Fig. 1. Microchimerism (Mc) in three generations.
(A) Proband as infant (red) exchanges Mc with her mother (blue), resulting in maternal Mc in the infant and fetal Mc in the mother. (B) As an adult, proband (red), still harboring maternal Mc, experiences pregnancy herself (green) and acquires new source of fetal Mc. (C) Later, proband (red), child (green), and proband’s mother (blue), all with persistent Mc from maternal and/or fetal sources.