We found an inverse dose response relationship in which quartiles of patella lead correlated with cord LINE-1 methylation (p for trend = 0.01) and and tibia lead correlated with Alu methylation (p for trend = 0.05).
Cord lining showed poor differentiation potential particularly for osteogenesis compared to cells from other cord regions.
Cells from vein and cord lining showed consistently poor osteogenesis but better adipogenesis in comparison.
The isolation of human umbilical cord lining-derived mesenchymal stem cells was performed as previously described.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) sourced from several different cord regions, including artery, vein, cord lining, and Wharton's jelly, are described in the literature.
Approximately 2-3 cm of whole cord was taken for processing as mixed cord, and approximately 6 cm of whole cord was dissected to obtain artery, vein, Wharton's jelly and cord lining).
The isolation and culture of MSCs from individual cord regions including cord vein and the perivascular region [ 7, 10, 13, 14], Wharton's jelly [ 11], and cord lining [ 12] has been reported by many groups.
The human umbilical cord (UC) contains distinct anatomical regions comprising two umbilical arteries, umbilical vein, cord lining, and Wharton's jelly (the tissue which surrounds and supports the blood vessels).
Cells isolated from arteries, vein, cord lining and Wharton's jelly have all been shown to be plastic adherent and to be multipotent, differentiating into many cell types such as osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, hepatocytes, and neural and cardiac cells [ 2– 4].
However, this may also be true of cells isolated from cord lining and Wharton's jelly as it has been demonstrated that MSC-like cells originate from pericytes [ 19] or that pericytes are indeed MSCs.
In this study MSCs from four distinct regions of the same cord (artery, vein, Wharton's jelly, and cord lining), in addition to a mixed population of cells from the whole cord, have been isolated and compared for potential musculoskeletal cell therapy.
