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Graf I, Urbschat C, Arck PC. The 'communicatome' of pregnancy: spotlight on cellular and extravesicular chimerism. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:700-714. [PMID: 38467841 PMCID: PMC11018796 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-024-00045-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Communication via biological mediators between mother and fetus are key to reproductive success and offspring's future health. The repertoire of mediators coding signals between mother and fetus is broad and includes soluble factors, membrane-bound particles and immune as well as non-immune cells. Based on the emergence of technological advancements over the last years, considerable progress has been made toward deciphering the "communicatome" between fetus and mother during pregnancy and even after birth. In this context, pregnancy-associated chimerism has sparked the attention among immunologists, since chimeric cells-although low in number-are maintained in the allogeneic host (mother or fetus) for years after birth. Other non-cellular structures of chimerism, e.g. extracellular vesicles (EVs), are increasingly recognized as modulators of pregnancy outcome and offspring's health. We here discuss the origin, distribution and function of pregnancy-acquired microchimerism and chimeric EVs in mother and offspring. We also highlight the pioneering concept of maternal microchimeric cell-derived EVs in offspring. Such insights expand the understanding of pregnancy-associated health or disease risks in mother and offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Graf
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Hamburg Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christopher Urbschat
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Hamburg Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Petra C Arck
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
- Hamburg Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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2
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Venanzi FM, Bini M, Nuccio A, De Toma A, Lambertini M, Ogliari FR, Oresti S, Viganò MG, Brioschi E, Polignano M, Naldini MM, Riva S, Ferrara M, Fogale N, Damiano G, Russo V, Reni M, Veronesi G, Foggetti G, Conforti F, Bulotta A, Ferrara R. Sex dimorphism and cancer immunotherapy: May pregnancy solve the puzzle? Cancer Treat Rev 2023; 121:102648. [PMID: 37918169 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2023.102648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
In the immunoncology era, growing evidence has shown a clear sex dimorphism in antitumor immune response with a potential impact on outcomes upon immunecheckpoint blockade (ICI) in patients with cancer. Sex dimorphism could affect tumor microenvironment composition and systemic anticancer immunity; however, the modifications induced by sex are heterogeneous. From a clinical perspective, six metanalyses have explored the role of sex in cancer patients receiving ICI with conflicting results. Environmental and reproductive factors may further jeopardize the sex-related heterogeneity in anticancer immune response. In particular, pregnancy is characterized by orchestrated changes in the immune system, some of which could be long lasting. A persistence of memory T-cells with a potential fetal-antigen specificity has been reported both in human and mice, suggesting that a previous pregnancy may positively impact cancer development or response to ICI, in case of fetal-antigen sharing from tumor cells. On the other hand, a previous pregnancy may also be associated with a regulatory memory characterized by increased tolerance and anergy towards cancer-fetal common antigens. Finally, fetal-maternal microchimerism could represent an additional source of chronic exposure to fetal antigens and may have important immunological implications on cancer development and ICI activity. So far, the role of pregnancy dimorphism (nulliparous vs parous) in women and the impact of pregnancy-related variables remain largely underexplored in cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the evidence regarding sex and pregnancy dimorphism in the context of immune response and anticancer immunotherapy and advocate the importance of analyzing pregnancy variables on ICIs clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Maria Venanzi
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Bini
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Nuccio
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Matteo Lambertini
- Department of Medical Oncology, Clinical di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesca Rita Ogliari
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Oresti
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Viganò
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Brioschi
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maggie Polignano
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Maria Naldini
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Riva
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Ferrara
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Fogale
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Damiano
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Russo
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Reni
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Veronesi
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgia Foggetti
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Conforti
- Oncology Unit, Humanitas Gavazzeni, 24125 Bergamo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bulotta
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ferrara
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
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3
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Kanaan SB, Urselli F, Radich JP, Nelson JL. Ultrasensitive chimerism enhances measurable residual disease testing after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Blood Adv 2023; 7:6066-6079. [PMID: 37467017 PMCID: PMC10582300 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing mixed chimerism (reemerging recipient cells) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HCT) can indicate relapse, the leading factor determining mortality in blood malignancies. Most clinical chimerism tests have limited sensitivity and are primarily designed to monitor engraftment. We developed a panel of quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays using TaqMan chemistry capable of quantifying chimerism in the order of 1 in a million. At such analytic sensitivity, we hypothesized that it could inform on relapse risk. As a proof-of-concept, we applied our panel to a retrospective cohort of patients with acute leukemia who underwent allo-HCT with known outcomes. Recipient cells in bone marrow aspirates (BMAs) remained detectable in 97.8% of tested samples. Absolute recipient chimerism proportions and rates at which these proportions increased in BMAs in the first 540 days after allo-HCT were associated with relapse. Detectable measurable residual disease (MRD) via flow cytometry in BMAs after allo-HCT showed limited correlation with relapse. This correlation noticeably strengthened when combined with increased recipient chimerism in BMAs, demonstrating the ability of our ultrasensitive chimerism assay to augment MRD data. Our technology reveals an underappreciated usefulness of clinical chimerism. Used side by side with MRD assays, it promises to improve identification of patients with the highest risk of disease reoccurrence for a chance of early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami B. Kanaan
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA
- Research and Development, Chimerocyte Inc, Seattle, WA
| | - Francesca Urselli
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Jerald P. Radich
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - J. Lee Nelson
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA
- Research and Development, Chimerocyte Inc, Seattle, WA
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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4
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Yüzen D, Urbschat C, Schepanski S, Thiele K, Arck PC, Mittrücker H. Pregnancy-induced transfer of pathogen-specific T cells from mother to fetus in mice. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e56829. [PMID: 37610043 PMCID: PMC10561172 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202356829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonatal health is determined by the transfer of maternal antibodies from the mother to the fetus. Besides antibodies, maternal cells cross the placental barrier and seed into fetal organs. Contrary to maternal antibodies, maternal microchimeric cells (MMc) show a high longevity, as they can persist in the offspring until adulthood. Recent evidence highlights that MMc leukocytes promote neonatal immunity against early-life infections in mice and humans. As shown in mice, this promotion of immunity was attributable to an improved fetal immune development. Besides this indirect effect, MMc may be pathogen-specific and thus, directly clear pathogen threats in the offspring postnatally. By using ovalbumin recombinant Listeria monocytogenes (LmOVA), we here provide evidence that OVA-specific T cells are transferred from the mother to the fetus, which is associated with increased activation of T cells and a milder course of postnatal infection in the offspring. Our data highlight that maternally-derived passive immunity of the neonate is not limited to antibodies, as MMc have the potential to transfer immune memory between generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Yüzen
- Division of Experimental Feto‐Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal MedicineUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
- Institute of ImmunologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Christopher Urbschat
- Division of Experimental Feto‐Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal MedicineUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Steven Schepanski
- Division of Experimental Feto‐Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal MedicineUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Kristin Thiele
- Division of Experimental Feto‐Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal MedicineUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Petra C Arck
- Division of Experimental Feto‐Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal MedicineUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
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5
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Allen LA, Taylor PN, Gillespie KM, Oram RA, Dayan CM. Maternal type 1 diabetes and relative protection against offspring transmission. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2023; 11:755-767. [PMID: 37666263 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-8587(23)00190-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes is around twice as common in the offspring of men with type 1 diabetes than in the offspring of women with type 1 diabetes, but the reasons for this difference are unclear. This Review summarises the evidence on the rate of transmission of type 1 diabetes to the offspring of affected fathers compared with affected mothers. The findings of nine major studies are presented, describing the magnitude of the effect observed and the relative strengths and weaknesses of these studies. This Review also explores possible underlying mechanisms for this effect, such as genetic mechanisms (eg, the selective loss of fetuses with high-risk genes in mothers with type 1 diabetes, preferential transmission of susceptibility genes from fathers, and parent-of-origin effects influencing gene expression), environmental exposures (eg, exposure to maternal hyperglycaemia, exogenous insulin exposure, and transplacental antibody transfer), and maternal microchimerism. Understanding why type 1 diabetes is more common in the offspring of men versus women with type 1 diabetes will help in the identification of individuals at high risk of the disease and can pave the way in the development of interventions that mimic the protective elements of maternal type 1 diabetes to reduce the risk of disease in individuals at high risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lowri A Allen
- Diabetes Research Group, Cardiff University, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Peter N Taylor
- Diabetes Research Group, Cardiff University, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kathleen M Gillespie
- Diabetes and Metabolism, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard A Oram
