Amnion and Umbilical Cord–Derived Products in Sports Medicine: From Basic Science to Clinical Application

Background: Birth tissue products from amnion, chorion, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, or cord blood are frequently marketed as viable sources of stem cells and growth factors. It can be difficult for health care professionals to differentiate implied from explicit conclusions in reported product analyses. Purpose: To provide an educational platform for health care professionals to interpret data presented in the promotion of birth tissue products. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study and expert opinion; Level of evidence, 5. Methods: A cord blood product was analyzed by 3 methods for cell viability, 2 methods for assessment of cell morphology and cell type, multicolor flow cytometry to identify stem cells, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) plus Western blot for analysis of interleukin 1 receptor antagonist protein (IL-1ra). These data were compared with analyses reported by the manufacturer. Results: Cell viability in the cord blood product was less than reported by the manufacturer, the cells were primarily leukocytes, no stem cells were present, and the concentration of IL-1ra was falsely increased due to nonspecific antibody binding in the sample. Conclusion: To assess birth tissue products, health care professionals should consider the following: (1) Understanding fluorescent dyes is important for assessing cell viability data—green does not always mean alive. (2) The report of “cells” in the product does not necessarily mean “stem cells”; microscopic images of at least ×20 or a hemogram should be evaluated to determine cell type (leukocyte, red blood cells, etc). (3) There is no single cluster of differentiation (CD) marker on flow cytometry to identify stem cells. (4) Biological tissues are complex substances, and inaccurately increased measurements of growth factors could be present in ELISA results because most ELISAs are not designed or validated for use in biologics. Furthermore, the reported measurement of growth factors should be considered relative to concentrations in native biological tissues and plasma. Clinical Relevance: Health care professionals should be able to interpret cell viability, cell morphology, stem cell analysis using CD markers, and growth factor analysis when considering use of a birth tissue product in patients.