Microchimerism in multiple sclerosis: The association between sex of offspring and MRI features in women with multiple sclerosis
AimsDuring pregnancy, fetal cells can migrate to the mother via blood circulation. A percentage of these cells survive in maternal tissues for decades generating a population of fetal microchimeric cells (fMCs), whose biological role is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the associati...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1091955/full |
| _version_ | 1811170385348001792 |
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| author | Alessia Bianchi Alessia Bianchi Maria Aprile Giuseppe Schirò Claudia Gasparro Salvatore Iacono Michele Andolina Maurizio Marrale Irene Gattuso Irene Gattuso Giuseppe La Tona Massimo Midiri Cesare Gagliardo Giuseppe Salemi Paolo Ragonese |
| author_facet | Alessia Bianchi Alessia Bianchi Maria Aprile Giuseppe Schirò Claudia Gasparro Salvatore Iacono Michele Andolina Maurizio Marrale Irene Gattuso Irene Gattuso Giuseppe La Tona Massimo Midiri Cesare Gagliardo Giuseppe Salemi Paolo Ragonese |
| author_sort | Alessia Bianchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AimsDuring pregnancy, fetal cells can migrate to the mother via blood circulation. A percentage of these cells survive in maternal tissues for decades generating a population of fetal microchimeric cells (fMCs), whose biological role is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the sex of offspring, an indirect marker of fMCs, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features in women with multiple sclerosis (MS).MethodsWe recruited 26 nulliparous MS patients (NPp), 20 patients with at least one male son (XYp), and 8 patients with only daughters (XXp). Each patient underwent brain MR scan to acquire 3D-T2w FLAIR FatSat and 3D-T1w FSPGR/TFE. Lesion Segmentation Tool (LST) and FreeSurfer were used to obtain quantitative data from MRI. Additional data were collected using medical records. Multiple regression models were applied to evaluate the association between sex of offspring and MS data.ResultsComparing NPp and XXp, we found that NPp had larger 4th ventricle volume (2.02 ± 0.59 vs. 1.70 ± 0.41; p = 0.022), smaller left entorhinal volume (0.55 ± 0.17 vs. 0.68 ± 0.25; p = 0.028), and lower thickness in the following cortical areas: left paracentral (2.34 ± 0.16 vs. 2.39 ± 0.17; p = 0.043), left precuneus (2.27 ± 0.11 vs. 2.34 ± 0.16; p = 0.046), right lateral occipital (2.14 ± 0.11 vs. 2.25 ± 0.08; p = 0.006). NPp also had lower thickness in left paracentral cortex (2.34 ± 0.16 vs. 2.46 ± 0.17; p = 0.004), left precalcarine cortex (1.64 ± 0.14 vs. 1.72 ± 0.12; p = 0.041), and right paracentral cortex (2.34 ± 0.17 vs. 2.42 ± 0.14; p = 0.015) when compared to XYp. Comparing XYp and XXp, we found that XYp had higher thickness in left cuneus (1.80 ± 0.14 vs. 1.93 ± 0.10; p = 0.042) and left pericalcarine areas (1.59 ± 0.19 vs. 1.72 ± 0.12; p = 0.032) and lower thickness in right lateral occipital cortex (2.25 ± 0.08 vs. 2.18 ± 0.13; p = 0.027).DiscussionOur findings suggested an association between the sex of offspring and brain atrophy. Considering the sex of offspring as an indirect marker of fMCs, we speculated that fMCs could accumulate in different brain areas modulating MS neuropathological processes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:55:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0cfbf874693640d3b325529eaf57e990 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:55:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-0cfbf874693640d3b325529eaf57e9902023-02-07T06:56:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2023-02-011710.3389/fnins.2023.10919551091955Microchimerism in multiple sclerosis: The association between sex of offspring and MRI features in women with multiple sclerosisAlessia Bianchi0Alessia Bianchi1Maria Aprile2Giuseppe Schirò3Claudia Gasparro4Salvatore Iacono5Michele Andolina6Maurizio Marrale7Irene Gattuso8Irene Gattuso9Giuseppe La Tona10Massimo Midiri11Cesare Gagliardo12Giuseppe Salemi13Paolo Ragonese14Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Neuroinflammation, University