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative treatment for most children with osteopetrosis (OP). Timing of HSCT is critical; therefore, umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) is an attractive option. We analyzed outcomes after UCBT in 51 OP children. Median age at UCBT was 6 months. Seventy-seven percent of the cord blood grafts had 0 or 1 HLA disparity with the recipient. Conditioning regimen was myeloablative (mostly busulfan-based in 84% and treosulfan-based in 10%). Antithymocyte globulin was given to 90% of patients. Median number of total nucleated and CD34(+) cells infused was 14 × 10(7)/kg and 3.4 × 10(5)/kg, respectively. Median follow-up for survivors was 74 months. Cumulative incidence (CI) of neutrophil recovery was 67% with a median time to recovery of 23 days; 33% of patients had graft failure, 81% of engrafted patients had full donor engraftment, and 19% had mixed donor chimerism. Day 100 CI of acute graft-versus-host disease (grades II to IV) was 31% and 6-year CI of chronic graft-versus-host disease was 21%. Mechanical ventilation was required in 28%, and veno-occlusive disease was diagnosed in 16% of cases. Six-year overall survival rate was 46%. Comparative studies with other alternative donors should be performed to evaluate whether UCBT remains a valid alternative for children with OP without an HLA-matched donor.

Repercussões histopatológicas da colostomia no coto colônico distal desfuncionalizado: estudo experimental em ratos

O objetivo deste trabalho foi evidenciar as repercussões histopatológicas da colostomia no segmento desfuncionalizado e, dessa forma, criar um modelo experimental da colite de derivação fecal (CO). Foram utilizados 65 ratos, adultos, da raça Wistar, com peso variando de 220 a 300 g. Os animais foram divididos em 13 grupos, contendo cinco ratos. Do grupo 1 ao grupo 12, os animais foram submetidos a laparotomia mediana, sendo realizada uma colostomia terminal tipo boca única, e observados, por períodos variados de tempo, com o máximo de cem dias. Os animais, após serem mortos, foram necropsiados e retirado o segmento co1ônico desfuncionalizado para a avaliação histopatológica. Essa avaliação consistia de uma análise quantitativa, através da medida da espessura da mucosa colônica, e de uma análise qualitativa, mediante avaliação subjetiva: da presença de infiltrado inflamatório agudo ou crônico na lâmina própria; das alterações na arquitetura das criptas colônicas; da presença de hiperplasia folicular linfóide e de linfócitos na luz dos vasos da submucosa; e da presença de eosinófilos na luz intestinal. No grupo 12, após o 100° dia de pós-operatório (OPO), foi realizada a reconstrução do trânsito intestinal, e, após trinta dias, o cólon descendente foi retirado para a análise histopatológica. O método de Tukey e o teste "t" de Student foram utilizados como parte da análise dos resultados. Verificou-se uma redução estatisticamente significante da espessura da mucosa colônica a partir do 4000PO. Concluiu-se que a colostomia desfuncionalizante realizada em ratos reproduziu alterações histopatológicas compatíveis com a colite de derivação, e que estas mostraram-se reversíveis após a reconstrução do trânsito intestinal

Tiempo de alumbramiento con drenaje y sin drenaje de sangre del cordón umbilical en pacientes anémicas y no anémicas en el Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso, Cuenca-Ecuador 2007

