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Bianchi A, Aprile M, Schirò G, Gasparro C, Iacono S, Andolina M, Marrale M, Gattuso I, La Tona G, Midiri M, Gagliardo C, Salemi G, Ragonese P. Microchimerism in multiple sclerosis: The association between sex of offspring and MRI features in women with multiple sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1091955. [PMID: 36824218 PMCID: PMC9941336 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1091955] [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: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims During pregnancy, fetal cells can migrate to the mother via blood circulation. A percentage of these cells survive in maternal tissues for decades generating a population of fetal microchimeric cells (fMCs), whose biological role is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the sex of offspring, an indirect marker of fMCs, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features in women with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods We recruited 26 nulliparous MS patients (NPp), 20 patients with at least one male son (XYp), and 8 patients with only daughters (XXp). Each patient underwent brain MR scan to acquire 3D-T2w FLAIR FatSat and 3D-T1w FSPGR/TFE. Lesion Segmentation Tool (LST) and FreeSurfer were used to obtain quantitative data from MRI. Additional data were collected using medical records. Multiple regression models were applied to evaluate the association between sex of offspring and MS data. Results Comparing NPp and XXp, we found that NPp had larger 4th ventricle volume (2.02 ± 0.59 vs. 1.70 ± 0.41; p = 0.022), smaller left entorhinal volume (0.55 ± 0.17 vs. 0.68 ± 0.25; p = 0.028), and lower thickness in the following cortical areas: left paracentral (2.34 ± 0.16 vs. 2.39 ± 0.17; p = 0.043), left precuneus (2.27 ± 0.11 vs. 2.34 ± 0.16; p = 0.046), right lateral occipital (2.14 ± 0.11 vs. 2.25 ± 0.08; p = 0.006). NPp also had lower thickness in left paracentral cortex (2.34 ± 0.16 vs. 2.46 ± 0.17; p = 0.004), left precalcarine cortex (1.64 ± 0.14 vs. 1.72 ± 0.12; p = 0.041), and right paracentral cortex (2.34 ± 0.17 vs. 2.42 ± 0.14; p = 0.015) when compared to XYp. Comparing XYp and XXp, we found that XYp had higher thickness in left cuneus (1.80 ± 0.14 vs. 1.93 ± 0.10; p = 0.042) and left pericalcarine areas (1.59 ± 0.19 vs. 1.72 ± 0.12; p = 0.032) and lower thickness in right lateral occipital cortex (2.25 ± 0.08 vs. 2.18 ± 0.13; p = 0.027). Discussion Our findings suggested an association between the sex of offspring and brain atrophy. Considering the sex of offspring as an indirect marker of fMCs, we speculated that fMCs could accumulate in different brain areas modulating MS neuropathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Bianchi
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy,Department of Neuroinflammation, University College London, London, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Alessia Bianchi,
| | - Maria Aprile
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Schirò
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Claudia Gasparro
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Iacono
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Michele Andolina
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maurizio Marrale
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Irene Gattuso
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy,Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe La Tona
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Massimo Midiri
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Cesare Gagliardo
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Salemi
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Paolo Ragonese
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Jafarinia M, Amoon M, Javid A, Vakili S, Sadeghi E, Azadi D, Alsahebfosoul F. Male microchimerism in peripheral blood from women with multiple sclerosis in Isfahan Province. Int J Immunogenet 2019; 47:175-179. [PMID: 31833227 DOI: 10.1111/iji.12465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is referred to as an organ-specific T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Different genetic and environmental factors increase the risk of developing MS. In recent years, microchimerism (Mc) has been widely studied in autoimmune diseases, although the exact role of this phenomenon in human health is not known well. Microchimerism is the low level presence of DNA or cells from one individual into the tissue or circulation of another individual. In the current study, we evaluated the association of fetal microchimerism (FMc) with MS in Isfahan province. In this study, we enrolled 68 women in four groups. Two groups were MS patients with or without a pregnancy for a son, and the other two groups were MS-negative patients with or without a pregnancy for a son. The presence of the male genome assessed and compared in these groups. Four millilitres of peripheral blood were collected from all subjects in the tube containing EDTA and