RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: A large number of experiments in vivo and in vitro have shown that mesenchymal stem cells may obviously inhibit the lymphocytes and other immunocytes.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on the immune function and prognosis of patients suffering decompensated liver cirrhosisn due to hepatitis B.METHODS: 118 patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to hepatitis B were randomly divided into control group (n=59) and observation group (n=59). The two groups all received normal medical treatment, and in addition, the observation group also received human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation. (4.0-4.5)×108 stem cells were transplanted twice by intervention via proper hepatic artery (10 mL) and intravenous infusion (10 mL) within 1 week after admission. The levels of serum interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, transforming growth factor-β and the percentage of lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood were determined in the two groups before and 1, 4 weeks after treatment. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and Child-Pugh score of 118 patients after treatment for 12 weeks were observed and recorded, and liver failure, complications and survival during follow-up period in the two groups were observed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After treatment for 1 and 4 weeks, the levels of serum interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P <0.001), but the levels of serum interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001). After treatment for 1 week, the percentagesof CD3+CD4+T cell and CD4+CD25+Treg cells in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.001), but the percentages of CD3+CD8+ T cells and CD3-CD19+ B cells were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001). After treatment for 4 weeks, the percentages of CD3+ T cell ,CD3+CD4+ T cells and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001), but the percentages of CD3+CD8+ T cell and CD3-CD19+ B cells were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001). After treatment for 12 weeks, the MELD and Child-Pugh scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).During the follow-up period, none of the cases in the observation group developed liver failure, but five cases in the control group did. In addition, the incidence of complications and cumulative mortality in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). These results show that the human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation may alleviate liver inflammation and improve liver function, and then may reduce the incidence of hepatic failure and mortality for patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to hepatitis B.