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Kobayashi S, Sata F, Kishi R. Gene-environment interactions related to maternal exposure to environmental and lifestyle-related chemicals during pregnancy and the resulting adverse fetal growth: a review. Environ Health Prev Med 2022; 27:24. [PMID: 35675978 PMCID: PMC9251623 DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.21-00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There are only limited numbers of reviews on the association of maternal-child genetic polymorphisms and environmental and lifestyle-related chemical exposure during pregnancy with adverse fetal growth. Thus, this article aims to review: (1) the effect of associations between the above highlighted factors on adverse fetal growth and (2) recent birth cohort studies regarding environmental health risks. Methods Based on a search of the PubMed database through August 2021, 68 epidemiological studies on gene-environment interactions, focusing on the association between environmental and lifestyle-related chemical exposure and adverse fetal growth was identified. Moreover, we also reviewed recent worldwide birth cohort studies regarding environmental health risks. Results Thirty studies examined gene-smoking associations with adverse fetal growth. Sixteen maternal genes significantly modified the association between maternal smoking and adverse fetal growth. Two genes significantly related with this association were detected in infants. Moreover, the maternal genes that significantly interacted with maternal smoking during pregnancy were cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 3 (XRCC3), interleukin 6 (IL6), interleukin 1 beta (IL1B), human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ alpha 1 (HLA-DQA1), HLA DQ beta 1 (HLA-DQB1), and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Fetal genes that had significant interactions with maternal smoking during pregnancy were glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1) and fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO). Thirty-eight studies examined the association between chemical exposures and adverse fetal growth. In 62 of the 68 epidemiological studies (91.2%), a significant association was found with adverse fetal growth. Across the studies, there was a wide variation in the analytical methods used, especially with respect to the genetic polymorphisms of interest, environmental and lifestyle-related chemicals examined, and the study design used to estimate the gene-environment interactions. It was also found that a consistently increasing number of European and worldwide large-scale birth cohort studies on environmental health risks have been conducted since approximately 1996. Conclusion There is some evidence to suggest the importance of gene-environment interactions on adverse fetal growth. The current knowledge on gene-environment interactions will help guide future studies on the combined effects of maternal-child genetic polymorphisms and exposure to environmental and lifestyle-related chemicals during pregnancy. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.21-00033.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fumihiro Sata
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University.,Health Center, Chuo University
| | - Reiko Kishi
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University
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Henn BC, Ettinger AS, Hopkins MR, Jim R, Amarasiriwardena C, Christiani DC, Coull BA, Bellinger DC, Wright RO. Prenatal Arsenic Exposure and Birth Outcomes among a Population Residing near a Mining-Related Superfund Site. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:1308-15. [PMID: 26859631 PMCID: PMC4977047 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1510070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited epidemiologic data exist on prenatal arsenic exposure and fetal growth, particularly in the context of co-exposure to other toxic metals. OBJECTIVE We examined whether prenatal arsenic exposure predicts birth outcomes among a rural U.S. population, while adjusting for exposure to lead and manganese. METHODS We collected maternal and umbilical cord blood samples at delivery from 622 mother-infant pairs residing near a mining-related Superfund site in Northeast Oklahoma. Whole blood arsenic, lead, and manganese were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We modeled associations between arsenic concentrations and birth weight, gestational age, head circumference, and birth weight for gestational age. RESULTS Median (25th-75th percentile) maternal and umbilical cord blood metal concentrations, respectively, were as follows: arsenic, 1.4 (1.0-2.3) and 2.4 (1.8-3.3) μg/L; lead, 0.6 (0.4-0.9) and 0.4 (0.3-0.6) μg/dL; manganese, 22.7 (18.8-29.3) and 41.7 (32.2-50.4) μg/L. We estimated negative associations between maternal blood arsenic concentrations and birth outcomes. In multivariable regression models adjusted for lead and manganese, an interquartile range increase in maternal blood arsenic was associated with -77.5 g (95% CI: -127.8, -27.3) birth weight, -0.13 weeks (95% CI: -0.27, 0.01) gestation, -0.22 cm (95% CI: -0.42, -0.03) head circumference, and -0.14 (95% CI: -0.24, -0.04) birth weight for gestational age z-score units. Interactions between arsenic concentrations and lead or manganese were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS In a population with environmental exposure levels similar to the U.S. general population, maternal blood arsenic was negatively associated with fetal growth. Given the potential for relatively common fetal and early childhood arsenic exposures, our finding that prenatal arsenic can adversely affect birth outcomes is of considerable public health importance. CITATION Claus Henn B, Ettinger AS, Hopkins MR, Jim R, Amarasiriwardena C, Christiani DC, Coull BA, Bellinger DC, Wright RO. 2016. Prenatal arsenic exposure and birth outcomes among a population residing near a mining-related Superfund site. Environ Health Perspect 124:1308-1315; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510070.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Claus Henn
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Address correspondence to B. Claus Henn, Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118 USA. Telephone: (617) 638-4653.
