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Maternal cell microchimerism in newborn tissues.

Bharath Srivatsa1, Sumathi Srivatsa, Kirby L Johnson

  • 1Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Floating Hospital for Children at the New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|January 10, 2003
PubMed
Summary
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Maternal cells can move from the bloodstream into newborn tissues. This finding is important for understanding umbilical cord blood transplantation and autoimmune disease development in infants.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Neonatal Immunology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Maternal cells have been detected in umbilical cord blood of newborns.
  • The migration of maternal cells into neonatal tissues is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that maternal cells can migrate from circulation into newborn tissues.
  • To investigate the presence and distribution of maternal cells in neonatal organs.

Main Methods:

  • Autopsy tissues from 4 newborn infants (male) were analyzed.
  • Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with X and Y chromosome probes was used.
  • Tissues examined included liver, spleen, thymus, thyroid, and skin.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Female cells (XX) were detected in multiple tissue types of all 4 male neonates.
  • The number of detected maternal cells ranged from 3 to 45 per slide.
  • This indicates successful migration and engraftment of maternal cells in neonatal organs.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal cells successfully enter fetal circulation and migrate to fetal and neonatal organs.
  • This phenomenon has implications for umbilical cord blood transplantation.
  • Potential consequences for the postnatal development of autoimmune diseases warrant further investigation.