ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the safety of human umbilical cord derived-mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) transplantation therapy in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>UC-MSCs were transplanted intravenously into patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. Serum levels of glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), white blood cells (WBC), and prothrombin activity (PA) were detected at different time points after UC-MSCs transplantation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Most UC-MSC transplanted patients experienced an improvement in quality of life, to varying degrees. With the exception of low-grade fever in a few patients, side effects and oncogenic events were rare (treatment group: 1/38 vs. control group: 1/16; P more than 0.05). The UC-MSCs transplantation showed no effect on GLU, TC, BUN, AFP, WBC, or PA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>UC-MSCs transplantation in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis is safe and may improve the patient's quality of life.</p>