Objective      To investigate the sequential therapy regimen for the severely impaired liver function and portal hypertension of patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.       Methods      Twenty-two patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and serious esophageal varices including 12 patients with Child-Pugh grade B and 10 patients with Child-Pugh grade C from June 2009 to August 2011 were recruited. Sixteen patients were admitted in the hospital for haematemesis or melena

and the other six patients for tense ascites.       Results      Endoscopic sclerotherapy was effective in 13 out of 16 patients with bleeding esophageal varices

and the other 3 patients were treated with emergent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Then all of the 16 patients were transplanted with autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) within 1 to 2 weeks after hemostasis. The 6 patients with tense ascites were transplanted with autologous BMSCs until the volume of ascites reduced. Within the next 2 to 4 weeks

all the 6 patients were treated with TIPS. The follow-up data showed that the BMSCs transplantation significantly improved the liver function

especially in elevating albumin level (P0.05)

shortening prothrombin time (PT) (P0.05)

and reducing ascites volume (P0.05). After TIPS therapy

esophageal varices disappeared in 8 patients and diminished in 14 patients

without rebleeding in the following half of a year.       Conclusion      The sequential regimen combining BMSCs transplantation

TIPS and endoscopic sclerotherapy is effective for patients with end-stage liver disease.