Human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly stem cells: immune property genes assay and effect of transplantation on the immune cells of heart failure patients.

Stem cells derived from umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (WJSCs) are not immunogenic and have immunosuppressive effects. To evaluate the related mechanisms and the effect of transplantation on body immune cells, we examined immune property genes expression in WJSCs and levels of T-lymphocytes subgroups and immunoglobulins (Ig) in heart failure (HF) patients with and without WJSCs transplantation. WJSCs express immune tolerance genes HLA-E, HLA-G and HLA-F and immunomodulation genes VEGF, TGFβ1, HGF, HMOX1, IL1β, IL-6, LIF, LGALS-1/3/8, COX1/2 and PTGE, while they do not express immune response-related genes HLA-DR, HLA-DQ, HLA-DP, CD80, CD86, CD40 and CD40L. No obvious changes of T-lymphocytes subgroups and plasma IgG/IgM were observed in HF patients with WJSCs transplantation. Our results suggest that the immune properties of WJSCs are due to the expression of immune avoidance and immunomodulation genes in the absence of immune response-related genes. WJSCs are secure in immunological aspects when used as seed cells for cardiac repair.