The Impact of Obstetric Parameters on Haematopoietic Stem Cells Extracted from the Umbilical Cord Blood in the Chinese Population

Abstract

Objective: Human umbilical cord blood has been used as an alternative source of haematopoietic stem cells (HSC). However, the amount of donor blood and cell content may not be sufficient for engraftment, especially in adult recipients. We investigated the impact of obstetric parameters on cord blood stem cell content so that the quantity and quality of cord blood stem cell can be optimised.

Methods: In this prospective study, cord blood samples were obtained from Chinese women after delivery by elective Caesarean section in two regional hospitals in Hong Kong from June 2011 to June 2012. HSC were extracted from cord blood. The weight of cord blood, total nucleated cells (TNC), total HSC, TNC/gram, and HSC/gram were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed to study the correlation between quantity of HSC and obstetric parameters including maternal age, parity, sex of newborn, birth weight, and gestational age.

Results: We found a positive correlation between total HSC obtained and the birth weight of the newborn (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.553; p=0.049). There was no significant correlation between total HSC and fetal sex, parity, maternal age, and gestational age at delivery.

Conclusion: Birth weight of the newborn is correlated with the quantity of stem cells obtained from cord blood. This finding should be taken into consideration when selecting cord blood units for potential transplantation.