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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
Persistent maternally derived peripheral microchimerism is associated with the juvenile idiopathic inflammatory
C M Artlett1, F W Miller, L G Rider
1Division of Rheumatology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Objective:
Fetal cells have been demonstrated in the active lesions of adult women with systemic sclerosis. Because the juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIM) share clinical and histopathological features with systemic sclerosis and graft-vs-host disease, we explored the possibility that maternal cells persist and play a role in the pathogenesis of JIIM.
Methods:
DNA samples extracted from peripheral blood of 28 JIIM patients (14 females, 14 males) and 23 healthy controls were assessed for microchimerism by the HLA Cw polymerase chain reaction method. HLA Cw alleles from eight mothers and three healthy siblings of JIIM patients were also examined.
Results:
A microchimeric allele was identified in 19 of 26 JIIM patients whose data were able to be interpreted, compared with two of 21 healthy controls (P<0.001). Subjects with microchimerism ranged in age from 4 to 28 yr. In eight cases in which maternal peripheral blood was available, the additional Cw allele present in the patients was confirmed to be identical to a maternal allele. Three healthy siblings of JIIM patients did not have evidence of a microchimeric Cw allele.
Conclusion:
Maternal cells can persist in the peripheral blood of their children up to three decades after birth, and are found in a higher proportion in JIIM patients compared with controls. These findings, with other data, suggest that maternal cells may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of JIIM.
Insights
Maternal cells persist in children with juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIM). This microchimerism is more common in JIIM patients than healthy individuals, suggesting a role in disease development.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Genetics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Fetal cells are found in active lesions of adult women with systemic sclerosis.
- Juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIM) share features with systemic sclerosis and graft-vs-host disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the persistence of maternal cells in juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIM) patients.
- To explore the potential role of maternal cell persistence in JIIM pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Assessed microchimerism in peripheral blood DNA from 28 JIIM patients and 23 healthy controls using the HLA Cw polymerase chain reaction method.
- Examined HLA Cw alleles in mothers and siblings of JIIM patients.
Main Results:
- A microchimeric allele was found in 19 of 26 interpretable JIIM patients, versus 2 of 21 controls (P<0.001).
- Microchimeric patients ranged from 4 to 28 years old.
- The microchimeric HLA Cw allele in patients matched the maternal allele in 8 cases.
Conclusions:
- Maternal cells can persist in children's peripheral blood for up to 30 years.
- Maternal cell persistence is more prevalent in JIIM patients compared to controls.
- Findings suggest maternal cells may contribute to the immunopathogenesis of JIIM.