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, UK
| | - Colin M Dayan
- Diabetes Research Group, Cardiff University, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
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6
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Fjeldstad HE, Jacobsen DP, Johnsen GM, Sugulle M, Chae A, Kanaan SB, Gammill HS, Staff AC. Poor glucose control and markers of placental dysfunction correlate with increased circulating fetal microchimerism in diabetic pregnancies. J Reprod Immunol 2023; 159:104114. [PMID: 37473584 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2023.104114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Fetal microchimerism (FMc) arises during pregnancy as fetal cells enter maternal circulation and remain decades postpartum. Circulating FMc is increased in preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and as we recently showed, is associated with biomarkers of placental dysfunction in normotensive term pregnancies. Diabetes mellitus (DM) also correlates with placental dysfunction. We hypothesize that poor glucose control and markers of placental dysfunction are associated with increased circulating FMc in diabetic pregnancies. We included 122 pregnancies preceding active labor (pregestational DM, n = 77, gestational DM (GDM), n = 45) between 2001 and 2017. Maternal and fetal samples were genotyped for various human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci, and other polymorphisms to identify fetus-specific alleles. We used validated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to quantify FMc in maternal peripheral blood buffy coat. Negative binomial regression with adjustment for confounders was used to assess FMc quantity. In pregestational DM, increased circulating FMc correlated with elevation of HbA1c (≥ 6.0 %) (detection rate ratio (DRR) = 4.9, p = 0.010) and a 1000 pg/mL rise in the anti-angiogenic biomarker soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) (DRR = 1.1, p = 0.011). In GDM, increased FMc correlated with elevated 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test results (DRR = 2.3, p = 0.046) and birthweight < 10th or > 90th percentile (DRR = 4.2, p = 0.049). These findings support our novel hypothesis that FMc correlates with poor glucose control and various aspects of placental dysfunction in DM. Whether increased FMc in pregnancies with poor glucose control and placental dysfunction contributes to the risk of preeclampsia in diabetic pregnancies and to the increased risk of chronic cardiovascular disease later in life remains to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi E Fjeldstad
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Daniel P Jacobsen
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Guro M Johnsen
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Meryam Sugulle
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Angel Chae
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sami B Kanaan
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Chimerocyte, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hilary S Gammill
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anne Cathrine Staff
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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7
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Borges A, Castellan F, Irie N. Emergent roles of maternal microchimerism in postnatal development. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:75-81. [PMID: 36519824 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Maternal microchimerism (MMc) is the phenomenon that a low number of cells from the mother persists within her progeny. Despite their regular presence in mammalian pregnancies, the overall cell type repertoire and roles of maternal cells, especially after birth, remain unclear. By using transgenic mouse strains and human umbilical blood samples, recent studies have for the first time characterized and quantified MMc cell type repertoires in offspring, identified the cross-generational influence on fetal immunity, and determined possible factors that affect their presence in offspring. This review summarizes new findings, especially on the maternal cell type repertoires and their potential role in utero, in postnatal life, and long after birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Borges
- Graduate School of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Flore Castellan
- Graduate School of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Irie
- Graduate School of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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8
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Fujimoto K, Nakajima A, Hori S, Tanaka Y, Shirasaki Y, Uemura S, Irie N. Whole-embryonic identification of maternal microchimeric cell types in mouse using single-cell RNA sequencing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18313. [PMID: 36333354 PMCID: PMC9636240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20781-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though the mother and the fetus of placental mammals are immunologically non-self with respect to one other, mutual exchange of small numbers of cells between them is known to occur. Maternal cells entering the fetus, called maternal microchimeric cells (MMc cells), are thought to be involved in different physiological phenomena, such as establishing immune tolerance, tissue repair, and the pathogenesis or deterioration of some inflammatory diseases and congenital malformations. While specific MMc cell types have been reported as associated with these phenomena, the contribution of MMc cells to these different outcomes remains unknown. As one possibility, we hypothesized that different embryos have differing repertoires of MMc cell types, leading to or biasing embryos toward different fates. To date, no studies have succeeded in identifying the MMc cell type repertoire of a single embryo. Accordingly, here, we isolated MMc cells from whole mouse embryos, determined their types, and analyzed their MMc cell type variability. By combining our previously established, whole-embryonic MMc isolation method with single-cell RNA sequencing, we successfully estimated the cell type repertoires of MMc cells isolated from 26 mouse embryos. The majority of MMc cells were immune-related cells, such as myeloid cells and granulocytes. We also detected stem cell-like MMc cells expressing proliferation marker genes and terminally differentiated cells. As hypothesized, we noted statistically significant inter-individual variation in the proportion of immune-related cells in the different embryos. We here successfully estimated MMc cell types in individual whole mouse embryos. The proportion of immune-related cells significantly differed among the individual embryos, suggesting that the variations are one of the potential mechanisms underlying the differing MMc-related physiological phenomena in offspring. These findings provide insight into cell-level epigenetics by maternal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kana Fujimoto
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
| | - Akira Nakajima
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XGraduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shohei Hori
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XGraduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yumiko Tanaka
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Shirasaki
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XGraduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sotaro Uemura
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
| | - Naoki Irie
- grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan ,grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XUniversal Biology Institute, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Sandoval-Valdez D, Silveira LH, Rodríguez E. Cardiovascular risk in the postnatal life of children born to women with systemic lupus erythematous. ARCHIVOS DE CARDIOLOGIA DE MEXICO 2022; 92:522-529. [PMID: 35358379 PMCID: PMC9681509 DOI: 10.24875/acm.21000063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with clinical manifestations in multiple organs, primarily striking women of reproductive age. Women with SLE can became pregnant such as any other healthy woman and carrier their pregnancy to term due to the improvement of health systems, but their specific inflammatory conditions could affect the microenvironment in which the fetus grows, and influence the development of placenta and the fetal heart. Until now, there is very little evidence of any increased risk of postnatal cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the apparently healthy children from women with SLE, but it is this great variability in the effects of lupus on pregnant products is related to.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darío Sandoval-Valdez
- Research Unit, UNAM-INC, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City
- Health Sciences Center, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes
| | - Luis H. Silveira
- Departament of Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City. Mexico
| | - Emma Rodríguez
- Research Unit, UNAM-INC, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City
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10
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Schepanski S, Chini M, Sternemann V, Urbschat C, Thiele K, Sun T, Zhao Y, Poburski M, Woestemeier A, Thieme MT, Zazara DE, Alawi M, Fischer N, Heeren J, Vladimirov N, Woehler A, Puelles VG, Bonn S, Gagliani N, Hanganu-Opatz IL, Arck PC. Pregnancy-induced maternal microchimerism shapes neurodevelopment and behavior in mice. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4571. [PMID: 35931682 PMCID: PMC9356013 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32230-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-long brain function and mental health are critically determined by developmental processes occurring before birth. During mammalian pregnancy, maternal cells are transferred to the fetus. They are referred to as maternal microchimeric cells (MMc). Among other organs, MMc seed into the fetal brain, where their function is unknown. Here, we show that, in the offspring's developing brain in mice, MMc express a unique signature of sensome markers, control microglia homeostasis and prevent excessive presynaptic elimination. Further, MMc facilitate the oscillatory entrainment of developing prefrontal-hippocampal circuits and support the maturation of behavioral abilities. Our findings highlight that MMc are not a mere placental leak out, but rather a functional mechanism that shapes optimal conditions for healthy brain function later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Schepanski
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mattia Chini
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Veronika Sternemann
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christopher Urbschat
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kristin Thiele
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ting Sun
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yu Zhao
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mareike Poburski
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Woestemeier
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marie-Theres Thieme
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dimitra E Zazara
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Malik Alawi
- Bioinformatics Service Facility, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Fischer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joerg Heeren
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nikita Vladimirov
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrew Woehler
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Victor G Puelles
- III Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Bonn
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nicola Gagliani
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Petra C Arck
- Division of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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11
