Lack of evidence for leukocyte maternal microchimerism in primarybiliary cirrhosis

It is reasonable to assume that microchimerism could also be involved in the induction of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). However, previous reports investigated only fetus-microchimerism in women patients. Maternal microchimerism has not been investigated until now.The current study aimed to clear either maternal microchimerism was involved in the pathogenesis of PBC or not.METHODS: We used fluorescence in situ hybridization on paraffin-embedded tissue (We called Tissue-FiSH.) to determine whether maternal cells infiltrated in male patients who were diagnosed as having PBC. Tissue-FiSH was performed by using both X and Y specific probes on the biopsy liver sample of 3 male PBC patients.RESULTS: Infiltrating lymphocytes demonstrated both X and Y signals in all 3 male patients.CONCLUSION: Maternal microchimerism dose not play asignificant role in PBC. PBC may not relate to fetus and maternal microchimerism.