Q) How to confuse the DNA database
Discussion
A) Have a stem cell transfusion.
In a very recent case, Greg Graves, who suffers from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, received stem cells in an experimental treatment. The stem cells came from the umbilical cords of two babies.
Cells from both infants existed in Mr Graves' body for a while before one set took root in his bone marrow. His blood has now changed from O +ve to O -ve.
More importantly for this thread, his blood now has a different DNA from cells in the rest of his body.
And he's not alone ...
On 26 May 2007 I posted in DNA samples:
I wonder what happens in the case of chimerism. Can Mad Moggie or Wildcat give a learned view on what complications for the DNA register blood, transplacental or tetragametic chimerism might bring? There are some 30 reported cases (the most famous being "Jane" in Boston, MA), but doctors believe there may be more, as the condition is not obvious (except where hermaphroditism exists - as in a case in Edinburgh in 1998) and believe that IVF treatment may give rise to more.
There is also the matter of microchimerism - where the foetus's cells and DNA are present in the mother's blood. This affects 80% of pregnant women and of those around 50% continue the condition for tens of years post-natal. In this latter state, a new foetus may 'inherit' cells from an older sibling, passed to them in the womb.
Does whether you are a secretor apply/affect this (as it does for determining blood types from other body fluids)?
Streaky
In a very recent case, Greg Graves, who suffers from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, received stem cells in an experimental treatment. The stem cells came from the umbilical cords of two babies.
Cells from both infants existed in Mr Graves' body for a while before one set took root in his bone marrow. His blood has now changed from O +ve to O -ve.
More importantly for this thread, his blood now has a different DNA from cells in the rest of his body.
And he's not alone ...
On 26 May 2007 I posted in DNA samples:
I wonder what happens in the case of chimerism. Can Mad Moggie or Wildcat give a learned view on what complications for the DNA register blood, transplacental or tetragametic chimerism might bring? There are some 30 reported cases (the most famous being "Jane" in Boston, MA), but doctors believe there may be more, as the condition is not obvious (except where hermaphroditism exists - as in a case in Edinburgh in 1998) and believe that IVF treatment may give rise to more.
There is also the matter of microchimerism - where the foetus's cells and DNA are present in the mother's blood. This affects 80% of pregnant women and of those around 50% continue the condition for tens of years post-natal. In this latter state, a new foetus may 'inherit' cells from an older sibling, passed to them in the womb.
Does whether you are a secretor apply/affect this (as it does for determining blood types from other body fluids)?
Streaky
You are exactly right.
Before chimerism (sp?) was fully understood, there was at leat one tragedy caused.
Basically it is a genetic abnormality where your blood, cells and organs will have not one but two genetic makeups.
I can't remember the minutae of the case, but there was a situation int he US a few years ago where a baby developed a rare abnormality which could only be inherited from it's parents. The monther and father's DNA were tested and found that the mother and father's DNA did not mathc the babies in that there was no disposition to the abnormality.
Alarm bells went off with the doctors believing that the mother had stolen the baby. They did further tests on the mother and confirmed to themselves that it was impossible that the mother could be the mother of the baby.
Despite the mother's protestations the baby was actually taken away from the mother, I believe for a considerable amount of time.
It was only when DNA was taken from an organ, and not the blood that the DNA matched, and later research confirmed that the mother was in fact the real mother of the child.
Before chimerism (sp?) was fully understood, there was at leat one tragedy caused.
Basically it is a genetic abnormality where your blood, cells and organs will have not one but two genetic makeups.
I can't remember the minutae of the case, but there was a situation int he US a few years ago where a baby developed a rare abnormality which could only be inherited from it's parents. The monther and father's DNA were tested and found that the mother and father's DNA did not mathc the babies in that there was no disposition to the abnormality.
Alarm bells went off with the doctors believing that the mother had stolen the baby. They did further tests on the mother and confirmed to themselves that it was impossible that the mother could be the mother of the baby.
Despite the mother's protestations the baby was actually taken away from the mother, I believe for a considerable amount of time.
It was only when DNA was taken from an organ, and not the blood that the DNA matched, and later research confirmed that the mother was in fact the real mother of the child.
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