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Olsen SDH, Kolte AM, Bang N, Krog MC, Steffensen R, Nielsen HS, Jakobsen MA. The development of an indel panel for microchimerism detection. Exp Mol Pathol 2022; 127:104804. [PMID: 35718190 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2022.104804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to create a simple assay for microchimerism detection independent of sex and without HLA genotyping. METHODS The method is based on detection of insertion or deletions utilizing a multiplex PCR followed by fragment analysis by capillary electrophoresis, and probe-based qPCR assays. A total of 192 samples, taken either before pregnancy, during 1st trimester, or either during 2nd trimester or at miscarriage, obtained from a cohort of 97 female patients with either primary or secondary recurrent pregnancy loss, were screened for fetal microchimerism by the indel panel as well as an existing assay based on detection of the Y-chromosome marker; DYS14. RESULTS The overall prevalence of DYS14 positive samples was 29% (55/192) whereas 32% (61/192) tested positive by the indel method. There was an overall agreement of 64% (122/192) between the results obtained by the two methods. A Fisher's Exact test showed no statistic significant difference in the prevalence of microchimerism detected by the two methods at any of the three times of sampling. The distribution of the number of positive wells detected by both methods were compared by a Mann-Whitney U test, which showed no statistically significant difference at any of the three times of sampling. CONCLUSION The data indicates that microchimerism can be detected efficiently by the indel method. This makes it possible to detect both female and male cells without the need of HLA-genotyping. Furthermore, the indel method has potential to be implemented as a routine analysis. This will remove the sex bias in future explorations of the role microchimerism plays in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie D H Olsen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Astrid M Kolte
- The Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Unit, The Capital Region, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Hvidovre Hospital, DK-2650, Hvidovre & Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nina Bang
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Maria Christine Krog
- The Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Unit, The Capital Region, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Hvidovre Hospital, DK-2650, Hvidovre & Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rudi Steffensen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Henriette S Nielsen
- The Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Unit, The Capital Region, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Hvidovre Hospital, DK-2650, Hvidovre & Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Marianne A Jakobsen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
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12
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Tamaoka S, Fukuda A, Katoh-Fukui Y, Hattori A, Uchida H, Shimizu S, Yanagi Y, Kanaan SB, Sakamoto S, Kasahara M, Yoshioka T, Fukami M. Quantification of Maternal Microchimeric Cells in the Liver of Children With Biliary Atresia. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2022; 74:e83-e86. [PMID: 35082246 DOI: 10.1097/mpg.0000000000003388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare disorder of unknown etiology. There is a debate as to whether maternal microchimerism plays a significant role in the development of BA or in graft tolerance after liver transplantation. Here, we performed quantitative-PCR-based assays for liver tissues of children with BA and other diseases. Maternal cells were detected in 4/13 and 1/3 of the BA and control groups, respectively. The estimated number of maternal cells ranged between 0 and 34.7 per 106 total cells. The frequency and severity of maternal microchimerism were similar between the BA and control groups, and between patients with and without acute rejection of maternal grafts. These results highlight the high frequency of maternal microchimerism in the liver. This study provides no evidence for roles of microchimerism in the etiology of BA or in graft tolerance. Thus, the biological consequences of maternal microchimerism need to be clarified in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Tamaoka
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development
| | - Akinari Fukuda
- Center for Organ Transplantation, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Katoh-Fukui
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development
| | - Atsushi Hattori
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development
| | - Hajime Uchida
- Center for Organ Transplantation, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seiichi Shimizu
- Center for Organ Transplantation, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yanagi
- Center for Organ Transplantation, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sami B Kanaan
- Research and Development, Chimerocyte, Inc
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Seisuke Sakamoto
- Center for Organ Transplantation, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mureo Kasahara
- Center for Organ Transplantation, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takako Yoshioka
- Department of Pathology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Maki Fukami
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development
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13
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Muraji T, Masuya R, Harumatsu T, Kawano T, Muto M, Ieiri S. New insights in understanding biliary atresia from the perspectives on maternal microchimerism. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:1007987. [PMID: 36210938 PMCID: PMC9539747 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.1007987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a fibroinflammatory cholangiopathy and portal venopathy. It is of unknown etiology and is associated with systemic immune dysregulation, in which the first insult begins before birth. Maternal microchimerism is a naturally occurring phenomenon during fetal life in which maternal alloantigens promote the development of tolerogenic fetal regulatory T-cells in utero. However, maternal cells may alter the fetus's response to self-antigens and trigger an autoimmune response under certain histocompatibility combinations between the mother and the fetus. A recent report on a set of dizygotic discordant twins with BA, one of whose placentae showed villitis of unknown etiology, implies a certain immune-mediated conflict between the fetus with BA and the mother. Maternal chimeric cells persist postnatally for various time spans and can cause cholangitis, which ultimately leads to liver failure. In contrast, patients who eliminate maternal chimeric cells may retain their liver function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Muraji
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Research Field in Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences Area, Research and Education Assembly, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Ryuta Masuya
- Division of the Gastrointestinal, Endocrine and Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Toshio Harumatsu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Research Field in Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences Area, Research and Education Assembly, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Takafumi Kawano
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Research Field in Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences Area, Research and Education Assembly, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Muto
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Research Field in Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences Area, Research and Education Assembly, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ieiri
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Research Field in Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences Area, Research and Education Assembly, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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14
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Fujimoto K, Nakajima A, Hori S, Irie N. Whole embryonic detection of maternal microchimeric cells highlights significant differences in their numbers among individuals. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261357. [PMID: 34941916 PMCID: PMC8699925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy in placental mammals, small numbers of maternal cells (maternal microchimeric cells, or MMc cells) migrate into the fetus and persist decades, or perhaps for the rest of their lives, and higher frequencies of MMc cells are reported to correlate with variety of phenomena, such as immune tolerance, tissue repair, and autoimmune diseases. While detection of these MMc cells is considered in all pregnancies, their frequency differs largely according to tissue type and disease cases, and it remains unclear whether the number of MMc cells differs significantly among embryos in normal pregnancies. Here, for the first time, we developed a whole embryonic detection method for MMc cells using transgenic mice and counted live MMc cells in each individual embryo. Using this technique, we found that the number of MMc cells was comparable in most of the analyzed embryos; however, around 500 times higher number of MMc cells was detected in one embryo at the latest stage. This result suggests that the number of MMc cells could largely differ in rare cases with unknown underlying mechanisms. Our methodology provides a basis for testing differences in the numbers of MMc cells among individual embryos and for analyzing differences in MMc cell type repertoires in future studies. These data could provide a hint toward understanding the mechanisms underlying the variety of apparently inconsistent MMc-related phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kana Fujimoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail: (NI); (KF)
| | - Akira Nakajima
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shohei Hori
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Irie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail: (NI); (KF)
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15
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Shear MA, Massa A. In Utero Fetal Therapy: Stem Cells, Cell Transplantation, Gene Therapy, and CRISPR-Cas9. Clin Obstet Gynecol 2021; 64:861-875. [PMID: 34668889 DOI: 10.1097/grf.0000000000000663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In utero fetal therapy offers the opportunity to prevent and treat diseases with a cellular or genetic basis. Components of successful fetal treatment include isolation of a replacement cell population, in utero stem cell transplantation, cell engraftment with fetal immune tolerance, and ongoing cell function. Fetal gene therapy with CRISPR-Cas9 represents an exciting potential therapy for genetic diseases not amenable to gene supplementation via adenoviral vector transduction. These fetal therapies have unique ethical and safety considerations. Clinical trials for in utero cell therapy are underway, as additional discoveries in stem cell biology and gene therapy move closer to clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Shear
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Andrew Massa
- Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York
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16
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Vertically transferred maternal immune cells promote neonatal immunity against early life infections. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4706. [PMID: 34349112 PMCID: PMC8338998 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24719-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During mammalian pregnancy, immune cells are vertically transferred from mother to fetus. The functional role of these maternal microchimeric cells (MMc) in the offspring is mostly unknown. Here we show a mouse model in which MMc numbers are either normal or low, which enables functional assessment of MMc. We report a functional role of MMc in promoting fetal immune development. MMc induces preferential differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells in fetal bone marrow towards monocytes within the myeloid compartment. Neonatal mice with higher numbers of MMc and monocytes show enhanced resilience against cytomegalovirus infection. Similarly, higher numbers of MMc in human cord blood are linked to a lower number of respiratory infections during the first year of life. Our data highlight the importance of MMc in promoting fetal immune development, potentially averting the threats caused by early life exposure to pathogens. Maternal immune cells seed into the foetus during mammalian pregnancy, yet the functional role of these cells is unclear. Here the authors show that maternal immune cells in foetal bone marrow stimulate immune development, subsequently reducing the risk or severity of infections in newborns.
