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Ziemann M, Abeysooriya M, Bora A, Lamon S, Kasu MS, Norris MW, Wong YT, Craig JM. Direction-aware functional class scoring enrichment analysis of infinium DNA methylation data. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2375022. [PMID: 38967555 PMCID: PMC11229754 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2375022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Infinium Methylation BeadChip arrays remain one of the most popular platforms for epigenome-wide association studies, but tools for downstream pathway analysis have their limitations. Functional class scoring (FCS) is a group of pathway enrichment techniques that involve the ranking of genes and evaluation of their collective regulation in biological systems, but the implementations described for Infinium methylation array data do not retain direction information, which is important for mechanistic understanding of genomic regulation. Here, we evaluate several candidate FCS methods that retain directional information. According to simulation results, the best-performing method involves the mean aggregation of probe limma t-statistics by gene followed by a rank-ANOVA enrichment test using the mitch package. This method, which we call 'LAM,' outperformed an existing over-representation analysis method in simulations, and showed higher sensitivity and robustness in an analysis of real lung tumour-normal paired datasets. Using matched RNA-seq data, we examine the relationship of methylation differences at promoters and gene bodies with RNA expression at the level of pathways in lung cancer. To demonstrate the utility of our approach, we apply it to three other contexts where public data were available. First, we examine the differential pathway methylation associated with chronological age. Second, we investigate pathway methylation differences in infants conceived with in vitro fertilization. Lastly, we analyse differential pathway methylation in 19 disease states, identifying hundreds of novel associations. These results show LAM is a powerful method for the detection of differential pathway methylation complementing existing methods. A reproducible vignette is provided to illustrate how to implement this method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Ziemann
- Bioinformatics Working Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Mandhri Abeysooriya
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Anusuiya Bora
- Bioinformatics Working Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Séverine Lamon
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Mary Sravya Kasu
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Mitchell W. Norris
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Yen Ting Wong
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M. Craig
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
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Montgomery T, Uh K, Lee K. TET enzyme driven epigenetic reprogramming in early embryos and its implication on long-term health. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1358649. [PMID: 39149518 PMCID: PMC11324557 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1358649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Mammalian embryo development is initiated by the union of paternal and maternal gametes. Upon fertilization, their epigenome landscape is transformed through a series of finely orchestrated mechanisms that are crucial for survival and successful embryogenesis. Specifically, maternal or oocyte-specific reprogramming factors modulate germ cell specific epigenetic marks into their embryonic states. Rapid and dynamic changes in epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation and histone modifications are observed during early embryo development. These changes govern the structure of embryonic genome prior to zygotic genome activation. Differential changes in epigenetic marks are observed between paternal and maternal genomes because the structure of the parental genomes allows interaction with specific oocyte reprogramming factors. For instance, the paternal genome is targeted by the TET family of enzymes which oxidize the 5-methylcytosine (5mC) epigenetic mark into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) to lower the level of DNA methylation. The maternal genome is mainly protected from TET3-mediated oxidation by the maternal factor, STELLA. The TET3-mediated DNA demethylation occurs at the global level and is clearly observed in many mammalian species. Other epigenetic modulating enzymes, such as DNA methyltransferases, provide fine tuning of the DNA methylation level by initiating de novo methylation. The mechanisms which initiate the epigenetic reprogramming of gametes are critical for proper activation of embryonic genome and subsequent establishment of pluripotency and normal development. Clinical cases or diseases linked to mutations in reprogramming modulators exist, emphasizing the need to understand mechanistic actions of these modulators. In addition, embryos generated via in vitro embryo production system often present epigenetic abnormalities. Understanding mechanistic actions of the epigenetic modulators will potentially improve the well-being of individuals suffering from these epigenetic disorders and correct epigenetic abnormalities in embryos produced in vitro. This review will summarize the current understanding of epigenetic reprogramming by TET enzymes during early embryogenesis and highlight its clinical relevance and potential implication for assisted reproductive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ty Montgomery
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Kyungjun Uh
- Futuristic Animal Resource and Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Cheongju-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Kiho Lee
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
