Effect of pathological perinatal conditions on the maternofetal transfer of mononuclear cells.
OBJECTIVE
It is known that mononuclear cells can cross the placenta in both directions: from mother to fetus and the other way. In addition, it has been shown that perinatal pathological conditions can affect the fetomaternal cell transfer. This study has focused on the question whether perinatal conditions will also support the transfer of maternal cells in the fetus.


METHODS
Minisatellite polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a sensitivity of 1:100 was used to examine blood samples of 36 mother-child pairs for transplacental mononuclear cell transfer (group 1). Furthermore, 28 blood samples of mother-child pairs were examined by allele-specific PCR (sensitivity 1:1,000) for maternofetal mononuclear cell transfer; only 9 of these mother-child pairs were informative (group 2).


RESULTS
Three cases of maternofetal and 2 additional cases of fetomaternal mononuclear cell transfer could be documented in group 1; 2 of the 9 informative samples in group 2 showed a maternofetal mononuclear cell transfer. In conclusion, 9 of 40 cases lacking maternofetal cell transfer and 4 of 5 cases with maternofetal cell transfer were high-risk deliveries (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The current study shows that certain ante-partum conditions like placental insufficiency or chorioamnionitis increase significantly the chance that maternal cells enter the fetus.
Brune
Thomas
T
Department of Pediatrics, Westfälische Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany. thbrune@muenster.de
Koch
Hans Georg
HG
Plümpe
Ulrike
U
Coenen-Worch
Verena
V
Harms
Erik
E
Louwen
Frank
F
D000483:Alleles; D002585:Cesarean Section; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000473:pathology; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005865:Gestational Age; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000473:pathology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010923:Placenta Previa / Q000473:pathology; D010927:Placental Insufficiency / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D004247:DNA