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17
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Johnson BN, Peters HE, Lambalk CB, Dolan CV, Willemsen G, Ligthart L, Mijatovic V, Hottenga JJ, Ehli EA, Boomsma DI. Male microchimerism in females: a quantitative study of twin pedigrees to investigate mechanisms. Hum Reprod 2021; 36:2529-2537. [PMID: 34293108 PMCID: PMC8373473 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does having a male co-twin, older brothers, or sons lead to an increased probability of persistent male microchimerism in female members of twin pedigrees? SUMMARY ANSWER The presence of a male co-twin did not increase risk of male microchimerism and the prevalence of male microchimerism was not explained by having male offspring or by having an older brother. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Microchimerism describes the presence of cells within an organism that originate from another zygote and is commonly described as resulting from pregnancy in placental mammals. It is associated with diseases with a female predilection including autoimmune diseases and pregnancy-related complications. However, microchimerism also occurs in nulliparous women; signifying gaps in the understanding of risk factors contributing to persistent microchimerism and the origin of the minor cell population. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This cross-sectional study composed of 446 adult female participants of the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Participants included in the study were female monozygotic (MZ) twins, female dizygotic same-sex twins and females of dizygotic opposite-sex twin pairs, along with the mothers and sisters of these twins. Peripheral blood samples collected from adult female participants underwent DNA extraction and were biobanked prior to the study. To detect the presence of male-origin microchimerism, DNA samples were tested for the relative quantity of male specific Y chromosome gene DYS14 compared to a common β-globin gene using a highly sensitive quantitative PCR assay. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE We observed a large number of women (26.9%) having detectable male microchimerism in their peripheral blood samples. The presence of a male co-twin did not increase risk of male microchimerism (odds ratio (OR) = 1.23: SE 0.40, P = 0.61) and the prevalence of male microchimerism was not explained by having male offspring (OR 0.90: SE 0.19, P = 0.63) or by having an older brother (OR = 1.46: SE 0.32, P = 0.09). The resemblance (correlation) for the presence of microchimerism was similar (P = 0.66) in MZ pairs (0.27; SE 0.37) and in first-degree relatives (0.091; SE 0.092). However, age had a positive relationship with the presence of male microchimerism (P = 0.02). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION After stratifying for variables of interest, some participant groups resulted in a low numbers of subjects. We investigated microchimerism in peripheral blood due to the proposed mechanism of cell acquisition via transplacental blood exchange; however, this does not represent global chimerism in the individual and microchimerism may localize to numerous other tissues. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Immune regulation during pregnancy is known to mitigate allosensitization and support tolerance to non-inherited antigens found on donor cells. While unable to identify a specific source that promotes microchimerism prevalence within pedigrees, this study points to the underlying complexities of natural microchimerism in the general population. These findings support previous studies which have identified the presence of male microchimerism among women with no history of pregnancy, suggesting alternative sources of microchimerism. The association of detectable male microchimerism with age is suggestive of additional factors including time, molecular characteristics and environment playing a critical role in the prevalence of persistent microchimerism. The present study necessitates investigation into the molecular underpinnings of natural chimerism to provide insight into women’s health, transplant medicine and immunology. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work is funded by Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award (PAH/6635 to D.I.B.); The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw)—Genotype/phenotype database for behavior genetic and genetic epidemiological studies (ZonMw 911-09-032); Biobanking and Biomolecular Research Infrastructure (BBMRI–NL, 184.021.007; 184.033.111); The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)—Netherlands Twin Registry Repository (NWO-Groot 480-15-001/674); the National Institutes of Health—The Rutgers University Cell and DNA Repository cooperative agreement (NIMH U24 MH068457-06), Grand Opportunity grants Integration of genomics and transcriptomics in normal twins and major depression (NIMH 1RC2 MH089951-01), and Developmental trajectories of psychopathology (NIMH 1RC2 MH089995); and European Research Council—Genetics of Mental Illness (ERC 230374). C.B.L. declares a competing interest as editor-in-chief of Human Reproduction and his department receives unrestricted research grants from Ferring, Merck and Guerbet. All remaining authors have no conflict-of-interest to declare in regards to this work. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- B N Johnson
- Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, Sioux Falls, SD, USA.,Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H E Peters
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C B Lambalk
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C V Dolan
- Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G Willemsen
- Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L Ligthart
- Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - V Mijatovic
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J J Hottenga
- Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E A Ehli
- Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
| | - D I Boomsma
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Bianchi DW, Khosrotehrani K, Way SS, MacKenzie TC, Bajema I, O'Donoghue K. Forever Connected: The Lifelong Biological Consequences of Fetomaternal and Maternofetal Microchimerism. Clin Chem 2020; 67:351-362. [PMID: 33417673 PMCID: PMC10072000 DOI: 10.1093/clinchem/hvaa304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Originally studied as a mechanism to understand eclampsia-related deaths during pregnancy, fetal cells in maternal blood have more recently garnered attention as a noninvasive source of fetal material for prenatal testing. In the 21st century, however, intact fetal cells have been largely supplanted by circulating cell-free placental DNA for aneuploidy screening. Instead, interest has pivoted to the ways in which fetal cells influence maternal biology. In parallel, an increasing appreciation of the consequences of maternal cells in the developing fetus has occurred. CONTENT In this review, we highlight the potential clinical applications and functional consequences of the bidirectional trafficking of intact cells between a pregnant woman and her fetus. Fetal cells play a potential role in the pathogenesis of maternal disease and tissue repair. Maternal cells play an essential role in educating the fetal immune system and as a factor in transplant acceptance. Naturally occurring maternal microchimerism is also being explored as a source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplant in fetal hematopoietic disorders. SUMMARY Future investigations in humans need to include complete pregnancy histories to understand maternal health and transplant success or failure. Animal models are useful to understand the mechanisms underlying fetal wound healing and/or repair associated with maternal injury and inflammation. The lifelong consequences of the exchange of cells between a mother and her child are profound and have many applications in development, health, and disease. This intricate exchange of genetically foreign cells creates a permanent connection that contributes to the survival of both individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana W Bianchi
- National Human Genome Research Institute and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kiarash Khosrotehrani
- Experimental Dermatology Group, The University of Queensland, UQ Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sing Sing Way
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tippi C MacKenzie
- Center for Maternal-Fetal Precision Medicine and the Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ingeborg Bajema
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Keelin O'Donoghue
- Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health (INFANT), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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19
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Pan TD, Kanaan SB, Lee NR, Avila JL, Nelson JL, Eisenberg DTA. Predictors of maternal-origin microchimerism in young women in the Philippines. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 174:213-223. [PMID: 33300155 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Microchimerism is the presence of a small quantity of cells or DNA from a genetically distinct individual. This phenomenon occurs with bidirectional maternal-fetal exchange during pregnancy. Microchimerism can persist for decades after delivery and have long-term health implications. However, little is known about why microchimerism is detectable at varying levels in different individuals. We examine the variability and the following potential determinants of maternal-origin microchimerism (MMc) in young women in the Philippines: gestational duration (in utero exposure to MMc), history of being breastfed (postpartum exposure to MMc), maternal telomere length (maternal cells' ability to replicate and persist), and participant's pregnancies in young adulthood (effect of adding fetal-origin microchimerism to preexisting MMc). MATERIALS AND METHODS Data are from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey, a population-based study of infant feeding practices and long-term health outcomes. We quantified MMc using quantitative PCR (qPCR) in 89 female participants, ages 20-22, and analyzed these data using negative binomial regression. RESULTS In a multivariate model including all predictors, being breastfed substantially predicted decreased MMc (detection rate ratio = 0.15, p = 0.007), and there was a trend of decreasing MMc in participants who had experienced more pregnancies (detection rate ratio = 0.55, p = 0.057). DISCUSSION These results might be explained by breastfeeding having lasting impact on immune regulatory networks, thus reducing MMc persistence. MMc may also decrease in response to the introduction of fetal-origin microchimerism with pregnancies experienced in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany D Pan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sami B Kanaan
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nanette R Lee
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, Inc., Cebu City, Philippines
- Department of Anthropology, Sociology & History, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Josephine L Avila
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, Inc., Cebu City, Philippines
- Department of Architecture, School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - J Lee Nelson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Dan T A Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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20
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Ushijima K, Okuno M, Ayabe T, Kikuchi N, Kawamura T, Urakami T, Yokota I, Amemiya S, Uchiyama T, Kikuchi T, Ogata T, Sugihara S, Fukami M. Low prevalence of maternal microchimerism in peripheral blood of Japanese children with type 1 diabetes. Diabet Med 2020; 37:2131-2135. [PMID: 31872455 DOI: 10.1111/dme.14221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
AIM To clarify the prevalence and degree of maternal microchimerism in Japanese children with type 1 diabetes, as well as its effect on phenotypic variation. METHODS We studied 153 Japanese children with type 1 diabetes, including 124 children positive for β-cell autoantibodies, and their 71 unaffected siblings. The number of circulating microchimeric cells per 105 host cells was estimated by the use of quantitative-polymerase chain reaction targeting non-transmitted maternal human leukocyte antigen alleles. The results were compared to previous data from white European people. Phenotypic comparison was performed between maternal microchimerism carriers and non-carriers with diabetes. RESULTS Maternal microchimerism was detected in 15% of children with autoantibody-positive type 1 diabetes, 28% of children with autoantibody-negative type 1 diabetes, and 16% of unaffected siblings. There were no differences in the prevalence or levels of maternal microchimerism among the three groups or between the children with type 1 diabetes and their unaffected siblings. Furthermore, maternal microchimerism carriers and non-carriers exhibited similar phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS Maternal microchimerism appears to be less common in Japanese children with type 1 diabetes than in white European people. Our data indicate that maternal microchimerism is unlikely to be a major trigger or a phenotypic determinant of type 1 diabetes in Japanese children and that the biological significance of maternal microchimerism in type 1 diabetes may differ among ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Ushijima
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - M Okuno
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - T Ayabe
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - N Kikuchi
- Department of Paediatrics, Yokohama Rosai Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - T Kawamura
- Department of Paediatrics, Osaka City University School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - T Urakami
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - I Yokota
- Department of Paediatrics, Division of Paediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shikoku Medical Centre for Children and Adults, Kagawa, Japan
| | - S Amemiya
- Department of Paediatrics, Saitama Medical University, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama, Japan
| | - T Uchiyama
- Department of Human Genetics, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - T Kikuchi
- Department of Paediatrics, Saitama Medical University, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama, Japan
| | - T Ogata
- Department of Paediatrics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - S Sugihara
- Department of Paediatrics, Tokyo Women's Medical University Medical Centre East, Tokyo, Japan
| | - M Fukami
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES During pregnancy, small quantities of maternal cells are naturally transmitted to the fetus. This transmission, termed maternal microchimerism (MMc), has been implicated in autoimmune diseases but its potential role is unclear. We aimed to investigate if MMc at birth predicted childhood celiac disease (CD) risk, a common immune-mediated enteropathy often presenting in childhood. METHODS We designed a case-control study, nested in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort. Participants were HLA class II typed to determine noninherited, nonshared maternal alleles (NIMA). Droplet digital (dd) PCR assays specific for common HLA class II NIMAs (HLA-DQB103:01, 04:02 and 06:02/03) were used to estimate the quantity of maternal DNA, as a marker of maternal cells, in cord blood DNA from 124 children who later developed clinically diagnosed CD (median age at end of study 7.4 years, range 3.6-12.9) and 124 random controls. We tested whether presence of MMc was associated with CD using logistic regression, and compared ranks between cases and controls. RESULTS MMc, for example, maternal HLA antigens not inherited by the child, was found in 42% of cases and 43% of controls, and not associated with CD (odds ratio [OR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-1.60). The ranks of MMc quantities in cases and controls were also similar (Mann-Whitney U-test, P = 0.71). The subgroup with HLA-DQB1:03*01 as their NIMA had a potential association with MMc, where levels greater than median was associated with CD (OR 3.78, 95% CI 1.28-11.18). CONCLUSION MMc measured in cord blood was not associated with later risk of CD.