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Ozkocer SE, Guler I, Ugras Dikmen A, Bozkurt N, Varol N, Konac E. Male infertility is associated with differential DNA methylation signatures of the imprinted gene GNAS and the non-imprinted gene CEP41. J Assist Reprod Genet 2024:10.1007/s10815-024-03202-w. [PMID: 39017772 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-024-03202-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate whether the DNA methylation profiles of GNAS(20q13.32), MEST(7q32.2), MESTIT1(7q32.2), IGF2(11p15.5), H19 (7q32.2), and CEP41(7q32.2) genes are related to the transcriptomic and epigenomic etiology of male infertility. METHODS The DNA methylation levels of spermatozoa were obtained from fertile (n = 30), oligozoospermic (n = 30), and men with normal sperm count (n = 30). The methylation status of each CpG site was categorized as hypermethylated or hypomethylated. Expression levels of target gene transcripts were determined using real-time PCR. RESULTS The oligozoospermia showed a higher frequency of hypermethylation at GNASAS 1st, 3rd, and 5th CpG dinucleotides (66.7%, 73.3%, 73.3%) compared to the fertile group (33.3%, 33.3%, 40%, respectively). The normal sperm count exhibited a higher frequency of hypermethylation at the 3rd CpG of CEP41 (46.7%) than the fertile group (16.7%). Normal sperm count was predicted by CEP41 hypermethylation (OR = 1.750, 95%CI 1.038-2.950) and hypermethylation of both CEP41 and GNASAS (OR = 2.389, 95%CI 1.137-5.021). Oligozoospermia was predicted solely by GNASAS hypermethylation (OR = 2.460, 95%CI 1.315-4.603). In sperms with decreased IGF2 expression in the fertile group, we observed hypomethylation in the 2nd CpG of IGF2 antisense (IFG2AS), and hypermethylation in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th CpGs of H19. No significant relationship was found between IGF2 expression and methylation status of IGF2AS and H19 in infertile groups. CONCLUSION The disappearance of the relationship between IGF2 expression and IGF2AS and H19 methylations in the infertile group provides new information regarding the disruption of epigenetic programming during spermatogenesis. A better understanding of sperm GNASAS and CEP41 hypermethylation could advance innovative diagnostic markers for male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suheyla Esra Ozkocer
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Institute of Health Sciences, Gazi University, Kavaklıdere Çankaya, 06540, Ankara, Turkey
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06500, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ismail Guler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06500, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Asiye Ugras Dikmen
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06500, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Nuray Bozkurt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06500, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Nuray Varol
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06500, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ece Konac
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Institute of Health Sciences, Gazi University, Kavaklıdere Çankaya, 06540, Ankara, Turkey.
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06500, Ankara, Turkey.
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Hwang S, Jung J, Moon H, Ko DS, Kim HW, Yoon JP, Kim WK, Seol A, Kim K, Kim YH. The impact of assisted reproductive technologies on ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 99:104125. [PMID: 38972143 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The escalating utilization of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in response to global infertility rates has spurred research into its complications. Short-term and long-term outcomes have been extensively studied, particularly the neurological concerns surrounding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among ART-conceived children. This study aims investigate the association between ART and ADHD. METHODS Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched through April 4, 2023. Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies were eligible for inclusion. primary summary measures included the unadjusted relative risk (RR) and adjusted hazard ratio (HR) with 95 % confidence intervals. Both fixed-effects and random-effects models were utilized for meta-analysis data pooling to determine the overall effect size. The onset of ADHD in children conceived through ART compared to those conceived naturally. RESULTS The systematic search yielded 8 studies with 10,176,148 individuals included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed a pooled RR of 0.93 (0.68-1.26) for cohort studies and a pooled RR of 0.97 (0.41-2.29) for cross-sectional studies, along with a pooled HR of 1.08 (1.03-1.13) for ADHD in the ART group compared to the non-ART group. CONCLUSION While this study identifies some potential association between ART and ADHD, the limited effect size and inherent heterogeneity underscore the need for cautious interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongbeen Hwang
- School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinyoung Jung
- School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunoh Moon
- School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Dai Sik Ko
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Gachon University College of Medicine, Gil Medical Center, Incheon 21556, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Woo Kim
- Department of Neurology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Pil Yoon
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Kyu Kim
- Natural Product Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung 25451, Republic of Korea; Division of Natural Products Applied Science, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea; Department of Convergence Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju 26426, Republic of Korea
| | - Aeran Seol
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 03080, Republic of Korea; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Anam Hospital, 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kihun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea; Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yun Hak Kim
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea; Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea.
