title: Frequency of fetal-maternal microchimerism: an analysis of the HLA-DRB1 gene in cord blood and maternal sample pairs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the frequency of fetal-maternal microchimerism among cord blood (CB) from a Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We previously developed a nested polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism method for microchimerism detection that is highly sensitive (0.01-0.001%) and specific. We used this method to investigate the frequency of fetal-maternal HLA-DRB1 microchimerism among 153 maternal and 152 CB samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the tested pairs, 41.1% exhibited at least one direction of microchimerism, 32.0% of the mothers possessed fetal microchimerism, and 23.4% of the newborns possessed maternal microchimerism. The overall microchimerism frequency was 28.2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We hypothesize that the different microchimerism frequencies among population and methods are due to differences in detection specificities and subject characteristics. This study provides basic data on fetal-maternal microchimerism that may be useful for future studies on autoimmune disorder and virtual phenotyping in transplantation.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Laboratory Medicine , Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center , Seoul , Republic of Korea.|b Department of Laboratory Medicine , Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul , Republic of Korea.|c Seoul Metropolitan Public Cord Blood Bank-ALLCORD , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Youn
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.affiliation: a Department of Laboratory Medicine , Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center , Seoul , Republic of Korea.|b Department of Laboratory Medicine , Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul , Republic of Korea.|c Seoul Metropolitan Public Cord Blood Bank-ALLCORD , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: a Department of Laboratory Medicine , Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center , Seoul , Republic of Korea.|b Department of Laboratory Medicine , Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul , Republic of Korea.|c Seoul Metropolitan Public Cord Blood Bank-ALLCORD , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: b Department of Laboratory Medicine , Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: b Department of Laboratory Medicine , Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Yoon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: b Department of Laboratory Medicine , Seoul National University College of Medicine , Seoul , Republic of Korea.|d Korea Organ Donation Agency Laboratory , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myoung Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D046528:Chimerism; D005260:Female; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains
keywords: Cord blood; HLA-DRB1 gene; fetal-maternal; microchimerism; nested PCR-SSCP