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.

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Smoking Might Cost Men Their 'Y' Chromosome

A new study has found that men who smoke will see their Y chromosomes disappear from their body. There research that shows as men age, they lose Y chromosomes. The new research linked the Y chromosome to short life span and dying from cancer. Recent research suggests that the Y chromosomes  contains large amount of genes and those genes suppress tumors.

The findings show that men who smoke are definitely are more risk than nonsmokers. The study is done by the researchers analyzing blood samples from more than 6,000 men who took part in three different studies. The researchers also took other risks into account like high blood pressure, excess weight, diabetes, and lack of exercise.  And as for women, they lose X-chromosome from their cells as they age. This research can solve many mysteries I think in the medical field; it is a great finding. 

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2014/12/04/smoking-might-cost-men-their-y-chromosome-study-finds