Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suffer from developmental disabilities that impact communication, behavior, and social interaction. Immune dysregulation and inflammation have been linked to children with ASD, the latter manifesting in serum levels of macrophage‐derived chemokine (MDC) and thymus, and activation‐regulated chemokine (TARC). Mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord tissue (UC‐MSCs) have immune‐modulatory and anti‐inflammatory properties, and have been safely used to treat a variety of conditions. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of UC‐MSCs administered to children diagnosed with ASD. Efficacy was evaluated with the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and with measurements of MDC and TARC serum levels. Twenty subjects received a dose of 36 million intravenous UC‐MSCs every 12 weeks (four times over a 9‐month period), and were followed up at 3 and 12 months after treatment completion. Adverse events related to treatment were mild or moderate and short in duration. The CARS and ATEC scores of eight subjects decreased over the course of treatment, placing them in a lower ASD symptom category when compared with baseline. MDC and TARC inflammatory cytokine levels also decreased for five of these eight subjects. The mean MDC, TARC, ATEC, and CARS values attained their lowest levels 3 months after the last administration. UC‐MSC administration in children with ASD was therefore determined to be safe. Although some signals of efficacy were observed in a small group of children, possible links between inflammation levels and ASD symptoms should be further investigated. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019;8:1008–1016

Aim:High rates of affective disorders have been reported in kidney transplant recipients treated for end-stage renal disease. Latin America has experienced a significant increase in transplant activity in recent decades, but there is a dearth of data regarding psychosocial issues following kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of depression and the demographic factors associated to depression among renal transplant recipients in Panama.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted between March to May 2010 in a hospital setting during routine outpatient evaluations. The study included 119 renal transplant recipients (58 males, 61 females). Depressive symptoms were measured using the self-report Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and diagnoses were established by a trained psychiatrist using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Regression models were used to explore the association between depression and sociodemographic variables.Results:The prevalence of depression was 11.8% among transplant recipients. Linear regression indicated that the presence of an anxiety disorder, increasing age, and lower education levels were significantly and independently associated with depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that anxiety and a perception of negative social support significantly increased the likelihood of depression.Conclusions:These findings have important clinical implications. Depression after kidney transplantation has been shown to affect health outcomes adversely. Our results underscore the need to assess depressive symptoms as well as other affective disorders as part of the screening and treatment of renal transplant patients in Panama.

No abstract