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...

Fetal microchimerism (FMc) is predicted to promote the fitness of the fetus and maternal microchimerism (MMc) to promote the fitness of the mother. Offspring and mothers benefit from each other's health. Therefore, microchimeric cells should usually not be harmful to their host. However, the evolutionary interests of mothers and offspring diverge when there is competition among siblings for mat...

The persistence of fetal stem cells with multilineage potential in women who have been pregnant, a phenomenon known as fetal microchimerism, is emerging as a potential contributing factor in certain diseases, including cancer. For example, fetal microchimerism has been implicated in autoimmune disease, wound healing, and cancer. Studies of this phenomenon may provide a novel perspective on canc...

The presence of foreign cells within the tissue/circulation of an individual is described as microchimerism. The main purpose of the present investigation was to study if microchimerism occurs in healthy sows/fetuses and if porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection influences this phenomenon. Six dams were inoculated intranasally with PRRSV and three non-inoculated d...

BACKGROUND Sex difference is an established risk factor for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)-related complications like graft versus host disease (GVHD). CD8pos cytotoxic T cells specific for Y chromosome-encoded minor Histocompatibility antigens (HY) play an important role therein. Prior to HSC donation, female donors may encounter HY antigens through fetomaternal or transmaterna...

Fetal cells enter maternal circulation during pregnancy and persist in the woman's body for decades, achieving a form of physiological microchimerism. These cells were also evidenced in tumors. We investigated the frequency and concentration of fetal microchimerism in the local breast cancer environment. From 19 patients with confirmed breast neoplasia, after breast surgical resection, we colle...

Biliary atresia (BA) is an inflammatory cholangiopathy of unknown etiology. Maternal microchimerism has been identified in the livers of patients with BA. We analyzed the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) compatibility between 57 BA patient-mother pairs and 50 control-mother pairs. The HLA class I matching was significantly more frequent in BA pairs (odds ratio [OR]=2.46) than controls. Similar res...