Autologous bone marrow cell transplantation in the treatment of HIV patients with compensated cirrhosis

Liver stem cell therapy is a promising tool to improve decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC). Especially in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the condition of the liver may be aggravated by antiretroviral therapy. A total of 21 patients diagnosed with DLC and HIV infection were divided into two groups as follows: those who received (combination therapy group, 14 patients) and those who did not receive (routine therapy group, 7 patients) bone marrow cell transplantation through the portal vein. Two patients died of surgery-related complications in the combination therapy group. The results showed that the survival rate was 85.7% in the combination therapy group after 2 years of follow-up, which was significantly higher than the 14.3% in the conventional therapy group (P