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Umbilical Cord Maternal Microchimerism in Normal and Preeclampsia Pregnancies
Raj Shree1, Stephen McCartney2, Emma Cousin2
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356460, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA. shreer23@uw.edu.
Reproductive Sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
|September 28, 2022
Summary
Maternal microchimerism (MMC) in umbilical cord blood did not differ between preeclampsia and normal pregnancies. This finding suggests potential differences in cellular exchange at the maternal-fetal interface during preeclampsia.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive immunology
- Perinatal medicine
- Cellular biology
Background:
- Microchimerism (Mc) involves bidirectional cell exchange between mother and fetus, persisting long-term and impacting health.
- Increased fetal Mc in the maternal compartment is observed in preeclampsia (PE).
- The status of maternal Mc (MMC) in umbilical cord blood (CB) in PE pregnancies remains uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare maternal microchimerism (MMC) levels in umbilical cord blood (CB) between pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (PE) and normal pregnancies.
- To determine if the presence or concentration of MMC in CB is altered in the context of PE.
Main Methods:
- Collected DNA from CB mononuclear cells and maternal blood from PE (n=36) and control (n=37) pregnancies post-placental delivery.
- Quantified MMC in CB using qPCR assays targeting maternal-specific polymorphisms.
- Analyzed MMC detection and concentration using logistic and negative binomial regression, adjusting for confounders like gestational age, birthweight, and mode of delivery.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in MMC detection rates was observed between PE (52.8%) and control (51.3%) pregnancies (p=0.90).
- MMC concentration in CB was also comparable between PE and control groups, both before (p=0.56) and after (p=0.64) adjustment for clinical confounders.
- PE pregnancies were characterized by earlier delivery, higher Cesarean rates, and lower birthweights.
Conclusions:
- Maternal microchimerism (MMC) levels in umbilical cord blood (CB) are not significantly different between preeclampsia (PE) and normal pregnancies.
- The observed lack of difference in MMC in CB, despite increased fetal Mc in maternal circulation in PE, suggests a potential asymmetry in cell transfer across the maternal-fetal interface.
- Further phenotypic analysis of microchimeric cells is warranted to elucidate mechanisms underlying differential cellular exchange in PE.
