The pendulum swings: Tolerance versus priming to NIMA

Naturally acquired microchimerism: implications for transplantation outcome and novel methodologies for detection

Microchimerism represents a condition where one individual harbors genetically distinct cell populations, and the chimeric population constitutes <1% of the total number of cells. The most common natural source of microchimerism is pregnancy. The reciprocal cell exchange between a mother and her child often leads to the stable engraftment of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic stem cells in both parties. Interaction between cells from the mother and those from the child may result in maternal immune cells becoming sensitized to inherited paternal alloantigens of the child, which are not expressed by the mother herself. Vice versa, immune cells of the child may become sensitized toward the non-inherited maternal alloantigens of the mother. The extent of microchimerism, its anatomical location, and the sensitivity of the techniques used for detecting its presence collectively determine whether microchimerism can be detected in an individual. In this review, we focus on the clinical consequences of microchimerism in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and propose concepts derived from data of epidemiologic studies. Next, we elaborate on the latest molecular methodology, including digital PCR, for determining in a reliable and sensitive way the extent of microchimerism. For the first time, tools have become available to isolate viable chimeric cells from a host background, so that the challenges of establishing the biologic mechanisms and function of these cells may finally be tackled.

Alterations in maternal-fetal cellular trafficking after fetal surgery

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Bidirectional trafficking of cells between the mother and the fetus is routine in pregnancy and a component of maternal-fetal tolerance. Changes in fetal-to-maternal cellular trafficking have been reported in prenatal complications, but maternal-to-fetal trafficking has never been studied in the context of fetal intervention. We hypothesized that patients undergoing open fetal surgery would have altered maternal-fetal cellular trafficking.

METHODS

Cellular trafficking was analyzed in patients with myelomeningocele (MMC) who underwent open fetal surgical repair (n = 5), patients with MMC who had routine postnatal repair (n = 6), and healthy control healthy patients (n = 9). As an additional control for the fetal operation, trafficking was also analyzed in patients who were delivered by an ex utero intrapartum treatment procedure (n = 6). Microchimerism in maternal and cord blood was determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for nonshared alleles.

RESULTS

Maternal-to-fetal trafficking was significantly increased in patients who underwent open fetal surgery for MMC compared with healthy controls, patients who underwent postnatal MMC repair, and patients who underwent ex utero intrapartum treatment. There were no differences in fetal-to-maternal cell trafficking among groups.

CONCLUSION

Patients undergoing open fetal surgery for MMC have elevated levels of maternal microchimerism. These results suggest altered trafficking and/or increased proliferation of maternal cells in fetal blood and may have important implications for preterm labor.

Cellular therapies supplement: the peritoneum as an ectopic site of hematopoiesis following in utero transplantation

BACKGROUND

In utero transplantation (IUT) has the potential to treat birth defects early before full development of the immune system. Relatively small grafts, which are not matched for major histocompatibility antigens, can be delivered even before onset of disease symptoms. IUT of hematopoietic stem cells is usually performed via intraperitoneal injection, yet the fate of donor cells in the peritoneal cavity is not fully understood. We review our recent work and present new data demonstrating that the peritoneum can be a site of ectopic hematopoiesis with implications for IUT and immune tolerance induction.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Haplogeneic and allogeneic fetal transplants were performed in mice and engraftment tracked by flow cytometry. Immune tolerance was studied by mixed lymphocyte reactions and skin transplantation. Adult syngeneic murine transplants and xenogeneic human into immunodeficient mouse transplants were performed to follow hematopoietic retention in the peritoneum and engraftment of the marrow.

RESULTS

Although most transplanted cells rapidly clear the peritoneum, hematopoietic cells and cells with the phenotype of hematopoietic precursors can remain in the peritoneal cavity for months after transplant. The presence of donor cells in the peritoneum can contribute to donor-specific tolerance, but sufficient peripheral blood chimerism is required to ensure acceptance of donor skin grafts.

CONCLUSION

Ectopic hematopoiesis and the survival of stem cells in the peritoneum offer the possibility of better using the peritoneal cavity to delivery stem cells and foster the development of immune tolerance to alloantigens or other foreign antigens.