title: Bidirectional alloreactivity: A proposed microchimerism-based solution to the NIMA paradox.
abstract: The NIMA paradox is the observation that in transplants of allogeneic kidneys or hematopoietic stem cells, siblings benefit from re-exposure to non-inherited maternal antigens (NIMA), whereas re-exposure to a transplant from mother herself, theoretically the ideal "NIMA" donor, does not yield clinical results superior to a father-donated allograft. Recent observations of bidirectional alloreactivity in kidney and cord blood transplantation offer a possible solution to this paradox. If correct, the proposed solution points the way to clinical applications of microchimerism in solid organ and hematopoetic transplants.
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. burlingham@surgery.wisc.edu
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Burlingham
authors: Gilles
authors: G
authors: Benichou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D046528:Chimerism; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D007519:Isoantigens