Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are recognized for their potent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory properties, making them a promising therapeutic option for combating antibiotic resistance and biofilm-associated infections. This report describes the successful treatment of septic arthritis and osteomyelitis in a foal using equine allogeneic cord blood-derived MSCs (CB-MSCs) in combination with antibiotic therapy. An 8-day-old Thoroughbred filly initially presented with septic arthritis of the right tibiotarsal joint, pneumonia, and omphalophlebitis/arteritis. Subsequently, the filly developed septic arthritis of the left elbow joint, epiphysitis, and osteomyelitis of the ulna, which progressed to an aggressive pathological fracture. Chloramphenicol was instituted based on the bacterial culture and susceptibility. Due to limited clinical and cytological improvement following needle lavage, arthroscopic lavage, and intra-articular antibiotic administration, the left elbow joint and fracture site were treated three times with 15 million TLR3-activated CB-MSCs in combination with meropenem (7.25 mg/kg IA). Additionally, the filly received twice systemic treatment with non-activated CB-MSCs (1 million cells/kg IV). The treatment resulted in complete resolution of both septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. At a 12-month follow-up, the filly remained sound, and radiographic re-evaluation showed significant remodeling of the ulna. This case describes the successful use of equine allogeneic cord blood–derived mesenchymal stromal cells (CB-MSCs), administered locally and systemically in combination with antibiotic therapy, to manage a refractory intra-synovial and osseous septic process in a foal. The use of TLR3-activated CB-MSCs may have supported antimicrobial treatment, highlighting the potential antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties of CB-MSCs.

Maternal malaria and its sequelae, including maternal mortality and neonatal infection, represent a growing public health crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa, often exacerbated by underlying socioeconomic factors. The study seeks to assess the associations between maternal socioeconomic indicators, maternal malaria, and neonatal peripheral parasitaemia in a Nigerian hospital. A cross-sectional analysis of 85 mother-infant pairs was conducted at a hospital in Osogbo, Osun state, Nigeria. Well-structured questionnaires were used to collect maternal demographics, socioeconomic indicators, and preventive practices. Mother, cord blood, and neonatal peripheral blood samples were collected for parasitemia through microscopy. Descriptive statistics, Fisher exact and chi-square tests were used for categorical variables, and univariate logistic regression for continuous predictors. The prevalence of neonatal peripheral parasitemia was 8.2% (7/85). Maternal parasitemia strongly predicted neonatal infection. All positive neonates were born to mothers with positive microscopy (7/19), whereas no neonates from parasitemia negative mothers were infected (p < 0.001). No statistically significant associations were found between neonatal parasitemia and maternal education (p = 0.912), occupation (p = 0.183), insecticide treated net use (p = 0.413), or intermittent preventive therapy uptake (p = 1.000). The present study revealed maternal parasitemia as a primary risk factor for neonatal malaria. While socioeconomic factors showed no significant association in this small cohort, these preliminary findings highlighted the need for larger studies with refined socioeconomic measures to fully elucidate these relationships. This highlights the critical need for strengthening antenatal malaria screening, ensuring timely treatment of maternal infection, and enhancing community-based malaria education to reduce vertical transmission in high-burden regions like Osun State, Nigeria.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of hydroxyethyl starch (6% HES 130/0.4) administered as preload or coload on the incidence of maternal hypotension and neonatal outcomes in elective cesarean sections performed under spinal anesthesia.Methods: This prospective, randomized trial included 162 parturients aged 18–45 years with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status II and a gestational age greater than 36 weeks undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. Participants received 500 mL of HES either 30 minutes before spinal anesthesia (preload group) or at the onset of cerebrospinal fluid flow (coload group). Maternal hemodynamic parameters were monitored throughout the procedure. Umbilical cord blood gas analysis, Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes, and total ephedrine consumption were recorded.Results: The incidence of maternal hypotension was 51.1% in the preload group and 48.9% in the coload group, with no statistically significant difference between groups (p = 0.83). Systolic arterial pressure at the onset of hypotension was 86.41 ± 8.63 mmHg in the preload group and 82.20 ± 9.14 mmHg in the coload group (p = 0.19). Total ephedrine requirement and umbilical cord blood gas parameters were comparable between groups. While 1-minute Apgar scores were similar, the 5-minute Apgar score was significantly higher in the preload group (p = 0.01).Conclusion: Colloid preload and coload administration were associated with comparable effects on maternal hypotension, vasopressor requirements, and neonatal outcomes in cesarean deliveries performed under spinal anesthesia.

Outcome of Second Conditioned Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant in Children with Non-SCID Inborn Errors of Immunity.

Mitigating the underlying causes of differential immunity from rotavirus infection and vaccination requires a comprehensive understanding of rotavirus natural history and immune response. A US-based birth cohort provides a unique opportunity to longitudinally examine rotavirus immune response. Serum was collected from children at birth (cord blood), 6 weeks, and 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age. Maternally-derived rotavirus-specific IgG (birth samples) and rotavirus-specific IgA and IgG (6-week through 24-month samples) were measured via enzyme immunoassay. Stool samples were collected weekly and during episodes of acute gastroenteritis to identify rotavirus infections. Serum samples prior to and after infection or vaccination were compared to assess their impact on IgA geometric mean titers (GMT). A Generalized Estimating Equation was fit to identify predictors of IgA GMT. The median change in IgA GMT from vaccination comparing 6-week and 6-month samples was 38.4 U/mL [IQR 4.4-138.1]. The change in IgA following infection varied widely (median=64.5 [IQR-2.0-192.9]) with pre- and post-infection GMTs of 35.7 U/mL (95% CI:21.4-59.6) and 102.6 U/mL (95% CI:41.1-256.0), respectively. In adjusted analyses, IgA GMT was higher when mother and/or child was a secretor (ratio of means (RoM)=1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.4) compared to non-secretor mother-child pairs. Being fully vaccinated was more strongly associated with IgA GMT in the first (RoM=1.9, 95% CI: 1.7-2.0) compared to the second year of life (RoM=1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.7). This longitudinal assessment of rotavirus-specific immune response contributes to our understanding of multifactorial drivers of rotavirus immunity in a post-vaccine setting.

Background: Maternal obesity is associated with disrupted metabolic regulation, including elevated leptin levels that may affect fetal growth. Previous studies have reported mixed findings on maternal and cord blood leptin concentrations, with some showing higher leptin levels in infants born to obese mothers, while others found no significant differences. Associations between maternal obesity and neonatal outcomes have also been inconsistent. This study aims to generate new evidence from an Indonesian cohort by comparing maternal and cord blood leptin levels, as well as neonatal outcomes, between obese and normal-weight mothers.Materials and Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study enrolled 30 obese and 30 normal-weight mothers from two hospitals in Padang, Indonesia. Maternal and cord blood samples were collected at delivery, and leptin levels were measured using ELISA. Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. Neonatal outcomes included birth weight, length, head circumference, and ponderal index. Data were analyzed using Independent Samples t-test or Mann–Whitney U test, with p&lt;0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Maternal leptin levels were significantly higher in obese mothers than in normal-weight mothers (70.8±39.0 vs. 44.5±42.5 ng/mL; p=0.002). Cord blood leptin levels did not differ between groups (19.7±14.9 vs. 16.1±17.5 ng/mL; p=0.394). Neonates of obese mothers had higher birth weight (p=0.003), while other anthropometric measures were similar.Conclusion: Maternal obesity was associated with elevated maternal leptin levels and increased neonatal birth weight, while cord blood leptin did not differ significantly between groups. These findings suggest that maternal leptin reflects maternal metabolic status rather than fetal growth.Keywords: maternal leptin, cord blood leptin, obesity, pregnancy, neonatal outcome

Influence of storage conditions on viability of hematopoietic stem cells and leukocyte subpopulations in fresh and cryopreserved umbilical cord blood samples.

Association of umbilical cord venoarterial differences, ΔpH, to morbidity and mortality up to 20 years of follow-up: A cohort study.

Ex vivo mesenchymal progenitor cell-based cord blood cell expansion and exofucosylation to enhance transplant engraftment.

