Influence of Age and Body Mass Index on the Yield and Proliferation Capacity of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Adipose tissue is commonly used for volume restoration. It is also a source of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), easy to obtain in large quantities by liposuction or resection techniques. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of body mass index (BMI) and age on the number (yield) and proliferation capacity of ASCs. A prospective study was conducted in 42 women. They were divided into two groups: age a parts per thousand currency sign 40 or > 40 and BMI a parts per thousand currency sign 25 or > 25. Fat tissue was harvested via manual lipoaspiration always from the abdominal region. After centrifugation in the OR, the harvested fat (100 cc) was sent to the laboratory for isolation and cultivation of ASCs. The yield of viable ASCs was evaluated by the trypan blue exclusion test. Viable ASCs were cultured and their proliferation capacity was evaluated by the growth kinetics assay. Results were statistically analyzed. The average cell yield was 0.380 x 10(6)/ml. Cell yield and proliferation capacity did not show statistically significant correlation to the age and BMI of patients, with regression lines showing null correlation. There was no significant difference between the cell yield and proliferation capacity between the different groups. The results from this study suggest that there is no statistically significant correlation between ASC yield and proliferation capacity and age and BMI.