Maternal Microchimerism in Underlying Pathogenesis of Biliary Atresia: Quantification and Phenotypes of Maternal Cells in the Liver

Abstract

Significantly more maternal chimeric CD8+ T cells in the livers of patients with biliary atresia suggest that maternal immunologic insults represent the underlying pathogenesis in biliary atresia. The findings support the recently postulated mechanisms of alloautoimmune and/or autoalloimmune responses.