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Umbilical Cord Maternal Microchimerism in Normal and Preeclampsia Pregnancies

  • Maternal Fetal Medicine/Biology: Original Article
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Abstract

Bidirectional exchange of cells between mother and fetus establishes microchimerism (Mc). Mc can persist for decades and is associated with later-life health and disease. Greater fetal Mc is detected in the maternal compartment in preeclampsia (PE), but whether maternal Mc (MMC) in umbilical cord blood (CB) is altered in PE is unknown. We evaluated MMc in CB from normal and PE pregnancies. DNA from CB mononuclear cells following placental delivery (n = 36 PE, n = 37 controls) and maternal blood was extracted and genotyped. MMc, quantified by qPCR assays targeting maternal-specific nonshared polymorphisms in CB, was compared using logistic and negative binomial regression models. Clinically and statistically relevant confounders were included, and included the total number of cell equivalents tested, gravidity, mode of delivery, birthweight, and fetal sex. PE participants delivered at earlier gestational ages, with higher Cesarean rates, and lower infant birthweights. CB MMc detection was similar between PE and controls (52.8% vs. 51.3%, respectively, p = 0.90) and unchanged after adjustment for confounders. MMc concentration was not different between groups (mean 73.7 gEq/105 gEq in PE vs. mean 22.8 gEq/105 in controls, p = 0.56), including after controlling for confounders (p = 0.64). There was no difference in CB MMc detection or concentration between PE and normal pregnancies, despite previously noted greater fetal Mc in the maternal compartment. This suggests possible differential transfer of cells at the maternal fetal interface in PE. Phenotypic evaluation of Mc cells may uncover underlying mechanisms for differential cellular exchange between mother and fetus in PE.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (K08HD067221, K08HL150169, R01HL11737).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356460, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Raj Shree, Stephen McCartney, Emma Cousin, Angel Chae & Hilary S. Gammill

  2. Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    J. L. Nelson & Sami B. Kanaan

  3. Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    J. L. Nelson

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  1. Raj Shree
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Correspondence to Raj Shree.

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Chimerocyte, Inc. had no role in funding this research, providing testing materials, or analyzing results.

Conflict of Interest

JLN and SBK have ownership interests in Chimerocyte, Inc., for which highly sensitive and specific detection of allogeneic cells/DNA is its core technology. The remaining authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Shree, R., McCartney, S., Cousin, E. et al. Umbilical Cord Maternal Microchimerism in Normal and Preeclampsia Pregnancies. Reprod. Sci. 30, 1157–1164 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-022-01080-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-022-01080-0

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