DNA was extracted. Real-time PCR assay was used for the DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) region Yq 11.23 as a marker for male microchimerism in all subjects. Our results showed that the percentage of DAZ (male genome)-positive women was significantly higher in MS-positive women given birth to a son in comparison with the other three groups. Our results also revealed no significant correlation between the percentage of DAZ-positive women and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score and age of onset in the patients' group. For future studies, we suggest enrolling subjects who MS diagnosis occurred before and after pregnancy with a son. Comparing FMc in these two groups might provide a better understanding of the possible role of FMc in later development of MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morteza Jafarinia
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mina Amoon
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Science and Arts University, Yazd, Iran
| | - Ameneh Javid
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Science and Arts University, Yazd, Iran
| | - Sina Vakili
- Biochemistry Department, Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Erfan Sadeghi
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Davood Azadi
- Molecular and Medicine Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.,Department of Laboratory Sciences, Khomein University of Medical Sciences, Khomein, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Alsahebfosoul
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Qiu K, He Q, Chen X, Liu H, Deng S, Lu W. Pregnancy-Related Immune Changes and Demyelinating Diseases of the Central Nervous System. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1070. [PMID: 31649614 PMCID: PMC6794637 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system comprise a heterogeneous group of autoimmune disorders characterized by myelin loss with relative sparing of axons occurring on a background of inflammation. Some of the most common demyelinating diseases are multiple sclerosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders. Besides showing clinical, radiological, and histopathological features that complicate their diagnosis, demyelinating diseases often involve different immunological processes that produce distinct inflammatory patterns. Evidence of demyelination diseases derives mostly from animal studies of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model that relies on direct antibody–antigen interactions induced by encephalitogenic T cells. Pregnancy is characterized by non-self-recognition, immunomodulatory changes and an altered Th1/Th2 balance, generally considered a Th2-type immunological state that protects the mother from infections. During pregnancy, the immune response of patients with autoimmune disease complicated with pregnancy is different. Immune tolerance in pregnancy may affect the course of some diseases, which may reach remission or be exacerbated. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the immune status during pregnancy and discuss the relationship between pregnancy-related immune changes and demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Qiu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qiang He
- Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiqian Chen
- Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shuwen Deng
- Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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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: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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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Müller AC, Jakobsen MA, Barington T, Vaag AA, Grunnet LG, Olsen SF, Kamper-Jørgensen M. Microchimerism of male origin in a cohort of Danish girls. CHIMERISM 2016; 6:65-71. [PMID: 27623703 DOI: 10.1080/19381956.2016.1218583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Male microchimerism, the presence of a small number of male cells, in women has been attributed to prior pregnancies. However, male microchimerism has also been reported in women with only daughters, in nulliparous women and prepubertal girls suggesting that other sources of male microchimerism must exist. The aim of the present study was to examine the presence of male microchimerism in a cohort of healthy nulliparous Danish girls aged 10-15 y using DNA extracted from cells from whole blood (buffy coats) and report the association with potential sources of male cells. A total of 154 girls were studied of which 21 (13.6%) tested positive for male microchimerism. There was a tendency that girls were more likely to test positive for male microchimerism if their mothers previously had received transfusion, had given birth to a son or had had a spontaneous abortion. Furthermore, the oldest girls were more likely to test positive for male microchimerism. However, less than half of microchimerism positivity was attributable to these factors. In conclusion, data suggest that male microchimerism in young girls may originate from an older brother either full born or from a discontinued pregnancy or from transfusion during pregnancy. We speculate that sexual intercourse may be important but other sources of male cells likely exist in young girls.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Torben Barington
