High Frequency of Male Microchimerism in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Korean Women with Scleroderma, Resembling Skin Manifestations of Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease
- Author:
Bo Eun KIM
1
;
Kyung Nam KOH
;
Jong Jin SEO
;
Seong Soo JANG
;
Chan Jung PARK
;
Mi Jung KIM
;
Ho Joon IM
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. hojim@amc.seoul.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Scleroderma;
Chronic GVHD;
Microchimerism;
PCR
- MeSH:
Autoimmune Diseases;
Chimerism;
DNA;
Female;
Graft vs Host Disease;
Humans;
Male;
Parturition;
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
Pregnancy;
Skin;
Skin Manifestations;
Transplants;
Y Chromosome
- From:Clinical Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
2011;18(1):50-53
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Bidirectional traffic of cells at the feto-maternal interface has been shown during pregnancy and fetal cells have been found to persist in maternal peripheral blood for decades after childbirth. Fetal-microchimerism has been reported in women with scleroderma, which shares a number of characteristics with chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD), although its contribution to the disease pathogenesis remains unclear. We performed this study to determine the frequency of male microchimerism in peripheral blood of patients with scleroderma or normal healthy women with son.METHODS: PCR targeting the Y chromosome specific DYZ1 sequence was employed to test DNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 26 women with scleroderma and 10 healthy women who had given birth to at least one son.RESULTS: Male DNA was detected in 16 of 26 (61.5%) women with scleroderma. Whereas male DNA was not detected in any healthy women who had given birth to son.CONCLUSION: Although fetal microchimerism in women with scleroderma was documented, additional studies will be necessary to determine whether microchimerism plays a role in the pathogenesis of this or other autoimmune disease.
