title: Microchimerism in labial salivary glands of hematopoietic stem cell transplanted patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Microchimerism has been extensively investigated in autoimmune diseases, which display similarities with graft-vs-host disease. This study was conducted to investigate the presence of microchimerism in minor salivary glands of hematopoietic stem cell transplanted patients, one of the targets of graft-vs-host disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Labial salivary glands biopsy specimens from 11 stem cell transplanted patients were analysed. The samples were grouped in control (five specimens from a female-to-female transplantation) and study group (five glands from male-to-female transplantation). One male transplanted patient was used as a positive control. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with Y-chromosome probe and immunofluorescence with anticytokeratin AE1/AE3 and CD45 were used to identify Y-chromosome positive glandular epithelial cells from allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplanted patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the study group, all samples were positive to Y-chromosome and cytokeratin AE1/AE3, in agreement with the pattern exhibited by male labial salivary gland. None of the samples from control group were positive to Y-chromosome despite being positive to cytokeratin AE1/AE3. Positivity to CD45 was not relevant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microchimerism in the labial salivary glands of sex-mismatched stem cell transplanted patients is a real phenomenon. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the impact of this phenomenon on the clinical status of stem cell transplanted patients.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Laboratory, Dentistry School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. leandronapierdesouza@gmail.com
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gomez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D046528:Chimerism / Q000145:classification*; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000473:pathology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D053556:Keratin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D053558:Keratin-3 / Q000032:analysis; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D008046:Lip / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000473:pathology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D053556:Keratin-1; D053558:Keratin-3; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens