ABSTRACT
Objective: Alcoholic acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a unique clinical entity that is characterized by acute onset, poor prognosis and high short-term mortality. There is no specific and effective treatment for this disease, except liver transplantation.
Methods: Recent scientific development suggests that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) might offer an alternative for liver transplantation in selected cases. Herein, we report a case of a 41-year-old man with alcoholic ACLF admitted to our department with jaundice, ascites and lower limbs edema. The patient was treated with anti-infection remedies, plasmapheresis and artificial liver treatment, which only provided transient relief. In the absence of other available therapeutic approaches, we administered three intravenous transfusions of a total dose of 8.5×107 UC-MSCs, with the patient’s consent. Results: The patient exhibited decreased jaundice, normalized TBIL level, decreased Child’s Pugh scores, and recovered from ACLF.
Conclusion: Therefore, UC-MSCs transplantation played a transitional role in this patient.
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