Factors affecting umbilical cord blood stem cell suitability for transplantation in an in utero collection program

The greatest limiting factor in the use of umbilical cord blood (UCB) for transplantations is the number of stem cells available in any given collected unit. This study examines maternal, neonatal, and obstetric factors that influence the suitability for banking and transplantation of UCB units collected in utero.

This study examined 7839 UCB units collected in utero at two hospitals from August 1, 2008, to August 31, 2011. The variables were collected from cord blood records, patient charts, delivery records, and data processed by StemCyte, Inc. (Covina, CA), our parent bank. The mean total nucleated cell (TNC) count between units selected for transplant and those banked but not selected for transplant were also compared.

Of the 11 variables evaluated, six had a significant influence on the acceptable banking TNC count of at least 90 × 10(7) . Of these, cord blood volume was the best predictor. The other variables that were predictors of the acceptable TNC count of significance were gestational age, infant race, parity, birthweight, and infant sex. The minimal bankable TNC count for banking is considerably lower than the mean TNC count of units actually selected for transplantation.

Maternal, neonatal, and obstetric factors can all influence the acceptability of a cord blood unit collected in utero for banking. Furthermore, units with high TNC counts are more likely to be selected for banking. Identifying these variables in potential donors can likely increase the number of adequate collections.