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

Bibliographic Data

ID8317815
AuthorsTiffany D Pan (0000-0001-6646-8552, Department of Anthropology University of Washington Seattle Washington USA, corresponding author), Sami B Kanaan (0000-0002-4608-0953, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Seattle Washington USA), Sang Lee (0000-0001-6552-214X, University of Southern Philippines Foundation), Nanette R Lee (0000-0003-4860-325X, USC‐Office of Population Studies Foundation, Inc. Cebu City Philippines), Josephine L Avila (USC‐Office of Population Studies Foundation, Inc. Cebu City Philippines), J Lee Nelson (0000-0003-3163-1940, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Seattle Washington USA), Dan T A Eisenberg (0000-0003-0812-1862, Department of Anthropology University of Washington Seattle Washington USA)
Year2021
Volume174
Issue2
Pages213-223
Publication date2021-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.24191
PMID33300155
OpenAlexW3113279458
LanguageEN
References cited56

OBJECTIVES: Microchimerism is the presence of a small quantity of cells or DNA from a genetically distinct individual. This phenomenon occurs with bidirectional maternal-fetal exchange during pregnancy. Microchimerism can persist for decades after delivery and have long-term health implications. However, little is known about why microchimerism is detectable at varying levels in different individuals. We examine the variability and the following potential determinants of maternal-origin microchimerism (MMc) in young women in the Philippines: gestational duration (in utero exposure to MMc), history of being breastfed (postpartum exposure to MMc), maternal telomere length (maternal cells' ability to replicate and persist), and participant's pregnancies in young adulthood (effect of adding fetal-origin microchimerism to preexisting MMc). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data are from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey, a population-based study of infant feeding practices and long-term health outcomes. We quantified MMc using quantitative PCR (qPCR) in 89 female participants, ages 20-22, and analyzed these data using negative binomial regression. RESULTS: In a multivariate model including all predictors, being breastfed substantially predicted decreased MMc (detection rate ratio = 0.15, p = 0.007), and there was a trend of decreasing MMc in participants who had experienced more pregnancies (detection rate ratio = 0.55, p = 0.057). DISCUSSION: These results might be explained by breastfeeding having lasting impact on immune regulatory networks, thus reducing MMc persistence. MMc may also decrease in response to the introduction of fetal-origin microchimerism with pregnancies experienced in adulthood

Biology · Breastfeeding · Environmental health · Fetus · Microchimerism · Obstetrics · Population · Pregnancy · Young adult · Assisted Reproductive Technology and Twin Pregnancy · Genetics · Immunology · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Physiology · Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies · Prenatal Screening and Diagnostics · Pediatrics

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