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22
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Maternal microchimerism protects hemophilia A patients from inhibitor development. Blood Adv 2020; 4:1867-1869. [PMID: 32374877 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020001832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Key Points
Deleterious F8 mutations do not necessarily lead to the incidence of inhibitors in hemophilia A patients receiving replacement therapy. Maternal chimeric cells migrated into a fetus with hemophilia A during pregnancy could induce tolerance toward FVIII.
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23
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Wysocki T, Olesińska M, Paradowska-Gorycka A. Current Understanding of an Emerging Role of HLA-DRB1 Gene in Rheumatoid Arthritis-From Research to Clinical Practice. Cells 2020; 9:cells9051127. [PMID: 32370106 PMCID: PMC7291248 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with an unclear pathogenic mechanism. However, it has been proven that the key underlying risk factor is a genetic predisposition. Association studies of the HLA-DRB1 gene clearly indicate its importance in RA morbidity. This review presents the current state of knowledge on the impact of HLA-DRB1 gene, functioning both as a component of the patient’s genome and as an environmental risk factor. The impact of known HLA-DRB1 risk variants on the specific structure of the polymorphic HLA-DR molecule, and epitope binding affinity, is presented. The issues of the potential influence of HLA-DRB1 on the occurrence of non-articular disease manifestations and response to treatment are also discussed. A deeper understanding of the role of the HLA-DRB1 gene is essential to explore the complex nature of RA, which is a result of multiple contributing factors, including genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. It also creates new opportunities to develop modern and personalized forms of therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Wysocki
- Department of Systemic Connective Tissue Diseases, National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Spartańska 1, 02-637 Warsaw, Poland; or
- Correspondence:
| | - Marzena Olesińska
- Department of Systemic Connective Tissue Diseases, National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Spartańska 1, 02-637 Warsaw, Poland; or
| | - Agnieszka Paradowska-Gorycka
- Department of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Spartańska 1, 02-637 Warsaw, Poland; or
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24
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Johnson BN, Ehli EA, Davies GE, Boomsma DI. Chimerism in health and potential implications on behavior: A systematic review. Am J Med Genet A 2020; 182:1513-1529. [PMID: 32212323 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.61565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we focus on the phenomenon of chimerism and especially microchimerism as one of the currently underexplored explanations for differences in health and behavior. Chimerism is an amalgamation of cells from two or more unique zygotes within a single organism, with microchimerism defined by a minor cell population of <1%. This article first presents an overview of the primary techniques employed to detect and quantify the presence of microchimerism and then reviews empirical studies of chimerism in mammals including primates and humans. In women, male microchimerism, a condition suggested to be the result of fetomaternal exchange in utero, is relatively easily detected by polymerase chain reaction molecular techniques targeting Y-chromosomal markers. Consequently, studies of chimerism in human diseases have largely focused on diseases with a predilection for females including autoimmune diseases, and female cancers. We detail studies of chimerism in human diseases and also discuss some potential implications in behavior. Understanding the prevalence of chimerism and the associated health outcomes will provide invaluable knowledge of human biology and guide novel approaches for treating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon N Johnson
- Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
| | - Erik A Ehli
- Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
| | - Gareth E Davies
- Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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25
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26
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Aydın MŞ, Yiğit EN, Vatandaşlar E, Erdoğan E, Öztürk G. Transfer and Integration of Breast Milk Stem Cells to the Brain of Suckling Pups. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14289. [PMID: 30250150 PMCID: PMC6155265 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32715-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Beside its unique nutritional content breast milk also contains live cells from the mother. Fate of these cells in the offspring has not been adequately described. In this study, we aimed to detect and identify maternal cells in the suckling’s blood and the brain. Green fluorescent protein expressing transgenic female mice (GFP+) were used as foster mothers to breastfeed wildtype newborn pups. One week and two months after the birth, blood samples and brains of the sucklings were analyzed to detect presence of GFP+ cells by fluorescence activated cell sorting, polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry on the brain sections and optically cleared brains. The tests confirmed that maternal cells were detectable in the blood and the brain of the pups and that they differentiated into both neuronal and glial cell types in the brain. This phenomenon represents breastfeeding – induced microchimerism in the brain with functional implications remain to be understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Şerif Aydın
- Regenerative and Restorative Medicine Research Center, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, 34810, Turkey
| | - Esra Nur Yiğit
- Regenerative and Restorative Medicine Research Center, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, 34810, Turkey
| | - Emre Vatandaşlar
- Regenerative and Restorative Medicine Research Center, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, 34810, Turkey
| | - Ender Erdoğan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, 42030, Turkey
| | - Gürkan Öztürk
- Regenerative and Restorative Medicine Research Center, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, 34810, Turkey. .,Department of Physiology, International School of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, 34810, Turkey.
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27
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Ståhlberg A, El-Heliebi A, Sedlmayr P, Kroneis T. Unravelling the biological secrets of microchimerism by single-cell analysis. Brief Funct Genomics 2018; 17:255-264. [PMID: 29028900 PMCID: PMC6063264 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elx027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of microchimeric cells is known for >100 years and well documented since decades. Earlier, microchimeric cells were mainly used for cell-based non-invasive prenatal diagnostics during early pregnancy. Microchimeric cells are also present beyond delivery and are associated to various autoimmune diseases, tissue repair, cancer and immune tolerance. All these findings were based on low complexity studies and occasionally accompanied by artefacts not allowing the biological functions of microchimerism to be determined. However, with the recent developments in single-cell analysis, new means to identify and characterize microchimeric cells are available. Cell labelling techniques in combination with single-cell analysis provide a new toolbox to decipher the biology of microchimeric cells at molecular and cellular level. In this review, we discuss how recent developments in single-cell analysis can be applied to determine the role and function of microchimeric cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Ståhlberg
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Pathology and Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 1F, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Amin El-Heliebi
- Institute of Cell Biology, Histology & Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Harrachgasse 21, Graz, Austria
| | - Peter Sedlmayr
- Institute of Cell Biology, Histology & Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Harrachgasse 21, Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Kroneis
- Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Department of Pathology and Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 1F, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Institute of Cell Biology, Histology & Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Harrachgasse 21, Graz, Austria
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28
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Abstract
Maternal microchimerism may arise in the offspring during pregnancy, and may be favorable or unfavorable. Additionally, maternal cells present in umbilical cord blood used for stem cell transplantation may affect the outcome after transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cellular subset and frequency of maternal cells in umbilical cord blood following vaginal deliveries and elective Cesarean sections where the umbilical cord clamping time was measured. A total of 44 healthy women with normal pregnancies were included in the study. Of these, 24 delivered vaginally and 20 by elective Cesarean sections. In the fresh umbilical cord blood, cellular subsets of CD3+ (T-cells), CD19+ (B-cells), CD33+ (myeloid cells), CD34+ (hematopoietic progenitor cells) and CD56+ (natural killer cells) cells were isolated and DNA extracted. A single-nucleotide polymorphism unique to the mother was identified and maternal microchimerism in the different cellular fractions was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction with a sensitivity of 0.01%. Overall, 5 out of the 44 (11%) umbilical cord blood samples contained maternal microchimerism. The positive fractions were total DNA (whole blood, n = 3), CD34+ (n = 1), CD56+ (n = 1) and CD34+/CD56+ (n = 1). Overall, four of the five (80%) positive samples were from Cesarean sections and one was from a vaginal delivery. The conclusion from this study is that maternal microchimerism in umbilical cord blood is not a common phenomenon but includes both lymphoid and hematopoietic progenitor lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Jonsson Kanold
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical
Science Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Westgren
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical
Science Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Götherström
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical
Science Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Cecilia Götherström, Division of Obstetrics
and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Science,
Intervention and Technology, Alfred Nobels Allé 8, SE-141 52 Stockholm, Sweden.