Traffic-related air pollution in utero modifies cytokine responses to stimuli of umbilical cord blood cells: a cohort study.

Maternal exposure to PM2.5 and its association with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes: A prospective cohort study.

A single-cell transcriptional reference for the functional and developmental diversity of neonatal innate lymphoid cells.

Stem cell therapy in thin endometrium and Asherman's syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Preparation and anti-tumor applications of universal umbilical cord blood-derived, mesothelin-targeted CAR-T cells.

Women's satisfaction and experiences with water birth compared with conventional birth.

P0128 Cord blood platelet-rich plasma (CB-PRP) plus penile traction therapy versus penile traction alone in patients with Peyronie's disease: A randomized clinical trial (CBPRP-TRAC1)

To investigate whether maternal diabetes in pregnancy was associated with altered neonatal global IgG repertoire and early-life infections in offspring. This study included 2,702 mother-infant pairs enrolled at birth and followed longitudinally at the Boston Medical Center. Maternal diabetes and infant infections were extracted from electronic medical records. Cord blood IgG antibodies against a wide range of microbes were quantified using Phage ImmunoPrecipitation Sequencing. Overall, 327 infants (12.1%) were born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 138 (5.1%) to mothers with pregestational diabetes mellitus (PDM). Of these, 416 infants (15.4%) and 1,425 infants (52.7%) had at least one infection in the neonatal period and the first 6 months of life, respectively. Compared with no diabetes, both maternal GDM (risk ratio [RR] 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.32) and PDM (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.12-1.47) were significantly associated with an elevated risk of infections in infants during the first 6 months. These associations were particularly pronounced among infants born preterm, delivered via cesarean section, or with lower IgG repertoire diversity. Additionally, PDM was associated with a lower newborn's global IgG repertoire diversity, compared with no diabetes, with the effect more marked among infants whose mothers had prepregnancy overweight or obesity. This study provides strong evidence of an increased infection risk in the infants of mothers with diabetes and a reduced IgG repertoire diversity in those of PDM mothers. Lower IgG diversity exacerbated the diabetes-infection link. These findings suggest that maternal metabolic conditions may impact an infant's passive immunity and susceptibility to infections.

Multidimensional risk prediction model for infant atopic dermatitis: A prospective cohort study.

Anticipating mesenchymal stem cell quantification: CD63-Expressing small extracellular vesicles in cord blood serum: A proof of concept study.

Background/Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether neonatal ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) and umbilical venous cord blood gas parameters are associated with antenatal markers of fetal well-being, including the umbilical coiling index (UCI) and umbilical artery (UA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) Doppler indices. Methods: For this prospective observational study, sixty-five low-risk term pregnancies (≥37 weeks) were included. Prenatal ultrasound was used to measure the UCI and UA/MCA Doppler indices. At delivery, umbilical venous cord blood gas and serum IMA analyses were performed. Maternal and neonatal data (birth weight, 5 min Apgar score, NICU admission, sex, and delivery mode) were recorded, and correlations and group comparisons were performed (p &lt; 0.05). Results: The UCI ranged from 0.210 to 0.471 coil/cm (mean 0.337). The UA and MCA Doppler indices were within the reference ranges. The UCI showed no significant correlation with umbilical venous blood gas values, IMA, UA/MCA Doppler indices, gestational age/weeks, or 5 min Apgar score. The UA S/D ratio and UA resistive index (RI) were negatively correlated with birth weight (p &lt; 0.05). Umbilical venous pH was positively correlated with the 5 min Apgar score, whereas venous pCO2 was negatively correlated with the 5 min Apgar score (both p &lt; 0.05). Newborns with venous pH &lt; 7.32 had higher cesarean delivery rates and higher rooming-in rates. Newborns admitted to the NICU had higher mean UA systolic velocity/diastolic velocity (S/D) and UA pulsatility index (PI) and lower venous pH. Conclusions: In low-risk term pregnancies, the UCI was not associated with cord blood gas parameters, IMA, or UA/MCA Doppler indices. These results suggest that the UCI may have limited clinical utility as a predictor of early neonatal acidosis or oxidative stress in a strictly low-risk population.