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Background: Although cord blood (CB) stem cell research is being conducted for treatment of cerebral palsy (CP), little is known about children with CP and stored CB., Aims: To compare demographic and clinical characteristics of children with CP and stored CB to children with CP identified in a population-based study., Methods and Procedures: The Longitudinal Umbilical Stem cell monitoring and Treatment REsearch (LUSTRE®) Registry recruited children from the largest US private CB bank. Demographics, co-morbidities, and gross motor function (GMFCS level and walking ability) were collected and, where possible, compared with the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network., Outcomes and Results: 114 LUSTRE participants were compared to 451 ADDM participants. LUSTRE participants were more likely to be white, but sex distribution was similar. Co-morbidities (autism and epilepsy) and functional mobility were also similar., Conclusions and Implications: The results of this analysis suggest that while children diagnosed with CP and with access to stored CB differ from a broader population sample in terms of demographics, they have similar clinical severity and comorbidity profiles. As such, LUSTRE may serve as a valuable source of data for the characterization of individuals with CP, including individuals who have or will receive CB infusions., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction Little is known about the prevalence of conditions potentially amenable to cellular therapy among families storing umbilical cord blood in private cord blood banks. Methods A cross-sectional study of families with at least one child who stored umbilical cord blood in the largest private cord blood bank in the United States was performed. Respondent families completed a questionnaire to determine whether children with stored cord blood or a first-degree relative had one or more of 16 conditions amenable primarily to allogeneic stem cell transplant ("transplant indications") or 16 conditions under investigation for autologous stem cell infusion ("regenerative indications"), regardless of whether they received a transplant or infusion. Results 94,803 families responded, representing 33.3 % of those surveyed. Of respondent families, 16.01 % indicated at least one specified condition. 1.64 % reported at least one first-degree member with a transplant indication potentially treatable with an allogeneic stem cell transplant. The most common transplant indications reported among first-degree family members were Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (0.33 %), Hodgkin's Lymphoma (0.30 %), and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (0.28 %). 4.23 % reported at least one child with a regenerative indication potentially treatable with an autologous stem cell infusion. The most common regenerative indications among children with stored umbilical cord blood were Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorder/Apraxia (1.93 %), Other Developmental Delay (1.36 %), and Congenital Heart Defect (0.87 %). Discussion Among families storing umbilical cord blood in private cord blood banks, conditions for which stem cell transplant or infusion may be indicated, or are under investigation, appear to be prevalent, especially for regenerative medicine indications., Competing Interests: HH and HB are both employees of CBR Systems, Inc. PM, MK, KC, AM, and CS received financial support from CBR Systems, Inc. to carry out this study. AZ declares no conflicts of interest.

There are conflicting data about the frequency and role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) during the course of HIV infection. Peripheral blood of a large cohort of HIV-infected patients (n = 131) at different stages of disease, including 15 long-term nonprogressors and 21 elite controllers, was analyzed to determine the frequency and phenotype of Tregs, defined as CD4(+), CD25(high), CD127(low), FoxP3(high) cells. A significantly increased relative frequency of Tregs within the CD4(+) compartment of HIV(+) patients compared to that of healthy controls (P < 0.0001) was observed. Additionally, the relative frequency of Tregs directly correlated with HIV viral load and inversely with CD4(+) counts. However, the absolute Treg number was reduced in HIV-infected patients versus healthy controls (P < 0.0001), with the exception of elite controllers (P > 0.05). The loss of absolute Treg numbers coincided with rising markers of immune activation (P < 0.0006). The initiation of antiviral therapy significantly increased absolute Treg numbers (P < 0.0031). We find that the expression of CD39, a newly defined ectonucleotidase with immunomodulatory functions on Tregs, correlated with progressive HIV disease, HIV viral load, and immune activation. Of note, when tested in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy volunteers, the in vitro capacity to suppress T-cell proliferation was limited to CD4(+), CD25(high), CD39(+) T cells. Interestingly, Tregs of elite controllers exhibited not only the highest expression of CCR5, CTLA-4, and ICOS but also the lowest level of CD39. The data presented here reconcile the seemingly contradictory results of previous studies looking at Tregs in HIV and highlight the complexity of Treg-mediated immunoregulation during human viral infections.

In this controlled, randomized, parallel and open multicentre study, the efficacy and tolerability of a regimen comprising intravenous (i.v.) meloxicam followed by oral therapy was compared with a standard regimen of intramuscular (i.m.) diclofenac followed by oral dosing in patients with acute lumbago. Of a total of 183 patients, 92 were randomized to receive meloxicam 15 mg i.v. on day 1 followed by 7 days oral treatment with one 15 mg tablet daily, and 91 patients received diclofenac 75 mg i.m. on day 1 followed by 7 days treatment with one 100 mg slow release tablet daily. Pain on movement and limitation of activities were assessed by patients and physicians using questionnaires. Meloxicam i.v. demonstrated a significantly faster median time of onset of analgesic action (30 minutes), compared with diclofenac i.m. (60 minutes). The reduction in pain during movement 30 minutes after injection was also significantly in favour of meloxicam. Assessments of global efficacy indicated that meloxicam was significantly better than diclofenac as rated by investigators (p = 0.02) and patients (p = 0.01). Moreover, the rating of investigators and patients for local and global tolerance was significantly in favour of meloxicam (p < 0.05) and improvements in the quality of life were almost significant (p = 0.053). Fewer adverse events, particularly of a gastrointestinal (GI) nature, occurred in the meloxicam group compared with the diclofenac group. This study therefore demonstrates that meloxicam 15 mg i.v. followed by oral therapy is both efficacious and well tolerated in the treatment of acute lumbago, and compares favourably with the standard NSAID, diclofenac, in this indication.