Con un diseño experimental se realizó un estudio clínico, controlado, aleatorizado La muestra incluyó 200 pacientes, el grupo experimental comprendió 100 pacientes en las que se drenó la sangre de cordón umbilical 50 anémicas y 50 no anémicas, y el grupo de control con pinzamiento del cordón lo integraron 100 pacientes, 50 anémicas y 50 no anémicas. Resultados: al comparar la duración del tercer período del parto del grupo con drenaje se obtuvo una media de 4,6 ñ 1,4 min y en el grupo con pinzamiento 9,07 ñ 2,5 min. La diferencia fue significativa (P = 0,0001).Cuando se comparó la duración del tercer período del parto de 1 a 5 min vs 6 a 10 min, la mayoría de las pacientes del grupo con drenaje, estuvo entre 1 a 5 min, con un RR 0.239 (IC 95: 0.188 - 0.358), RRA 70.1, RRR 76.1, NNT 1.426, en las anémicas, y un RR 0.250 (IC 95: 0.179 - 0.383), RRA 66.1, RRR 75, NNT 1.513 en las no anémicas. El volumen de drenaje en el grupo de estudio, tuvo una media de 60.3 ñ 19.5 ml en las anémicas y 56.9 ñ 18 ml en las no anémicas (P = 0.369). La hemorragia del tercer período del parto del grupo con drenaje tuvo una media de 197.6 ñ 36 ml vs el grupo con pinzamiento 277.4 ñ 49 ml con un valor (P = 0,0001) lo cual es estadísticamente significativo a favor del drenaje. Cuando se comparó la hemorragia del tercer período del parto de menor que 250 ml vs 250 a 500 ml la mayoría de las pacientes del grupo con drenaje, estuvo en menor que 250 ml, con un RR 0.070 (IC 95: 0.025 - 0.168), RRA 80, RRR 93, NNT 1.25, en las anémicas, y un RR 0.074 (IC 95: 0.020 - 0.246), RRA 50, RRR 92.6, NNT 2 en las no anémicas. Conclusiones. La maniobra del drenaje de sangre del cordón umbilical reduce el tiempo y la hemorragia del tercer período del parto en pacientes con anemia leve y no anémicas sin producir efectos deletéreos

Repercussões histopatológicas da colostomia no coto colônico distal desfuncionalizado: estudo experimental em ratos

O objetivo deste trabalho foi evidenciar as repercussões histopatológicas da colostomia no segmento desfuncionalizado e, dessa forma, criar um modelo experimental da colite de derivação fecal (CO). Foram utilizados 65 ratos, adultos, da raça Wistar, com peso variando de 220 a 300 g. Os animais foram divididos em 13 grupos, contendo cinco ratos. Do grupo 1 ao grupo 12, os animais foram submetidos a laparotomia mediana, sendo realizada uma colostomia terminal tipo boca única, e observados, por períodos variados de tempo, com o máximo de cem dias. Os animais, após serem mortos, foram necropsiados e retirado o segmento co1ônico desfuncionalizado para a avaliação histopatológica. Essa avaliação consistia de uma análise quantitativa, através da medida da espessura da mucosa colônica, e de uma análise qualitativa, mediante avaliação subjetiva: da presença de infiltrado inflamatório agudo ou crônico na lâmina própria; das alterações na arquitetura das criptas colônicas; da presença de hiperplasia folicular linfóide e de linfócitos na luz dos vasos da submucosa; e da presença de eosinófilos na luz intestinal. No grupo 12, após o 100° dia de pós-operatório (OPO), foi realizada a reconstrução do trânsito intestinal, e, após trinta dias, o cólon descendente foi retirado para a análise histopatológica. O método de Tukey e o teste "t" de Student foram utilizados como parte da análise dos resultados. Verificou-se uma redução estatisticamente significante da espessura da mucosa colônica a partir do 4000PO. Concluiu-se que a colostomia desfuncionalizante realizada em ratos reproduziu alterações histopatológicas compatíveis com a colite de derivação, e que estas mostraram-se reversíveis após a reconstrução do trânsito intestinal

Effects of hypoxic culture conditions on umbilical cord-derived human mesenchymal stem cells

Following cultivation of distinct mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) populations derived from human umbilical cord under hypoxic conditions (between 1.5% to 5% oxygen (O-2)) revealed a 2- to 3-fold reduced oxygen consumption rate as compared to the same cultures at normoxic oxygen levels (21% O-2). A simultaneous measurement of dissolved oxygen within the culture media from 4 different MSC donors ranged from 15 mu mol/L at 1.5% O-2 to 196 mu mol/L at normoxic 21% O-2. The proliferative capacity of the different hypoxic MSC populations was elevated as compared to the normoxic culture. This effect was paralleled by a significantly reduced cell damage or cell death under hypoxic conditions as evaluated by the cellular release of LDH whereby the measurement of caspase 3/7 activity revealed little if any differences in apoptotic cell death between the various cultures. The MSC culture under hypoxic conditions was associated with the induction of hypoxia-inducing factor-alpha (HIF-1 alpha) and an elevated expression of energy metabolism-associated genes including GLUT-1, LDH and PDK1. Concomitantly, a significantly enhanced glucose consumption and a corresponding lactate production could be observed in the hypoxic MSC cultures suggesting an altered metabolism of these human stem cells within the hypoxic environment.