| | - Adrienne S. Ettinger
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Marianne R. Hopkins
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca Jim
- Local Environmental Action Demanded (L.E.A.D.) Agency, Inc., Vinita, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Chitra Amarasiriwardena
- Division of Environmental Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David C. Christiani
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brent A. Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David C. Bellinger
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, and
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert O. Wright
- Division of Environmental Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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Maternal dietary intake of folate, vitamin B12 and MTHFR 677C>T genotype: their impact on newborn's anthropometric parameters. GENES AND NUTRITION 2014; 9:429. [PMID: 25173112 DOI: 10.1007/s12263-014-0429-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the effects of dietary intake of vitamin B12 and folate during pregnancy and their interactions with maternal polymorphism of MTHFR (677C>T; 1298A>C) on intrauterine development. Anthropometric parameters were obtained from 231 newborns that belong to a prospective birth cohort in Morelos, Mexico. Maternal dietary intake of vitamin B12 and folate was assessed using a semi-quantitative questionnaire administered during the first and third trimesters of the pregnancy. Maternal MTHFR 677C>T and 1298 A>C genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP. The associations between deficient dietary intake of vitamin B12 (<2.0 μg/d) and folate (<400 μg/d) in the first and third trimesters and maternal polymorphisms of MTHFR on anthropometric parameters at birth were estimated using a multivariate linear regression model. During pregnancy, the deficient dietary intake was roughly 60 % for folate and 19 % for vitamin B12. Allelic frequencies of 677T and 1298C were 59 and 10 %, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, deficiency in maternal dietary intake of vitamin B12 (<2.0 μg/d) was associated with a significant reduction in length (β ~ -2.4; 95 % CI -4.3; -0.6) and length-for-age at birth (β ~ -1.2; 95 % CI -2.3; -0.1) among infants whose mothers were carriers of the 677TT genotype (p for interaction = 0.02). In contrast, no association was observed between deficiency in maternal dietary intake of folate (<400 μg/d) and any anthropometric parameter of newborns. These results suggest that supplementation with vitamin B12 during pregnancy could have a favorable impact on intrauterine fetal development mainly in populations that are genetically susceptible.
