Intra-articular injection of autologous mesenchymal stem cells in six patients with knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis [OA] is a progressive disorder of the joints caused by gradual loss of articular cartilage, which naturally possesses a limited regenerative capacity. In the present study, the potential of intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs] has been evaluated in six osteoarthritic patients. Six female volunteers, average age of 54.56 years, with radiologic evidence of knee OA that required joint replacement surgery were selected for this study. About 50 ml bone marrow was aspirated from each patient and taken to the cell laboratory, where MSCs were isolated and characterized in terms of some surface markers. About 20-24x106 passaged-2 cells were prepared and tested for microbial contamination prior to intra-articular injection. During a one-year follow-up period, we found no local or systemic adverse events. All patients were partly satisfied with the results of the study. Pain, functional status of the knee, and walking distance tended to be improved up to six months post-injection, after which pain appeared to be slightly increased and patients' walking abilities slightly decreased. Comparison of magnetic resonance images [MRI] at baseline and six months post-stem cell injection displayed an increase in cartilage thickness, extension of the repair tissue over the subchondral bone and a considerable decrease in the size of edematous subchondral patches in three out of six patients. The results indicated satisfactory effects of intra-articular injection of MSCs in patients with knee OA

Atherosclerosis after kidney transplantation Changes of intime-media thichness of carotids during early posttransplant period

The aim of this study was to evaluate atherosclerotic changes in the carotid artery following kidney transplantation. Twenty- sis nonsmoker kidney allograft recipients who did not have cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus were enrolled in the study. The carotid intima-media thickness [IMT] was measured at 12 points using the patient's IMT. We followed the patients and changes in the carotid IMT were evaluated every 2 months up to the 6 th posttransplant month. The mean age of the patients at transplantation was 41.5 +/- 11.1 years. The mean baseline IMT was 0.84 +/- 0.22 mm. During the follow-up period it reached 0.85 +/- 0.22mm, 0.87 +/- 0.23 mm [P=0.1], and 0.88 +/- 0.24 mm /[P=.002] after 2, 4, and 6 months, respectively. The IMT measures significantly correlated stroke and 0.82 mm for MI, we found that 57.7% and 68% of the patients were at the risk of stroke at baseline and 6 months after transplantation [P<.001]. Also, 46.2% of the patients were at the risk of MI at baseline that rose to 53.8% at the end of the study [P<.001]. Atherosclerosis is an early event after kidney transplantation even in asymptomatic patients and those without major risk factors such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and smoking. Early diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis is of utmost importance