Maternal microchimerism protects against the development of asthma - 27/06/13
, Rachel A. Myers, PhD a, Gaixin Du, MS a, Tessa M. Aydelotte, BA b, Christopher J. Tisler, MS c, Debra A. Stern, MS e, Michael D. Evans, MS c, Penelope E. Graves, ScD e, Daniel J. Jackson, MD c, Fernando D. Martinez, MD e, James E. Gern, MD c, Anne L. Wright, PhD e, Robert F. Lemanske, MD c, d, Carole Ober, PhD aAbstract |
Background |
Maternal asthma and child’s sex are among the most significant and reproducible risk factors for the development of asthma. Although the mechanisms for these effects are unknown, they likely involve nonclassical genetic mechanisms. One such mechanism could involve the transfer and persistence of maternal cells to her offspring, a common occurrence known as maternal microchimerism (MMc). MMc has been associated with many autoimmune diseases but has not been investigated for a role in asthma or allergic disease.
Objective |
We hypothesized that some of the observed risks for asthma may be due to different rates of transmission or persistence of maternal cells to children of mothers with asthma compared with children of mothers without asthma, or to sons compared with daughters. We further hypothesized that rates of MMc differ between children with and without asthma.
Methods |
We tested these hypotheses in 317 subjects from 3 independent cohorts by using a real-time quantitative PCR assay to detect a noninherited HLA allele in the child.
Results |
MMc was detected in 20.5% of the subjects (range 16.8%-27.1% in the 3 cohorts). We observed lower rates of asthma among MMc-positive subjects than among MMc-negative subjects (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.19-0.79; P = .029). Neither maternal asthma nor sex of the child was a significant predictor of MMc in the child (P = .81 and .15, respectively).
Conclusions |
Our results suggest for the first time that MMc may protect against the development of asthma.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Key words : Asthma, maternal, microchimerism
Abbreviations used : COAST, GE, IIS, Mc, MMc, NIMA, ORs, PBMCs, T1D, WB
Plan
| This work was supported by grant nos. P01 HL070831 (COAST), AI 42268 (Tucson IIS), and R01 HL085197 (Hutterites). E.E.T. was supported by grant no. K12 HL090003. |
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| Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: E. E. Thompson, G. Du, M. D. Evans, and C. Ober have received research support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). D. A. Stern has received research support from the NIH and is employed by the University of Arizona. D. J. Jackson has received research support from the NIH and Pharmaxis and has received consultancy fees from Gilead and GlaxoSmithKline. F. D. Martinez has received research support from the NIH, consultancy fees from MedImmune, and lecture fees and travel support from Abbott and Merck. J. E. Gern is on the 3V BioSciences board; has received consultancy fees from GlaxoSmithKline, Biota, Centocor, Boehringer Ingelheim, MedImmune, Theraclone, Pulmatrix, and Merck; and has received research support from Merck, AstraZeneca, and GlaxoSmithKline. A. L. Wright has received research support from the NIH; is employed by the University of Arizona; has received lecture fees from the Association of American Medical Colleges and the University of Vermont; is co-owner of and owns stock in Brain for Hire; and is involved in the NIH Study Section. R. F. Lemanske has received research and travel support from the NIH; has received research support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Pharmaxis; has received consultancy fees from Merck, Sepracor, SA Boney and Associates LTD, GlaxoSmithKline, American Institute of Research, Genentech, Double Helix Development, and Boehringer Ingelheim; is employed by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health; has received lecture fees from Michigan Public Health Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, American Academy of Pediatrics, West Allegheny Health Systems, California Chapter 4 AAP, the Colorado Allergy Society, the Pennsylvania Allergy and Asthma Association, Harvard Pilgrim Health, the California Society of Allergy, the NYC Allergy Society, the World Allergy Organization, the American College of Chest Physicians, and APAPARI; and has received royalties from Elsevier and UpToDate. The rest of the authors declare that they have no relevant conflicts of interest. |
Vol 132 - N° 1
P. 39 - juillet 2013 Retour au numéro
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