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Meta-Analysis
. 2017 Apr 27;12(4):e0175449.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175449. eCollection 2017.

Clinical efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for osteoarthritis treatment: A meta-analysis

Ma Yubo  1 , Li Yanyan  2 , Li Li  3 , Sun Tao  4 , Lin Bo  1 , Chen Lin  5
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Clinical efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for osteoarthritis treatment: A meta-analysis

Ma Yubo et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Materials: We performed a meta-analysis of relevant published clinical studies. An electronic search was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of MSC-based therapy in knee OA. The visual analogue scale (VAS), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) form, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Lequesne algofunctional indices (Lequesne), Lysholm knee scale (Lysholm), Tegner activity scale (Tegner) and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated.

Results: Eleven eligible trials with 582 knee OA patients were included in the present meta-analysis. We demonstrated that MSC treatment could significantly decrease VAS and increase IKDC scoresafter a 24-month follow-up compared with controls (P<0.05). MSC therapy also showed significant decreases in WOMAC and Lequesne scores after the 12-month follow-up (P<0.01). Analysis of Lysholm (24-month) and Tegner (12- and 24-month) scores also demonstrated favorable results for MSC treatment (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Overall, MSC transplantation treatment was shown to be safe and has great potential as an efficacious clinical therapy for patients with knee OA.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flow diagram showing the study identification, screening, and inclusion process.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Forest plots of mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) in VAS between patients undergoing MSC therapy and controls at: (1) 6 months, (2) 12 months, and (3) 24 months.
Random-effects models (Mantel-Haenszel method) were used. Each trial is represented by a square, and the size of the square is proportional to the information in that trial. The ends of the horizontal bars denote 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Black diamonds give the overall results of all trials.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Forest plots of MD with 95% CI in IKDC between patients undergoing MSC therapy and controls at: (1) 6 months, (2) 12 months, and (3) 24 months.
Random-effects models were used.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Forest plots of MD with 95% CI in WOMAC between patients undergoing MSC therapy and controls at 12 months.
Fixed-effects models were used.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Forest plots of MD with 95% CI in Lequesne between patients undergoing MSC therapy and controls at 12 months.
Fixed-effects models were used.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Forest plots of MD with 95% CI in Lysholm between patients undergoing MSC therapy and controls at: (1) 6 months, (2) 12 months, and (3) 24 months.
Random-effects models were used.
Fig 7
Fig 7. Forest plots of MD with 95% CI in Tegner between patients undergoing MSC therapy and controls at: (1) 6 months, (2) 12 months, and (3) 24 months.
Random-effects models were used.
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