Changes in growth factor levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of autism patients after transplantation of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the levels of growth factors in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with autism, after transplantation of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMNCs) and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs). Twenty patients received two CBMNC intravenous and intrathecal infusions, each followed by two UCMSC intrathecal injections. A 2-mL sample of CSF was taken before each intrathecal injection. CSF levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All data are reported as means ± SD and were analyzed using the SPSS 10.0 software. One-way analysis of variance with post-hoc F- and Q-tests was performed for comparison. HGF, BDNF and NGF levels in the CSF were significantly increased after transplantation (P < 0.05), while bFGF levels did not change significantly. Therefore, transplantation of CBMNCs and UCMSCs could increase HGF, BDNF and NGF levels in the CSF of patients with autism.

Transplantation of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells increases levels of nerve growth factor in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with autism.

We aimed to evaluate the levels of growth factors in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with autism after transplantation of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMNCs). Fourteen subjects diagnosed with autism received transplantation of CBMNCs first through intravenous infusion, and three times subsequently through intrathecal injections. A 2-mL sample of CSF was taken before each intrathecal injection. CSF levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All data are reported as means ± SD and were analyzed using the SPSS 10.0 software. One-way analysis of variance with post-hoc F-and Q-tests were performed for comparisons. NGF levels in the CSF were significantly increased after transplantation (213.54 ± 56.38 after the third versus 28.32 ± 12.22 ng/L after the first transplantation; P < 0.05), while VEGF and bFGF levels did not change significantly. Therefore, transplantation of CBMNCs could increase NGF levels in the CSF of patients with autism.

Effect of ERCC1 polymorphism on the response to chemotherapy and clinical outcome of non-small cell lung cancer.

We conducted a cohort study to investigate the role of 3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) gene on the response to chemotherapy and clinical outcomes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 163 patients with newly diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed primary NSCLC were examined in our study and were followed up until December 2012. ERCC1 rs11615, rs3212986, and rs2298881 were selected and genotyped. Of the 163 patients, 86 patients showed a complete response and partial response to chemotherapy (52.76%), while 91 patients (55.83%) died from NSCLC during the follow-up period with a median survival time of 19.3 months (range, 2-60 months). Multivariate regression analysis showed that individuals carrying the rs11615 TT genotype and T allele had a significantly lower response rate to chemotherapy using the rs11615 CC genotype as the reference. For rs3212986, carriers of the rs3212986 AA genotype and A allele had a significantly lower response rate to chemotherapy when compared with the CC genotype. In the Cox proportional hazards model, patients carrying the rs11615 TT genotype and T allele and the rs3212986 AA genotype and A allele were significantly associated with increased risk of death from NSCLC. We found that polymorphisms in ERCC1 rs11615 and rs3212986 were associated with poor response to chemotherapy and shorter survival time of advanced NSCLC.