A Pregnancy Souvenir: Cells That Are Not Your Own
A team of pathologists at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands found that chromosomes from a growing fetus venture off into the mother's body and into many different organs and tissues.
It was easier to distinguish this in mothers bearing sons because the chromosome that distinguishes males from females is the Y chromosome (male sex chromosome).
The pathologists started by collecting tissue from 26 women who had died during or after giving birth to their male babies. It was found that there were Y chromosomes found in every tissue sample taken!(brains, hearts, kidneys, etc.)
This phenomenon was linked to fetal microchimerism, identified in the 1990s by scientists that found that cells from both sons and daughters could leave through the uterus and into many different cells of the body. This name is derived from the Greek mythology monster, Chimera, that was a goat, lion and dragon all at once.
Recent studies suggest that women always acquire fetal cells each time they become pregnant and these cells can linger in her system for a long time or can eventually disappear. It is controversial whether or not these cells can be beneficial or harmful to an expecting mother because of the different studies done and what beneficial and hindering effects pregnancy may have on a mother (better healing abilities, postpartum depression or even cancer?).
More studies will develop over time to better understand the significance of fetal cells in pregnant mothers
I think this is so interesting. Who would have known that male chromosomes could be swimming around in a mother during and after her pregnancy? It probably would have been detected sooner but it is easier to distinguish the Y chromosome of a son in the body of a female as opposed to an X chromosome in a female from an unborn daughter.
I think this is so interesting. Who would have known that male chromosomes could be swimming around in a mother during and after her pregnancy? It probably would have been detected sooner but it is easier to distinguish the Y chromosome of a son in the body of a female as opposed to an X chromosome in a female from an unborn daughter.
I read about this! I think it is so interesting to think that a mother could be carrying a male chromosome around without even knowing it. I did not even think that was possible. It probably happens when the mother is expecting a girl too but it is not easy to detect since they are all X chromosomes. I do not think it is harming the mother because I feel like if it was a problem they would have found out about it earlier. I can't wait to hear more about what they discover.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty scary how it is unknown if these fetal cells are beneficial or consequential to the mother during pregnancy. You've stated that these cells were taken from mothers who had died during or after child-birth; in the study, were cells taken from mothers who were alive and well? This study will be difficult to connect cells to function due to all of the things that can possibly go wrong in any pregnancy. Pregnancy is not the same for all women, but since this trend is showing in 26 women, researchers may be on the right track to discover what these cells do. Great article, can't wait to hear more about this!
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