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29
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30
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Kinder JM, Stelzer IA, Arck PC, Way SS. Reply: Breastfeeding-related maternal microchimerism. Nat Rev Immunol 2017; 17:730-1. [PMID: 28972207 DOI: 10.1038/nri.2017.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Kinder
- Division of Infectious Disease and Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 7017, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229 USA
| | - Ina A Stelzer
- Division of Infectious Disease and Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 7017, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229 USA
| | - Petra C Arck
- Laboratory of Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sing Sing Way
- Division of Infectious Disease and Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 7017, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229 USA
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31
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Guthrie KA, Gammill HS, Madeleine MM, Dugowson CE, Nelson JL. Parity and HLA alleles in risk of rheumatoid arthritis. CHIMERISM 2017; 2:11-5. [PMID: 21547030 DOI: 10.4161/chim.2.1.15424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2011] [Revised: 02/28/2011] [Accepted: 03/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Specific HLA II alleles are associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk and others with protection. Risk-associated alleles encode similar amino acid sequences from 70 through 74 of HLA-DRβ1 (QKRAA, QRRAA, RRRAA), referred to as the "shared epitope" (SE) and protective alleles encode DERAA at the same location. Fetal-maternal cell exchange results in long-term microchimerism i.e. harboring small numbers of genetically disparate cells. Women with RA who lack the SE were recently found to harbor microchimerism with the SE more often than healthy women. This finding raises the question whether microchimerism with DERAA confers benefit against RA and is underscored by the observation that overall parity reduces RA risk. While there is currently no test for microchimerism with DERAA, we conducted studies to ask whether parity benefits women at risk for RA, either because they have the SE or lack the protective DERAA sequence. HLA genotyping was conducted for 310 RA and 571 healthy women. Parity was associated with reduced RA risk in women aged <45 years (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.34-0.82) and further analyses examined this group. RA risk reduction with parity was greater among women with the SE than SE-negative women (RR 0.42, 95%CI 0.22-0.79 vs. RR 0.79, 0.38-1.64). Among women without DERAA, RA risk was significantly reduced with parity (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.26-0.74) but not among DERAA-positive women (RR 0.95 95% CI 0.34-2.65). In summary, results indicate the effect of parity varied according to a woman's HLA-genotype, and women at increased risk of RA benefited most.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Guthrie
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Seattle, WA USA
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32
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López-Guisa JM, Howsmon R, Munro A, Blair KM, Fisher E, Hermes H, Zager R, Stevens AM. Chimeric maternal cells in offspring do not respond to renal injury, inflammatory or repair signals. CHIMERISM 2017; 2:42-9. [PMID: 21912718 DOI: 10.4161/chim.2.2.16446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2011] [Revised: 06/10/2011] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Maternal microchimerism (MMc) can persist for years in a child, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Chimeric cells may either contribute to disease by acting as immune targets or expand in response to signals of injury, inflammation or repair. We investigated the role of maternal cells in tissue injury in the absence of autoimmunity by quantifying MMc by quantitative PCR in acute and chronic models of renal injury: (1) reversible acute renal injury, inflammation and regeneration induced by rhabdomyolysis and (2) chronic injury leading to fibrosis after unilateral ureteral obstruction. We found that MMc is common in the mouse kidney. In mice congenic with their mothers neither acute nor chronic renal injury with fibrosis influenced the levels or prevalence of MMc. Maternal cells expressing MHC antigens not shared by offspring (H2(b/d)) were detected at lower levels in all groups of homozygous H2(b/b) or H2(d/d) offspring, with or without renal injury, suggesting that partial tolerance to low levels of alloantigens may regulate the homeostatic levels of maternal cells within tissues. Maternal cells homozygous for H2(b) were lost in H2(b/d) offspring only after acute renal failure, suggesting that an inflammatory stimulus led to loss of tolerance to homozygous maternal cells. The study suggests that elevated MMc previously found in association with human autoimmune diseases may not be a response to non-specific injury or inflammatory signals, but rather a primary event integral to the pathogenesis of autoimmunity.
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Rinkevich B. Quo vadis chimerism? CHIMERISM 2017; 2:1-5. [PMID: 21547028 DOI: 10.4161/chim.2.1.14725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2010] [Revised: 12/25/2010] [Accepted: 01/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Although immunity in multicellular organisms is efficient in dealing with alien agents, it may fail for allogeneic chimerism. Natural chimerism is widely documented in nature, distributed in at least ten phyla of protists, invertebrates and plants, vertebrates and mammals, including humans; it is an important ecological/evolutionary tool manipulating metazoans' life history portraits. Instead of purging allogeneic nascent selfish cells, a 'double edged sword' chimerism emerges, displaying environmental dictated costs and benefits for the genotypes involved. Benefits include the development of synergistic complementation, the increase of genetic variability, the assurance of mate location, improved size-dependent ecological qualities (growth rates, reproduction, survivorship, competition, environmental tolerance) and more. Costs include the threat of somatic and germ cell parasitism, developmental instability, death, diseases, autoimmunity, sexual sterility and organ malformations, which develop as well in mammalian natural chimerism, including humans. Because of its importance, medical sciences should study and harness natural chimerism properties for clinical purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research; National Institute of Oceanography; Haifa, Israel
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34
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Nijagal A, Wegorzewska M, Le T, Tang Q, Mackenzie TC. The maternal immune response inhibits the success of in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation. CHIMERISM 2017; 2:55-7. [PMID: 21912720 DOI: 10.4161/chim.2.2.16287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2011] [Revised: 04/29/2011] [Accepted: 05/03/2011] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In utero hematopoietic cell transplantation (IUHCTx) is a promising strategy for the treatment of congenital stem cell disorders. Despite the purported immaturity of the fetal immune system, the clinical success of this strategy has been limited by poor engraftment of transplanted cells. The fetal host immune system is thought to be the major barrier to achieving successful IUHCTx. Since the fetal immune system is immature, however, we hypothesized that the maternal immune response may instead pose the true barrier to IUHCTx. We have demonstrated that maternal T cells traffic into the fetus after allogeneic in utero transplantation and that these lymphocytes play a critical role in limiting engraftment. Furthermore, we have shown that MHC matching the donor cells to the mother improves engraftment in the unmatched fetus. These results help renew interest in using the fetal environment to treat patients with congenital stem cell disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Nijagal
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine; UCSF; San Francisco, CA USA
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35
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Kinder JM, Stelzer IA, Arck PC, Way SS. Immunological implications of pregnancy-induced microchimerism. Nat Rev Immunol 2017; 17:483-494. [PMID: 28480895 PMCID: PMC5532073 DOI: 10.1038/nri.2017.38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Immunological identity is traditionally defined by genetically encoded antigens, with equal maternal and paternal contributions as a result of Mendelian inheritance. However, vertically transferred maternal cells also persist in individuals at very low levels throughout postnatal development. Reciprocally, mothers are seeded during pregnancy with genetically foreign fetal cells that persist long after parturition. Recent findings suggest that these microchimeric cells expressing non-inherited, familially relevant antigenic traits are not accidental 'souvenirs' of pregnancy, but are purposefully retained within mothers and their offspring to promote genetic fitness by improving the outcome of future pregnancies. In this Review, we discuss the immunological implications, benefits and potential consequences of individuals being constitutively chimeric with a biologically active 'microchiome' of genetically foreign cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M. Kinder
- Division of Infectious Disease and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Cincinnati, Ohio 45229 USA
| | - Ina A. Stelzer
- Laboratory for Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Petra C. Arck
- Laboratory for Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sing Sing Way
- Division of Infectious Disease and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Cincinnati, Ohio 45229 USA
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36
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Guthrie KA, Gammill HS, Kamper-Jørgensen M, Tjønneland A, Gadi VK, Nelson JL, Leisenring W. Statistical Methods for Unusual Count Data: Examples From Studies of Microchimerism. Am J Epidemiol 2016; 184:779-786. [PMID: 27769989 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kww093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural acquisition of small amounts of foreign cells or DNA, referred to as microchimerism, occurs primarily through maternal-fetal exchange during pregnancy. Microchimerism can persist long-term and has been associated with both beneficial and adverse human health outcomes. Quantitative microchimerism data present challenges for statistical analysis, including a skewed distribution, excess zero values, and occasional large values. Methods for comparing microchimerism levels across groups while controlling for covariates are not well established. We compared statistical models for quantitative microchimerism values, applied to simulated data sets and 2 observed data sets, to make recommendations for analytic practice. Modeling the level of quantitative microchimerism as a rate via Poisson or negative binomial model with the rate of detection defined as a count of microchimerism genome equivalents per total cell equivalents tested utilizes all available data and facilitates a comparison of rates between groups. We found that both the marginalized zero-inflated Poisson model and the negative binomial model can provide unbiased and consistent estimates of the overall association of exposure or study group with microchimerism detection rates. The negative binomial model remains the more accessible of these 2 approaches; thus, we conclude that the negative binomial model may be most appropriate for analyzing quantitative microchimerism data.
