Artlett Carol M
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Clin Chim Acta. 2005 Oct;360(1-2):1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cccn.2005.04.019.
Microchimerism has been defined by the presence of a low number of circulating cells transferred from one individual to another. The transfer of microchimeric cells naturally takes place during pregnancy and occurs bi-directionally between the mother and fetus. Further, microchimerism can also be a result of blood transfusions and organ transplants. Microchimeric cells have been implicated in health and disease. Fetal microchimerism has been correlated with the hyporesponsiveness of the maternal immune system towards a fetal allograft and with the longevity of organ transplants. However, microchimeric cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases including systemic sclerosis. In contrast, microchimeric cells were found to contribute to tissue repair. Much controversy exists around the role of microchimeric cells in the pathogenesis of certain diseases, and these cells in tissues may be a consequence rather than the cause of disease.
微嵌合体的定义是存在少量从一个个体转移到另一个个体的循环细胞。微嵌合细胞的转移在妊娠期间自然发生，并且在母亲和胎儿之间双向发生。此外，微嵌合体也可能是输血和器官移植的结果。微嵌合细胞与健康和疾病都有关联。胎儿微嵌合体与母体免疫系统对胎儿同种异体移植物的低反应性以及器官移植的长期存活有关。然而，微嵌合细胞也与包括系统性硬化症在内的自身免疫性疾病的发病机制有关。相比之下，发现微嵌合细胞有助于组织修复。关于微嵌合细胞在某些疾病发病机制中的作用存在很多争议，并且组织中的这些细胞可能是疾病的结果而非病因。