- a Odense University Hospital , Department of Clinical Immunology , Odense , Denmark
| | - Allan Arthur Vaag
- b Rigshospitalet , Department of Endocrinology , Copenhagen , Denmark
| | | | - Sjurdur Frodi Olsen
- c Statens Serum Institut , Department of Epidemiology Research , Center for Fetal Programming , Copenhagen , Denmark
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Solano ME, Thiele K, Stelzer IA, Mittrücker HW, Arck PC. Advancing the detection of maternal haematopoietic microchimeric cells in fetal immune organs in mice by flow cytometry. CHIMERISM 2014; 5:99-102. [PMID: 25483743 PMCID: PMC5063069 DOI: 10.4161/19381956.2014.959827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Maternal microchimerism, which occurs naturally during gestation in hemochorial placental mammals upon transplacental migration of maternal cells into the fetus, is suggested to significantly influence the fetal immune system. In our previous publication, we explored the sensitivity of quantitative polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry to detect cellular microchimerism. With that purpose, we created mixed cells suspensions in vitro containing reciprocal frequencies of wild type cells and cells positive for enhanced green fluorescent protein or CD45.1+, respectively. Here, we now introduce the H-2 complex, which defines the major histocompatibility complex in mice and is homologous to HLA in human, as an additional target to detect maternal microchimerism among fetal haploidentical cells. We envision that this advanced approach to detect maternal microchimeric cells by flow cytometry facilitates the pursuit of phenotypic, gene expression and functional analysis of microchimeric cells in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Emilia Solano
- a Laboratory for Experimental Feto-maternal Medicine; Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine ; University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf ; Hamburg , Germany
| | - Kristin Thiele
- a Laboratory for Experimental Feto-maternal Medicine; Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine ; University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf ; Hamburg , Germany
| | - Ina Annelies Stelzer
- a Laboratory for Experimental Feto-maternal Medicine; Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine ; University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf ; Hamburg , Germany
| | - Hans-Willi Mittrücker
- b Department of Immunology ; University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf ; Hamburg , Germany
| | - Petra Clara Arck
- a Laboratory for Experimental Feto-maternal Medicine; Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine ; University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf ; Hamburg , Germany
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Comparative sensitivity analyses of quantitative polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry in detecting cellular microchimerism in murine tissues. J Immunol Methods 2014; 406:74-82. [PMID: 24657636 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Revised: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Cellular microchimerism is defined as the presence of small populations of cells from one individual in another genetically distinct individual. The pivotal role of cellular microchimerism in a variety of immune settings is increasingly recognized, e.g. in context of pregnancy, transplantation and cancer. However, the detection of chimeric cells is overshadowed by technical limitations. This study aimed to overcome these limitations by testing the sensitivity and detection limit of a molecular biology approach (quantitative polymerase chain reaction, qPCR) and a cellular approach (flow cytometry) in order to identify experimentally induced cellular microchimerism in mice. Leukocytes isolated from lymph nodes or spleens of transgenic enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and CD45.1 mice respectively were used as targets to be detected as microchimeric cells among wild type (wt) or haploidentical cells. The detection limit of microchimeric cells by flow cytometry was 0.05% or lower for the respective eGFP(+) or CD45.1(+) cell subsets, which equals 48 cells or fewer per 1×10(5) wt cells. The detection limit of CD45.1(+) and CD45.2(+) cells among haploidentical CD45.1(+)2(+) cells by flow cytometry was 48 cells (0.05%) and 198 cells (0.2%), respectively. Using qPCR, a detection limit of 198 eGFP(+) cells per 1×10(5) wt cells, respective 0.2%, could be achieved. We here introduce two technical approaches to reliably detect low number of chimeric cells at a low detection limit and high sensitivity in transgenic mouse systems.
