Evaluation of Epithelial Chimerism After Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Infusion in Intestinal Transplant Patients

Intestinal transplantation is the most effective treatment for patients with short bowel syndrome and small bowel insufficiencies. We evaluated epithelial chimerism after infusion of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) in patients undergoing cadaveric donor isolated intestinal transplantation (I-ITx). BMSCs were isolated from patients' bone marrow via iliac puncture and expanded in vitro prior to infusion. Two out of the 3 patients were infused with autologous BMSCs, and small intestine tissue biopsies collected post-operatively were analyzed for epithelial chimerism using XY fluorescent in situ hybridization and short tandem repeat polymerase chain reaction. We observed epithelial chimeric effect in conditions both with and without BMSC infusion. Although our results suggest a higher epithelial chimerism effect with autologous BMSC infusion in I-ITx, the measurements in multiple biopsies at different time points that demonstrate the reproducibility of this finding and its stability or changes in the level over time would be beneficial. BMSC infusion may have potential implications for improved graft survival, lower immunosuppressant doses, superior engraftment of the transplanted tissue, and higher success rates in I-ITx.