A Research Study of the Association between Maternal Microchimerism and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Adults: A Comparison between Patients and Healthy Controls Based on Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Using Quantitative Real-Time PCR

Abstract

BackgroundNaturally acquired microchimerism may arise in the mother and her child during pregnancy when bidirectional trafficking of cells occurs through the placental barrier. The occurrence of maternal microchimerism (maternal cells in the offspring) has been associated with several autoimmune diseases, especially in children. Systemic Lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder with a resemblance to graft-versus-host disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal microchimerism in the blood and SLE.Methodology/Principal FindingsThirty-two patients with SLE, 17 healthy brothers of the patients, and an additional 12 unrelated healthy men were the subjects in this study. A single-nucleotide polymorphism unique to each mother was identified, and maternal microchimerism in the study group and in the control group was detected using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. No differences in the frequency or the concentration of maternal cells were apparent in the blood of patients with SLE or in that of the controls. Two patients and one control tested positive for maternal microchimerism, but the positive subjects were all negative at a follow-up 16 years later. The sensitivity of the method was estimated to 1/10.000.Conclusions/SignificanceThese results show no association between SLE and maternal microchimerism. The frequency of maternal microchimerism in the blood of adults overall may be lower than earlier reported.

Predictors of maternal‐origin microchimerism in young women in the Philippines

“…We assessed MMc variation in 89 women, of whom 26 were never breastfed (29%) and 63 were breastfed at least until they were 2 years old (71% (Jonsson et al, 2010;Kanold et al, 2013;Lambert et al, 2004;Loubière et al, 2006;Nelson et al, 2007;Sunku et al, 2010;Suskind et al, 2011;Thompson et al, 2013), which is somewhat lower than our study population in the Philippines.…”

“…Comparing MMc levels across studies is difficult because of differences in Mc detection methods, type of tissue or cells collected, and demographics of participant populations. However, studies of MMc that use qPCR detection methods in peripheral blood from healthy children and adults in Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States report prevalences of detectable MMc of 20–40% (Jonsson et al, 2010; Kanold et al, 2013; Lambert et al, 2004; Loubière et al, 2006; Nelson et al, 2007; Sunku et al, 2010; Suskind et al, 2011; Thompson et al, 2013), which is somewhat lower than our study population in the Philippines. MMc concentrations in these studies range from 0.1–153 gEq of MMc per 100,000 gEq tested (ibid), which is similar to the range observed in our study, with the exception of one outlier.…”

Increased frequency of class I and II anti‐human leukocyte antigen antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma and associated factors: a comparative study

“…Study results about the role of microchimerism in SLE are contradictory. Although some studies claim a role of fetal microchimerism in lupus, others do not support the data . In our study, we evaluated anti‐HLA antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and scleroderma (SSc) which are diseases in which microchimerism plays a role in pathogenesis.…”

Chimerism in health and potential implications on behavior: A systematic review

“…The findings of this study emphasize the need for studies that investigate affected tissue samples for microchimerism, as this will provide insight into the cellular environment of the disease in question. Similarly, some studies of fetal and maternal microchimerism in patients with SLE have reported no significant differences in prevalence compared to healthy controls (Kanold et al, 2013; Mosca et al, 2003). These contradictory findings leave many of the scientific inquiries regarding microchimerism and autoimmune diseases unanswered.…”