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Chen K, Chmait RH, Vanderbilt D, Wu S, Randolph L. Chimerism in monochorionic dizygotic twins: Case study and review. Am J Med Genet A 2013; 161A:1817-24. [DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.35957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2012] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Chen
- University of Southern California; Los Angeles, CA
| | - Ramen H. Chmait
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology; University of Southern California; Los Angeles, CA
| | - Douglas Vanderbilt
- Department of Pediatrics; Children's Hospital Los Angeles; Los Angeles, CA
| | - Samuel Wu
- Department of Pathology; Children's Hospital Los Angeles; Los Angeles, CA
| | - Linda Randolph
- Department of Pediatrics; Children's Hospital Los Angeles; Los Angeles, CA
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Lepez T, Vandewoestyne M, Deforce D. Fetal microchimeric cells in autoimmune thyroid diseases: harmful, beneficial or innocent for the thyroid gland? CHIMERISM 2013; 4:111-8. [PMID: 23723083 PMCID: PMC3921191 DOI: 10.4161/chim.25055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) show a female predominance, with an increased incidence in the years following parturition. Fetal microchimerism has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of AITD. However, only the presence of fetal microchimeric cells in blood and in the thyroid gland of these patients has been proven, but not an actual active role in AITD. Is fetal microchimerism harmful for the thyroid gland by initiating a Graft versus Host reaction (GvHR) or being the target of a Host versus Graft reaction (HvGR)? Is fetal microchimerism beneficial for the thyroid gland by being a part of tissue repair or are fetal cells just innocent bystanders in the process of autoimmunity? This review explores every hypothesis concerning the role of fetal microchimerism in AITD.
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Fetomaternal immune cross-talk and its consequences for maternal and offspring's health. Nat Med 2013; 19:548-56. [PMID: 23652115 DOI: 10.1038/nm.3160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 405] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Bloch EM, Jackman RP, Lee TH, Busch MP. Transfusion-associated microchimerism: the hybrid within. Transfus Med Rev 2013; 27:10-20. [PMID: 23102759 PMCID: PMC3518667 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2012.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Revised: 08/17/2012] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Microchimerism, the coexistence of genetically disparate populations of cells in a receptive host, is well described in both clinical and physiological settings, including transplantation and pregnancy. Microchimerism can also occur after allogeneic blood transfusion in traumatically injured patients, where donor cells have been observed decades after transfusion. To date, transfusion-associated microchimerism (TA-MC) appears confined to this clinical subset, most likely due to the immune perturbations that occur after severe trauma that allow foreign donor cells to survive. Transfusion-associated microchimerism appears to be unaffected by leukoreduction and has been documented after transfusion with an array of blood products. The only significant predictor of TA-MC to date is the age of red cells, with fresher units associated with higher risk. Thus far, no adverse clinical effect has been observed in limited studies of TA-MC. There are, however, hypothesized links to transfusion-associated graft vs host disease that may be unrecognized and consequently underreported. Microchimerism in other settings has gained increasing attention owing to a plausible link to autoimmune diseases, as well as its diagnostic and therapeutic potential vis-a-vis antenatal testing and adoptive immunotherapy, respectively. Furthermore, microchimerism provides a tool to further our understanding of immune tolerance and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan M Bloch
- Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
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Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is more common in females than males and frequently affects women during their reproductive years. Thus, issues surrounding pregnancy and reproduction are of concern to women with MS. This review documents studies that shed light on reproductive issues in women with MS. The available literature was searched for papers relating to pregnancy and MS. Pregnancy is protective in MS in the short term, perhaps due to modulation of the immune system in pregnancy. It also possible that changes in the brain in pregnancy could protect against the effects of inflammation. The long-term effects of pregnancy also seem to be beneficial to MS, perhaps due to long-term epigenetic changes or possibly due to the effects of fetal microchimerism. Obstetric outcomes in women with MS are similar to those in the general population. In addition, there have been no reports of severe fetal abnormalities in babies exposed to first-line MS therapies. There is no good evidence that breast-feeding is protective in MS. There is no evidence that oral contraceptive pill use predisposes to MS, nor influences the clinical course of MS. After menopause, there is possible deterioration of MS, but it’s difficult to disentangle this from the effects of aging and the natural progressive history of MS. The strong biological effect of pregnancy on MS deserves further study, so that these mechanisms can possibly be replicated as therapies for MS.
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