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Haworth KE, Farrell WE, Emes RD, Ismail KMK, Carroll WD, Borthwick HAD, Yates AM, Hubball E, Rooney A, Khanam M, Aggarwal N, Jones PW, Fryer AA. Combined influence of gene-specific cord blood methylation and maternal smoking habit on birth weight. Epigenomics 2013; 5:37-49. [DOI: 10.2217/epi.12.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: Evidence suggests that folic acid intake affects birth weight and that these effects may be mediated via the fetal epigenome. Our previous array data indicate that methylation in human cord blood at gene-specific CpGs is associated with birth weight percentile (BWP). Our aims were to investigate associations with BWP in specific CpGs identified by the array analysis in a significantly larger cohort and investigate the effects of other relevant factors on this association. Materials & methods: Methylation status was examined in candidate CpGs in 129 cord blood samples using Pyrosequencing™. The effects of other potentially important factors; maternal smoking, folate-related metabolite levels and genetic variation in the MTHFR gene, were examined. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify relationships between BWP and methylation levels in the context of other key factors. Results: Increased cord methylation at CpGs in GSTM5 and MAP2K3 was associated with a reduced risk of having a birth weight below the 50th percentile (p = 0.010; odds ratio [OR]: 0.33 and p = 0.024; OR: 0.24, respectively) while higher methylation levels in APOB were associated with an increased risk (p = 0.023; OR: 2.56). Smoking during pregnancy modified the effect of methylation on BWP. Thus, compared with nonsmokers with a GSTM5 methylation level of >25% (median BWP: 54.7%), those who had smoked during pregnancy and whose GSTM5 methylation was <25% had the lowest median BWP (12.0%; p = 0.001). Furthermore, this latter group had the highest proportion of cases with BWPs below 50% (92.9 compared with 47.8% in nonsmokers with a GSTM5 methylation level of >25%; p = 0.013; OR: 14.2). Similar results were identified for MAP2K3, while the link with APOB reflected the inverse relationship between methylation at this locus and BWP. Conclusion: Our data suggest that gene-specific methylation of cord DNA is associated with BWP and this methylation provides an additional effect on BWP to that of smoking during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim E Haworth
- Institute of Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University School of Medicine, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
| | - William E Farrell
- Institute of Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University School of Medicine, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Richard D Emes
- School of Veterinary Medicine & Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Khaled MK Ismail
- School of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, College of Medical & Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK and Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
| | - William D Carroll
- Department of Paediatrics, Derbyshire Children’s Hospital, Derby, UK
| | - Hazel-Ann D Borthwick
- Institute of Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University School of Medicine, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Alexandra M Yates
- Institute of Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University School of Medicine, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Emma Hubball
- Maternity Centre, University Hospital of North Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Angela Rooney
- Maternity Centre, University Hospital of North Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Mazeda Khanam
- Institute of Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University School of Medicine, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Neyha Aggarwal
- Institute of Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University School of Medicine, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Peter W Jones
- Department of Primary Care Sciences, Keele University, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Anthony A Fryer
- Institute of Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University School of Medicine, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
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High Folic Acid Intake during Pregnancy Lowers Body Weight and Reduces Femoral Area and Strength in Female Rat Offspring. J Osteoporos 2013; 2013:154109. [PMID: 23781391 PMCID: PMC3678445 DOI: 10.1155/2013/154109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Rats fed gestational diets high in multivitamin or folate produce offspring of altered phenotypes. We hypothesized that female rat offspring born to dams fed a gestational diet high in folic acid (HFol) have compromised bone health and that feeding the offspring the same HFol diet attenuates these effects. Pregnant rats were fed diets with either recommended folic acid (RFol) or 10-fold higher folic acid (HFol) amounts. Female offspring were weaned to either the RFol or HFol diet for 17 weeks. HFol maternal diet resulted in lower offspring body weights (6%, P = 0.03) and, after adjusting for body weight and femoral length, smaller femoral area (2%, P = 0.03), compared to control diet. After adjustments, HFol pup diet resulted in lower mineral content (7%, P = 0.01) and density (4%, P = 0.002) of lumbar vertebra 4 without differences in strength. An interaction between folate content of the dam and pup diets revealed that a mismatch resulted in lower femoral peak load strength (P = 0.01) and stiffness (P = 0.002). However, the match in folate content failed to prevent lower weight gain. In conclusion, HFol diets fed to rat dams and their offspring affect area and strength of femurs and mineral quantity but not strength of lumbar vertebrae in the offspring.
