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Musci RJ, Raghunathan RS, Johnson SB, Klein L, Ladd-Acosta C, Ansah R, Hassoun R, Voegtline KM. Using Epigenetic Clocks to Characterize Biological Aging in Studies of Children and Childhood Exposures: a Systematic Review. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2023; 24:1398-1423. [PMID: 37477807 PMCID: PMC10964791 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-023-01576-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Biological age, measured via epigenetic clocks, offers a unique and useful tool for prevention scientists to explore the short- and long-term implications of age deviations for health, development, and behavior. The use of epigenetic clocks in pediatric research is rapidly increasing, and there is a need to review the landscape of this work to understand the utility of these clocks for prevention scientists. We summarize the current state of the literature on the use of specific epigenetic clocks in childhood. Using systematic review methods, we identified studies published through February 2023 that used one of three epigenetic clocks as a measure of biological aging. These epigenetic clocks could either be used as a predictor of health outcomes or as a health outcome of interest. The database search identified 982 records, 908 of which were included in a title and abstract review. After full-text screening, 68 studies were eligible for inclusion. While findings were somewhat mixed, a majority of included studies found significant associations between the epigenetic clock used and the health outcome of interest or between an exposure and the epigenetic clock used. From these results, we propose the use of epigenetic clocks as a tool to understand how exposures impact biologic aging pathways and development in early life, as well as to monitor the effectiveness of preventive interventions that aim to reduce exposure and associated adverse health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashelle J Musci
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | | | - Sara B Johnson
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Lauren Klein
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Rosemary Ansah
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Ronda Hassoun
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Kristin M Voegtline
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
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Framme JL, Lundqvist C, Lundell AC, van Schouwenburg PA, Lemarquis AL, Thörn K, Lindgren S, Gudmundsdottir J, Lundberg V, Degerman S, Zetterström RH, Borte S, Hammarström L, Telemo E, Hultdin M, van der Burg M, Fasth A, Oskarsdóttir S, Ekwall O. Long-Term Follow-Up of Newborns with 22q11 Deletion Syndrome and Low TRECs. J Clin Immunol 2022; 42:618-633. [PMID: 35080750 PMCID: PMC9016018 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-021-01201-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Background Population-based neonatal screening using T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) identifies infants with profound T lymphopenia, as seen in cases of severe combined immunodeficiency, and in a subgroup of infants with 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). Purpose To investigate the long-term prognostic value of low levels of TRECs in newborns with 22q11DS. Methods Subjects with 22q11DS and low TRECs at birth (22q11Low, N=10), matched subjects with 22q11DS and normal TRECs (22q11Normal, N=10), and matched healthy controls (HC, N=10) were identified. At follow-up (median age 16 years), clinical and immunological characterizations, covering lymphocyte subsets, immunoglobulins, TRECs, T-cell receptor repertoires, and relative telomere length (RTL) measurements were performed. Results At follow-up, the 22q11Low group had lower numbers of naïve T-helper cells, naïve T-regulatory cells, naïve cytotoxic T cells, and persistently lower TRECs compared to healthy controls. Receptor repertoires showed skewed V-gene usage for naïve T-helper cells, whereas for naïve cytotoxic T cells, shorter RTL and a trend towards higher clonality were found. Multivariate discriminant analysis revealed a clear distinction between the three groups and a skewing towards Th17 differentiation of T-helper cells, particularly in the 22q11Low individuals. Perturbations of B-cell subsets were found in both the 22q11Low and 22q11Normal group compared to the HC group, with larger proportions of naïve B cells and lower levels of memory B cells, including switched memory B cells. Conclusions This long-term follow-up study shows that 22q11Low individuals have persistent immunologic aberrations and increased risk for immune dysregulation, indicating the necessity of lifelong monitoring. Clinical Implications This study elucidates the natural history of childhood immune function in newborns with 22q11DS and low TRECs, which may facilitate the development of programs for long-term monitoring and therapeutic choices. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10875-021-01201-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Lingman Framme
- Department of Pediatrics, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Department of Pediatrics, Halland Hospital Halmstad, Halmstad, Region Halland, Sweden.
| | - Christina Lundqvist
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna-Carin Lundell
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pauline A van Schouwenburg
- Department of Pediatrics, Laboratory for Pediatric Immunology, Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Andri L Lemarquis
- Department of Pediatrics, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Karolina Thörn
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Susanne Lindgren
- Department of Pediatrics, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Judith Gudmundsdottir
- Department of Pediatrics, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Children's Medical Center, National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Vanja Lundberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sofie Degerman
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Rolf H Zetterström
- Centre for Inherited Metabolic Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stephan Borte
- ImmunoDeficiencyCenter Leipzig (IDCL), Municipal Hospital St. Georg Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lennart Hammarström
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Neo, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Esbjörn Telemo
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Magnus Hultdin
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mirjam van der Burg
- Department of Pediatrics, Laboratory for Pediatric Immunology, Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Anders Fasth
- Department of Pediatrics, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sólveig Oskarsdóttir
- Department of Pediatrics, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Olov Ekwall
- Department of Pediatrics, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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A Novel Association between YKL-40, a Marker of Structural Lung Disease, and Short Telomere Length in 10-Year-Old Children with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8020080. [PMID: 33498968 PMCID: PMC7912154 DOI: 10.3390/children8020080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Extremely preterm infants are born with immature lungs and are exposed to an inflammatory environment as a result of oxidative stress. This may lead to airway remodeling, cellular aging and the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Reliable markers that predict the long-term consequences of BPD in infancy are still lacking. We analyzed two biomarkers of cellular aging and lung function, telomere length and YKL-40, respectively, at 10 years of age in children born preterm with a history of BPD (n = 29). For comparison, these markers were also evaluated in sex-and-age-matched children born at term with childhood asthma (n = 28). Relative telomere length (RTL) was measured in whole blood with qPCR and serum YKL-40 with ELISA, and both were studied in relation to gas exchange and the regional ventilation/perfusion ratio using three-dimensional V/Q-scintigraphy (single photon emission computer tomography, SPECT) in children with BPD. Higher levels of YKL-40 were associated with shorter leukocyte RTL (Pearson's correlation: -0.55, p = 0.002), but were not associated with a lower degree of matching between ventilation and perfusion within the lung. Serum YKL-40 levels were significantly higher in children with BPD compared to children with asthma (17.7 vs. 13.2 ng/mL, p < 0.01). High levels of YKL-40 and short RTLs were associated to the need for ventilatory support more than 1 month in the neonatal period (p < 0.01). The link between enhanced telomere shortening in childhood and structural remodeling of the lung, as observed in children with former BPD but not in children with asthma at the age of 10 years, suggests altered lung development related to prematurity and early life inflammatory exposure. In conclusion, relative telomere length and YKL-40 may serve as biomarkers of altered lung development as a result of early-life inflammation in children with a history of prematurity.
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