Is erythema toxicum neonatorum a mild self-limited acute cutaneous graft-versus-host-reaction from maternal-to-fetal lymphocyte transfer?
Erythema toxicum neonatorum (ETN) is a common, self-limited neonate dermatosis affecting worldwide about 50% of newborns--mostly second and later deliveries--irrespective of sex and race. Its etiology still remains obscure: some reaction of the skin of the newborn in adapting to its new environment is the favorite hypothesis to date. A suggested viral or allergic nature could not be confirmed by adequate agent or antigen isolation respectively. In this paper a hypothesis is presented that ETN is a self-limited acute cutaneous graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) caused in the transiently immunosuppressed newborn by maternal lymphocytes transferred shortly prior to or during delivery.
Bassukas
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ID
Department of Dermatology, University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
D004890:Erythema / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology; D008954:Models, Biological; D011247:Pregnancy