College London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Physics and Chemistry, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyNeurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyAimsDuring pregnancy, fetal cells can migrate to the mother via blood circulation. A percentage of these cells survive in maternal tissues for decades generating a population of fetal microchimeric cells (fMCs), whose biological role is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the sex of offspring, an indirect marker of fMCs, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features in women with multiple sclerosis (MS).MethodsWe recruited 26 nulliparous MS patients (NPp), 20 patients with at least one male son (XYp), and 8 patients with only daughters (XXp). Each patient underwent brain MR scan to acquire 3D-T2w FLAIR FatSat and 3D-T1w FSPGR/TFE. Lesion Segmentation Tool (LST) and FreeSurfer were used to obtain quantitative data from MRI. Additional data were collected using medical records. Multiple regression models were applied to evaluate the association between sex of offspring and MS data.ResultsComparing NPp and XXp, we found that NPp had larger 4th ventricle volume (2.02 ± 0.59 vs. 1.70 ± 0.41; p = 0.022), smaller left entorhinal volume (0.55 ± 0.17 vs. 0.68 ± 0.25; p = 0.028), and lower thickness in the following cortical areas: left paracentral (2.34 ± 0.16 vs. 2.39 ± 0.17; p = 0.043), left precuneus (2.27 ± 0.11 vs. 2.34 ± 0.16; p = 0.046), right lateral occipital (2.14 ± 0.11 vs. 2.25 ± 0.08; p = 0.006). NPp also had lower thickness in left paracentral cortex (2.34 ± 0.16 vs. 2.46 ± 0.17; p = 0.004), left precalcarine cortex (1.64 ± 0.14 vs. 1.72 ± 0.12; p = 0.041), and right paracentral cortex (2.34 ± 0.17 vs. 2.42 ± 0.14; p = 0.015) when compared to XYp. Comparing XYp and XXp, we found that XYp had higher thickness in left cuneus (1.80 ± 0.14 vs. 1.93 ± 0.10; p = 0.042) and left pericalcarine areas (1.59 ± 0.19 vs. 1.72 ± 0.12; p = 0.032) and lower thickness in right lateral occipital cortex (2.25 ± 0.08 vs. 2.18 ± 0.13; p = 0.027).DiscussionOur findings suggested an association between the sex of offspring and brain atrophy. Considering the sex of offspring as an indirect marker of fMCs, we speculated that fMCs could accumulate in different brain areas modulating MS neuropathological processes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1091955/fullsex of offspringpregnancymicrochimerismsexual chromosomesmultiple sclerosismagnetic resonance imaging |
| spellingShingle | Alessia Bianchi Alessia Bianchi Maria Aprile Giuseppe Schirò Claudia Gasparro Salvatore Iacono Michele Andolina Maurizio Marrale Irene Gattuso Irene Gattuso Giuseppe La Tona Massimo Midiri Cesare Gagliardo Giuseppe Salemi Paolo Ragonese Microchimerism in multiple sclerosis: The association between sex of offspring and MRI features in women with multiple sclerosis Frontiers in Neuroscience sex of offspring pregnancy microchimerism sexual chromosomes multiple sclerosis magnetic resonance imaging |
| title | Microchimerism in multiple sclerosis: The association between sex of offspring and MRI features in women with multiple sclerosis |
| title_full | Microchimerism in multiple sclerosis: The association between sex of offspring and MRI features in women with multiple sclerosis |
| title_fullStr | Microchimerism in multiple sclerosis: The association between sex of offspring and MRI features in women with multiple sclerosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microchimerism in multiple sclerosis: The association between sex of offspring and MRI features in women with multiple sclerosis |
| title_short | Microchimerism in multiple sclerosis: The association between sex of offspring and MRI features in women with multiple sclerosis |
| title_sort | microchimerism in multiple sclerosis the association between sex of offspring and mri features in women with multiple sclerosis |
| topic | sex of offspring pregnancy microchimerism sexual chromosomes multiple sclerosis magnetic resonance imaging |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1091955/full |
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