Background: Fetal microchimerism (FM) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The aim of the study was to investigate the presence of FM in PBC patients.
Patients and method: FM was studied in 28 women, 14 with PBC and 14 healthy controls.DNA was extracted from peripheral blood cells, and a PCR analysis to detect a specific Y-chromosome sequence was performed. Specificity was confirmed by Southern-blot analysis.
Results: The Y-chromosome sequence was amplified from peripheral-blood cell DNA in only one PBC patient and in none of the controls.
Conclusions: FM does not seem to play a major role in patients with PBC.