Effects of HLA disparity of two umbilical cord blood units on human engraftment in SCID mice

To evaluate the feasibility and characteristics of human engraftment in HLA disparate cord blood transplantation. Two human HLA-haploidentical or HLA-mismatched cord blood units were transplanted into sublethally irradiated severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. The characteristics of engraftment, hematopoietic and immunological reconstitution between the two groups were compared. Two mixed cord blood units can engraft in SCID mice with donor-recipient chimerism and reconstitute hematopoiesis and immunological functions. No unfavorable factors had been observed. Only one of the two cord blood units which had higher colony forming ability in vitro could engraft in most SCID mice as shown by HLA-DQB(1) gene detection. Two HLA-haploidentical cord blood units were simultaneously engrafted in 3 SCID mice. Double HLA-haploidentical or HLA-mismatched cord blood can engraft in SCID mice and reconstitute hematopoietic and immunological functions. HLA disparity has no significant effect on survival and engraftin