Mikrochimeryzm potencjalną przyczyną chorób autoimmunologicznych

© Borgis - Medycyna Rodzinna 2/2009, s. 25-28

*Leopold Śliwa

Summary
Chimera is an organism that has two or more different populations of genetically distinct cells that originated in different zygotes. Experimentally chimeras are obtained by joining embryonic cells from the same species or even from different species. Under natural conditions chimerism is known also in humans and it is caused by the migrations of various cell types in embryonic period. During development such cell exchange between dizygotic twins as well as between embryo and mother organism is possible. This phenomenon has clinical significance and may be used in the prenatal diagnostics.
Fetal cells enter the maternal circulation during all pregnancies. The fetal cells may persist many years in their blood and tissues, resulting in microchimerism. These some cell transfer may be exist between twins children in prenatal period. It has been shown accompained with some pregnancy related disorders. Microchimerism is associated with diseases preferentially affect women and several autoimmune diseases. High levels of microchimeric cells in scleroderma led to a hypothesis postulating its contribution to disease development. Furthermore, microchimerism was observed in other autoimmune diseases. Recent reports shown then microchimeric cells are capable to capacity to differentiation and regeneration of damaged tissues in autoimmune diseases. These facts necessitate reconsideration of the first theories and give hope for new medical treatment strategies.

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