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Niepiekło-Miniewska W, Baran W, Szepietowski JC, Nowakowska B, Kuśnierczyk P. Lack of detectable fetal microchimerism in psoriasis vulgaris lesions and in non-affected skin in spite of its presence in peripheral blood CD34-positive and CD34-negative cells. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2016; 31:114-118. [PMID: 27520846 DOI: 10.1111/jdv.13781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microchimerism is defined as a stable presence of low numbers of cells derived from a different individual due to cell transfer between twins or between mother and fetus during pregnancy. OBJECTIVE Fetal cells in the organism of the mother (FMc) are postulated to play a role in autoimmune diseases. Psoriasis is a disease which has an autoimmune component, but no study on microchimerism in this disease has been reported. METHODS The easiest way to detect microchimerism is to look for male cells in blood or other tissues of a woman who previously delivered a son. Here, we looked for the presence of male cells in mononuclear cell subpopulations from peripheral blood and in skin samples of women with psoriasis and of healthy women. RESULTS We detected FMc in similar proportions of patients and controls in CD4+, CD8+ and CD34+ cells, whereas in CD34- cells they were present in higher fraction of controls, and similar but non-significant difference was observed in CD19+ cells. No microchimeric cells were detected in patients' skin samples, both from affected and non-affected skin, or in skin tissue from healthy control individuals. CONCLUSION Our result does not prove the involvement of microchimerism in the aetiology of psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Niepiekło-Miniewska
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Tissue Immunology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - W Baran
- Departments of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - J C Szepietowski
- Departments of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - B Nowakowska
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Tissue Immunology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - P Kuśnierczyk
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Tissue Immunology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
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38
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Altfeld M, Bunders MJ. Impact of HIV-1 infection on the feto-maternal crosstalk and consequences for pregnancy outcome and infant health. Semin Immunopathol 2016; 38:727-738. [PMID: 27392971 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-016-0578-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Adaptation of the maternal immune system to establish maternal/fetal equilibrium is required for a successful pregnancy. Viral infections, including HIV-1 infection, can alter this maternal/fetal equilibrium, with significant consequences for pregnancy outcome, including miscarriages, impaired fetal growth, and premature delivery. Furthermore, maternal HIV-1 infection has been shown to have a long-term impact on the developing fetal immune system also when the infant is not infected with the virus. In this review, we discuss the consequences of maternal HIV-1 infection and antiretroviral therapy on pregnancy outcome and the health of the uninfected HIV-1-exposed infant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Altfeld
- Department of Virus Immunology, Heinrich-Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Madeleine J Bunders
- Department of Virus Immunology, Heinrich-Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany. .,Department of Experimental Immunology, University of Amsterdam (UvA), Academic Medical Center (AMC), Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Emma Childrens Hospital,UvA, AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Sharp JA, Lefèvre C, Watt A, Nicholas KR. Analysis of human breast milk cells: gene expression profiles during pregnancy, lactation, involution, and mastitic infection. Funct Integr Genomics 2016; 16:297-321. [PMID: 26909879 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-016-0485-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The molecular processes underlying human milk production and the effects of mastitic infection are largely unknown because of limitations in obtaining tissue samples. Determination of gene expression in normal lactating women would be a significant step toward understanding why some women display poor lactation outcomes. Here, we demonstrate the utility of RNA obtained directly from human milk cells to detect mammary epithelial cell (MEC)-specific gene expression. Milk cell RNA was collected from five time points (24 h prepartum during the colostrum period, midlactation, two involutions, and during a bout of mastitis) in addition to an involution series comprising three time points. Gene expression profiles were determined by use of human Affymetrix arrays. Milk cells collected during milk production showed that the most highly expressed genes were involved in milk synthesis (e.g., CEL, OLAH, FOLR1, BTN1A1, and ARG2), while milk cells collected during involution showed a significant downregulation of milk synthesis genes and activation of involution associated genes (e.g., STAT3, NF-kB, IRF5, and IRF7). Milk cells collected during mastitic infection revealed regulation of a unique set of genes specific to this disease state, while maintaining regulation of milk synthesis genes. Use of conventional epithelial cell markers was used to determine the population of MECs within each sample. This paper is the first to describe the milk cell transcriptome across the human lactation cycle and during mastitic infection, providing valuable insight into gene expression of the human mammary gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Sharp
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia. .,Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Christophe Lefèvre
- Division of Bioinformatics, Walter and Eliza Hall Medical Research Institute, Melbourne, 3000, Australia
| | - Ashalyn Watt
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Kevin R Nicholas
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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Saito T, Suenaga S, Fujii M, Kushida Y, Kawauchi Y, Suzuki K, Touma M, Hosono M. Induction of autoimmune gastritis by neonatal thymectomy requires autoantibodies and is prevented by anti-FcγR antibodies. Cell Immunol 2016; 300:1-8. [PMID: 26748859 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The autoantibodies (auto-Abs) that are a hallmark of neonatally thymectomized (NTx) mice with autoimmune gastritis (AIG) have been poorly explored. We investigated their immune significance using B cell-deficient (B(-)) mice and found that B(-) mice are totally resistant to AIG but become susceptible to AIG after receiving bone marrow cells from B(+) mice. This susceptibility is most likely caused by the production of auto-Abs by B cells because B(-) pups also became susceptible to AIG when nourished by an AIG dam producing auto-Abs of the IgG class during the suckling period. NTx B(-) mice receiving purified IgG auto-Abs at this developmental stage similarly developed AIG. Auto-Abs probably act on antigen handling for antigen presentation because the treatment of NTx B(+) mice with anti-FcγR Abs prevented the development of AIG. Auto-Abs are indispensable for AIG development but are not sufficient because auto-Ab treatment did not increase AIG incidence in NTx B(+) mice above the baseline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsubasa Saito
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Satoru Suenaga
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Masato Fujii
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kushida
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Yusuke Kawauchi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Niigata University, 757 Ichibancho, Asahimachidori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Kenji Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Niigata University, 757 Ichibancho, Asahimachidori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Maki Touma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan.
| | - Masamichi Hosono
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan.
