Male microchimerism in women with systemic sclerosis and healthy women who never gave birth to a son

Nathalie C Lambert ^1*, Jennifer M Pang ², Timothy D Erickson ², Anne M Stevens ³, Zhen Yan ², Daniel E Furst ⁴ and J. Lee Nelson ⁵

¹ INSERM U639, France
² FHCRC, Seattle WA, USA
³ FHCRC and Children's hospital, Seattle WA, USA
⁴ Rheumatology, UCLA, WA, USA
⁵ FHCRC and UW, Seattle WA, USA

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: nathalie.lambert{at}medecine.univ-mrs.fr.

Accepted 9 November 2004

Abstract

Objective: Male DNA or cells are often used to measure microchimerism in a woman. In studies of autoimmune diseases male microchimerism is most often attributed to prior birth of a son. The objective of the current studies was to determine the frequency of male microchimerism in women who were healthy or had systemic sclerosis (SSc) who never gave birth to a son.

Method: Real-Time quantitative PCR targeting the Y-chromosome specific sequence DYS14 was employed to test DNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 26 women with SSc and 23 healthy women who never gave birth to a son. Results were expressed as the genome equivalent number of male cells per million host cells (gEq/mil).

Results Male DNA was found in 15% of women with SSc, range 0 to 23.7 gEq/mil. Thirteen percent of healthy women had male DNA, range 0 to 5.1 gEq/mil. Although two women with male DNA had an induced abortion, most had no history of spontaneous or induced abortion (SSc and healthy).

Conclusions: Microchimerism with male DNA can be found in the circulation of women who no history of birth of a son. These results indicate sources other than a male birth must also be considered when male DNA is used to measure microchimerism. Although other studies are needed, there was no apparent difference in women with SSc and healthy women. Possible sources of the male DNA include from an unrecognized male pregnancy or unrecognized male twin, from an older male sibling transferred via the maternal circulation or from sexual intercourse alone. (252 words)

Keywords: Y chromosome, fetal microchimerism, pregnancy, systemic sclerosis

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Mosca, M, Giuliano, T, Curcio, M, Doveri, M, De Feo, F, Tani, C, Bazzichi, L, Bombardieri, S (2009). Comparison of real-time PCR and nested PCR for the detection of Y chromosome sequences in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with systemic sclerosis. Ann Rheum Dis 68: 155-156 [Full Text]  
• Kremer Hovinga, I., Koopmans, M, Grootscholten, C, van der Wal, A., Bijl, M, Derksen, R., Voskuyl, A., de Heer, E, Bruijn, J., Berden, J., Bajema, I., on behalf of the Dutch Working Party on Systemic L, (2008). Pregnancy, chimerism and lupus nephritis: a multi-centre study. Lupus 17: 541-547 [Abstract]  
• Kremer Hovinga, I. C L, Koopmans, M., Baelde, H. J, de Heer, E., Bruijn, J. A, Bajema, I. M (2007). Tissue chimerism in systemic lupus erythematosus is related to injury. Ann Rheum Dis 66: 1568-1573 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bucher, C., Stern, M., Buser, A., Heim, D., Paulussen, M., Halter, J., Tsakiris, D., Droll, A., Meyer-Monard, S., Tichelli, A., Passweg, J., Gratwohl, A. (2007). Role of primacy of birth in HLA-identical sibling transplantation. Blood 110: 468-469 [Full Text]  
• Boklage, C. E. (2006). Embryogenesis of chimeras, twins and anterior midline asymmetries. Hum Reprod 21: 579-591 [Abstract] [Full Text]