Intraportal therapy of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells in patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation

This study was carried out to explore the methodology of intraportal infusion of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells in patients in the waiting list for liver transplantation. The study included eight patients. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score as a predictor of hepatic failure exceeds 10 points, i.e., 12-22 points. According to Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) classification, the severity of cirrhosis ranged from class B to C. The bone marrow volume of 224-320 ml was harvested by bilateral aspiration from the posterior iliac crest. The total volume of the mononuclear cells (MNC) was 47.1-58.3 ml (median, 47 ml). The absolute viable count of isolated MNC was 1.24 · 109-5.84 · 109 and CD34+ cells 2.54 · 106-48.20 · 106. After portal vein catheterization, direct transhepatic portography was performed, and portosystemic collaterals were found in all cases. Portal flowmetry was performed to determine the optimal selective perfusion rate of the segmental branches of the portal vein. Portal vein infusion was performed at 0.3-1.5 ml/sec. Serious side effects were not detected during bone marrow harvesting and MNC infusion. All patients had stable condition (no deterioration was initially noticed) after MNC infusion according to the MELD score and CTP criteria during a 3-month observation. Moreover, improvement in physical health status was observed and obtained using the SF-36 questionnaire. This study confirmed the safety of using intraportal therapy of autologous bone marrow MNC in patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation. Herein, we presented the technique of target delivery of autologous bone marrow MNC to the liver to minimize their loss during intraportal infusion. Prolonged follow-up time and improvement of the present technique are needed for further evaluation of the efficiency of autologous bone marrow MNC.