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van Uitert EM, Steegers-Theunissen RPM. Influence of maternal folate status on human fetal growth parameters. Mol Nutr Food Res 2012; 57:582-95. [PMID: 23213022 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Revised: 08/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide periconceptional folic acid supplement use is recommended to prevent neural tube defects. This also stimulated research on maternal folate status in association with fetal growth, an important predictor of perinatal and future development and health. We provide an overview of literature on associations between maternal folate status during pregnancy determined by folate biomarker concentrations in blood, folic acid supplement use and dietary folate intake, and fetal growth parameters. Literature was searched in PubMed up to November 2011. Some studies suggest inverse associations between serum folate, folic acid supplement use and dietary folate intake and risk of a low birth weight or small for gestational age infant. The strongest evidence, however, revealed positive associations between birth weight and red blood cell folate, folic acid supplement use and dietary folate intake. Red blood cell folate appeared to be most consistently associated with other fetal growth parameters. These findings contribute to the knowledge of the impact of maternal folate status on fetal growth, and subsequently perinatal health and disease risks in later life. Future research is recommended to examine effects of windows, duration and dose of folic acid supplement use and use of folate-rich dietary patterns in different populations on fetal growth parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne M van Uitert
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Methionine and folate are the key components of one carbon metabolism, providing the methyl groups for numerous methyl transferase reactions via the ubiquitous methyl donor, s-adenosyl methionine. Methionine metabolism is responsive to nutrient intake, is regulated by several hormones and requires a number of vitamins (B12, pyridoxine, riboflavin) as co-factors. The critical relationship between perturbations in the mother's methionine metabolism and its impact on fetal growth and development is now becoming evident. The relation of folate intake to fetal teratogenesis has been known for some time. Studies in human pregnancy show a continuous decrease in plasma homocysteine, and an increase in plasma choline concentrations with advancing gestation. A higher rate of transsulfuration of methionine in early gestation and of transmethylation in the 3rd trimester was seen in healthy pregnant women. How these processes are impacted by nutritional, hormonal and other influences in human pregnancy and their effect on fetal growth has not been examined. Isocaloric protein restriction in pregnant rats, resulted in fetal growth restriction and metabolic reprogramming. Isocaloric protein restriction in the non-pregnant rat, resulted in differential expression of a number of genes in the liver, a 50% increase in whole body serine biosynthesis and high rate of transmethylation, suggesting high methylation demands. These responses were associated with a significant decrease in intracellular taurine levels in the liver suggesting a role of cellular osmolarity in the observed metabolic responses. These unique changes in methionine and one carbon metabolism in response to physiological, nutritional and hormonal influences make these processes critical for cellular and organ function and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satish C Kalhan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
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Pilsner JR, Hu H, Wright RO, Kordas K, Ettinger AS, Sánchez BN, Cantonwine D, Lazarus AL, Cantoral A, Schnaas L, Téllez-Rojo MM, Hernández-Avila M. Maternal MTHFR genotype and haplotype predict deficits in early cognitive development in a lead-exposed birth cohort in Mexico City. Am J Clin Nutr 2010; 92:226-34. [PMID: 20504979 PMCID: PMC2884326 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal folate nutritional status and prenatal lead exposure can influence fetal development and subsequent health. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene is important for folate metabolism, and 2 common polymorphisms, C677T and A1298C, reduce enzymatic activity; C677T is present at high penetrance in Mexican populations. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to examine potential links between maternal and child MTHFR polymorphisms and child neurodevelopment in a lead-exposed population. DESIGN Data regarding MTHFR polymorphisms C677T and A1298C, peri- and postnatal lead measures, and Bayley Mental Development Index at 24 mo of age (MDI-24) scores were available for 255 mother-child pairs who participated in the ELEMENT (Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants) study during 1994-1995. RESULTS In covariate-adjusted regression models, maternal MTHFR 677 genotype predicted MDI-24 scores, in which each copy of the maternal MTHFR 677T variant allele was associated with lower MDI-24 scores (beta = -3.52; 95% CI: -6.12, -0.93; P = 0.004). Maternal MTHFR haplotype also predicted MDI-24 scores (mean +/- SE: 93.3 +/- 1.2 for 677C-1298A compared with 89.9 +/- 0.8 for 677T-1298A; P < 0.05). MDI-24 scores were not associated with maternal MTHFR 1298 genotype or child MTHFR genotypes. We did not observe significant MTHFR genotype x lead interactions with respect to any of the subject biomarkers of lead exposure. CONCLUSIONS The maternal MTHFR 677T allele is an independent predictor of poorer child neurodevelopment at 24 mo. These results suggest that maternal genetic variations in folate metabolism during pregnancy may program offspring neurodevelopment trajectories. Further research is warranted to determine the generalizability of these results across other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Richard Pilsner
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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