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Omidi A, Ragerdi Kashani I, Akbari M, Mortezaee K, Ghasemi S, Beyer C, Zendedel A. Homing of allogeneic nestin-positive hair follicle-associated pluripotent stem cells after maternal transplantation in experimental model of cortical dysplasia. Biochem Cell Biol 2015; 93:619-25. [DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2015-0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
An embryo has the capability to accept allo- or xeno-geneic cells, which probably makes it an ideal candidate for stem cell transplantation of various cerebral cortex abnormalities, such as cortical dysplasia. The aim of this study was to determine hair follicle-associated pluripotent (HAP) stem cells homing into various organs of mother and fetus. Cells were obtained, analyzed for immunophenotypic features, and then labelled with CM-Dil; nestin+HAP stem cells or media phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were intravenously delivered on day 16 of gestation in BALB/c mice, which intraperitoneally received methylazoxymethanol (MAM) one day in advance, and homing was assessed at 24 h after cell injection. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry manifested positive expression of nestin in HAP stem cells. For both mother and fetus, brain, lungs, liver, and spleen were the host organs for cell implants. For the brain, the figure was considerably higher in fetus, 4.05 ± 0.5% (p ≤ 0.05 vs. mother). MAM-injected mice had a downward trend for SDF-1α and CXCR4 (p ≤ 0.05 vs. control), but HAP stem cells group showed an upward trend for CXCR4 (p ≤ 0.05 vs. MAM). We conclude the HAP stem cells show homing potential in experimental cortical dysplasia, which may permit these cells to be a target in future work on prenatal therapy of neural disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameneh Omidi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 16 Azar Street, Pour Sina Street, Tehran, Iran
| | - Iraj Ragerdi Kashani
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 16 Azar Street, Pour Sina Street, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Akbari
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 16 Azar Street, Pour Sina Street, Tehran, Iran
| | - Keywan Mortezaee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 16 Azar Street, Pour Sina Street, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soudabeh Ghasemi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 16 Azar Street, Pour Sina Street, Tehran, Iran
| | - Cordian Beyer
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, School of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Adib Zendedel
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, School of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Kinder JM, Jiang TT, Ertelt JM, Xin L, Strong BS, Shaaban AF, Way SS. Tolerance to noninherited maternal antigens, reproductive microchimerism and regulatory T cell memory: 60 years after 'Evidence for actively acquired tolerance to Rh antigens'. CHIMERISM 2015; 6:8-20. [PMID: 26517600 PMCID: PMC5063085 DOI: 10.1080/19381956.2015.1107253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Compulsory exposure to genetically foreign maternal tissue imprints in offspring sustained tolerance to noninherited maternal antigens (NIMA). Immunological tolerance to NIMA was first described by Dr. Ray D. Owen for women genetically negative for erythrocyte rhesus (Rh) antigen with reduced sensitization from developmental Rh exposure by their mothers. Extending this analysis to HLA haplotypes has uncovered the exciting potential for therapeutically exploiting NIMA-specific tolerance naturally engrained in mammalian reproduction for improved clinical outcomes after allogeneic transplantation. Herein, we summarize emerging scientific concepts stemming from tolerance to NIMA that includes postnatal maintenance of microchimeric maternal origin cells in offspring, expanded accumulation of immune suppressive regulatory T cells with NIMA-specificity, along with teleological benefits and immunological consequences of NIMA-specific tolerance conserved across mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Kinder
- a Division of Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Tony T Jiang
- a Division of Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - James M Ertelt
- a Division of Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Lijun Xin
- a Division of Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Beverly S Strong
- b Center for Fetal Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Cincinnati Children's Hospital , Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Aimen F Shaaban
- b Center for Fetal Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Cincinnati Children's Hospital , Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Sing Sing Way
- a Division of Infectious Diseases and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati , OH , USA
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Leveque L, Khosrotehrani K. Feto-maternal allo-immunity, regulatory T cells and predisposition to auto-immunity. Does it all start in utero? CHIMERISM 2015; 5:59-62. [PMID: 25111980 DOI: 10.4161/chim.29844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
During gestation, maternal cells traffic to the fetus leading to the natural phenomenon of microchimerism. Although their persistence in offspring has been associated with several autoimmune disorders, the precise role of maternal cells in these disorders remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate whether alloreactive maternal T cells could directly trigger a graft-vs.-host like reaction or indirectly influence the development of the offspring's regulatory T cells (Treg) favoring autoimmunity. In a specific breeding strategy, we recently reported that maternal allogeneic T cells changed fetal Treg development and their quantities in mesenteric lymph nodes, leading to early signs of inflammation in the gut later in life. Although maternal microchimeric T cells were found in newborn tissues, we could not detect any cells in the gut from adult offspring where the inflammation occurred. Thus, strongly alloreactive maternal microchimeric T cells may indirectly drive the offspring to gut inflammation. We believe these results suggest a new mechanism for predisposition to auto-immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Leveque
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute; Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Kiarash Khosrotehrani
- The University of Queensland; UQ Centre for Clinical Research; Experimental Dermatology Group; Brisbane, QLD Australia
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44
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Eikmans M, van Halteren AGS, van Besien K, van Rood JJ, Drabbels JJM, Claas FHJ. Naturally acquired microchimerism: implications for transplantation outcome and novel methodologies for detection. CHIMERISM 2015; 5:24-39. [PMID: 24762743 DOI: 10.4161/chim.28908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Microchimerism represents a condition where one individual harbors genetically distinct cell populations, and the chimeric population constitutes <1% of the total number of cells. The most common natural source of microchimerism is pregnancy. The reciprocal cell exchange between a mother and her child often leads to the stable engraftment of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic stem cells in both parties. Interaction between cells from the mother and those from the child may result in maternal immune cells becoming sensitized to inherited paternal alloantigens of the child, which are not expressed by the mother herself. Vice versa, immune cells of the child may become sensitized toward the non-inherited maternal alloantigens of the mother. The extent of microchimerism, its anatomical location, and the sensitivity of the techniques used for detecting its presence collectively determine whether microchimerism can be detected in an individual. In this review, we focus on the clinical consequences of microchimerism in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and propose concepts derived from data of epidemiologic studies. Next, we elaborate on the latest molecular methodology, including digital PCR, for determining in a reliable and sensitive way the extent of microchimerism. For the first time, tools have become available to isolate viable chimeric cells from a host background, so that the challenges of establishing the biologic mechanisms and function of these cells may finally be tackled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Eikmans
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid G S van Halteren
- Immunology Laboratory; Willem Alexander Children's Hospital; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jon J van Rood
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden, the Netherlands; Europdonor Foundation; Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jos J M Drabbels
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Frans H J Claas
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion; Leiden University Medical Center; Leiden, the Netherlands
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45
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Kankova S, Flegr J, Calda P. An elevated blood glucose level and increased incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women with latent toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2015; 62. [DOI: 10.14411/fp.2015.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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46
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Ingvorsen C, Brix S, Ozanne SE, Hellgren LI. The effect of maternal Inflammation on foetal programming of metabolic disease. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2015; 214:440-9. [PMID: 26011013 DOI: 10.1111/apha.12533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Maternal obesity during pregnancy increases the child's risk of developing obesity and obesity-related diseases later in life. Key components in foetal programming of metabolic risk remain to be identified; however, chronic low-grade inflammation associated with obesity might be responsible for metabolic imprinting in the offspring. We have therefore surveyed the literature to evaluate the role of maternal obesity-induced inflammation in foetal programming of obesity and related diseases. The literature on this topic is limited, so this review also includes animal models where maternal inflammation is mimicked by single injections with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). An LPS challenge results in an immunological response that resembles the obesity-induced immune profile, although LPS injections provoke a stronger response than the subclinical obesity-associated response. Maternal LPS or cytokine exposures result in increased adiposity and impaired metabolic homeostasis in the offspring, similar to the phenotype observed after exposure to maternal obesity. The cytokine levels might be specifically important for the metabolic imprinting, as cytokines are both transferable from maternal to foetal circulation and have the capability to modulate placental nutrient transfer. However, the immune response associated with obesity is moderate and therefore potentially weakened by the pregnancy-driven immune modulation, dominated by anti-inflammatory Treg and Th2 cells. We know from other low-grade inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, that pregnancy can improve disease state. If pregnancy is also capable of suppressing the obesity-associated inflammation, the immunological markers might be less likely to affect metabolic programming in the developing foetus than otherwise implied.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ingvorsen
- Department of Systems Biology, Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.,Center for Fetal Programming, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - S Brix
- Department of Systems Biology, Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - S E Ozanne
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - L I Hellgren
- Department of Systems Biology, Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.,Center for Fetal Programming, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Cirello V, Colombo C, Perrino M, De Leo S, Muzza M, Maffini MA, Fugazzola L. Fetal cell microchimerism in papillary thyroid cancer: A role in the outcome of the disease. Int J Cancer 2015; 137:2989-93. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.29653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cirello
- Endocrine Unit; , Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Carla Colombo
- Endocrine Unit; , Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Michela Perrino
- Endocrine Unit; , Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Simone De Leo
- Endocrine Unit; , Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Marina Muzza
- Endocrine Unit; , Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Maria Antonia Maffini
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - Laura Fugazzola
- Endocrine Unit; , Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda; Milan Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation; University of Milan; Milan Italy
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48
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Maternal microchimerism: lessons learned from murine models. J Reprod Immunol 2015; 108:12-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2014.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Wegorzewska M, Le T, Tang Q, MacKenzie TC. Increased maternal T cell microchimerism in the allogeneic fetus during LPS-induced preterm labor in mice. CHIMERISM 2015; 5:68-74. [PMID: 25779065 DOI: 10.1080/19381956.2014.1002703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Fetal surgery is a promising strategy to treat fetuses with severe congenital abnormalities but its clinical applications are often limited by preterm labor. In normal pregnancy, multiple mechanisms protect the semi-allogeneic fetus from attack by maternal T cells. Maternal microchimerism (the presence of maternal cells in the fetus) has been suggested to be one mechanism of maternal-fetal tolerance in that it exposes the fetus to non-inherited maternal antigens and leads to the generation of fetal regulatory T cells that can suppress a maternal T cell response. Preterm labor may represent a breakdown of this robust tolerance network. We hypothesized that during inflammation-associated preterm labor, maternal leukocytes cross the maternal-fetal interface and enter the fetal circulation. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that during preterm labor in mice, the percentage of maternal microchimerism in fetal blood increased and the frequency of fetuses with high levels of trafficking (greater than 0.5%) also increased. Finally, we showed that the maternal leukocytes trafficking into the fetus are primarily Gr-1(+) cells in both syngeneic and allogeneic pregnancy, while T cell trafficking into the fetus specifically increases during allogeneic pregnancies. Our results demonstrate that trafficking of maternal leukocytes during pregnancy is altered during preterm labor. Such alterations may be clinically significant in affecting maternal-fetal tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Wegorzewska
- a Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research ; San Francisco , CA USA.,b The Department of Surgery ; University of California ; San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Tom Le
- a Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research ; San Francisco , CA USA.,b The Department of Surgery ; University of California ; San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Qizhi Tang
- b The Department of Surgery ; University of California ; San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Tippi C MacKenzie
- a Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research ; San Francisco , CA USA.,b The Department of Surgery ; University of California ; San Francisco , CA , USA
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50
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