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Zhang S, Luo Q, Meng R, Yan J, Wu Y, Huang H. Long-term health risk of offspring born from assisted reproductive technologies. J Assist Reprod Genet 2024; 41:527-550. [PMID: 38146031 PMCID: PMC10957847 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-023-02988-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the world's first in vitro fertilization baby was born in 1978, there have been more than 8 million children conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) worldwide, and a significant proportion of them have reached puberty or young adulthood. Many studies have found that ART increases the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, small size for gestational age, perinatal mortality, and congenital anomalies. However, data regarding the long-term outcomes of ART offspring are limited. According to the developmental origins of health and disease theory, adverse environments during early life stages may induce adaptive changes and subsequently result in an increased risk of diseases in later life. Increasing evidence also suggests that ART offspring are predisposed to an increased risk of non-communicable diseases, such as malignancies, asthma, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. In this review, we summarize the risks for long-term health in ART offspring, discuss the underlying mechanisms, including underlying parental infertility, epigenetic alterations, non-physiological hormone levels, and placental dysfunction, and propose potential strategies to optimize the management of ART and health care of parents and children to eliminate the associated risks. Further ongoing follow-up and research are warranted to determine the effects of ART on the long-term health of ART offspring in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwei Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, No. 419, Fangxie Rd, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Qinyu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Renyu Meng
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, No. 419, Fangxie Rd, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Jing Yan
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, No. 419, Fangxie Rd, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Yanting Wu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, No. 419, Fangxie Rd, Shanghai, 200011, China.
- Research Unit of Embryo Original Diseases (No. 2019RU056), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hefeng Huang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, No. 419, Fangxie Rd, Shanghai, 200011, China.
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Research Unit of Embryo Original Diseases (No. 2019RU056), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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Kimmins S, Anderson RA, Barratt CLR, Behre HM, Catford SR, De Jonge CJ, Delbes G, Eisenberg ML, Garrido N, Houston BJ, Jørgensen N, Krausz C, Lismer A, McLachlan RI, Minhas S, Moss T, Pacey A, Priskorn L, Schlatt S, Trasler J, Trasande L, Tüttelmann F, Vazquez-Levin MH, Veltman JA, Zhang F, O'Bryan MK. Frequency, morbidity and equity - the case for increased research on male fertility. Nat Rev Urol 2024; 21:102-124. [PMID: 37828407 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-023-00820-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Currently, most men with infertility cannot be given an aetiology, which reflects a lack of knowledge around gamete production and how it is affected by genetics and the environment. A failure to recognize the burden of male infertility and its potential as a biomarker for systemic illness exists. The absence of such knowledge results in patients generally being treated as a uniform group, for whom the strategy is to bypass the causality using medically assisted reproduction (MAR) techniques. In doing so, opportunities to prevent co-morbidity are missed and the burden of MAR is shifted to the woman. To advance understanding of men's reproductive health, longitudinal and multi-national centres for data and sample collection are essential. Such programmes must enable an integrated view of the consequences of genetics, epigenetics and environmental factors on fertility and offspring health. Definition and possible amelioration of the consequences of MAR for conceived children are needed. Inherent in this statement is the necessity to promote fertility restoration and/or use the least invasive MAR strategy available. To achieve this aim, protocols must be rigorously tested and the move towards personalized medicine encouraged. Equally, education of the public, governments and clinicians on the frequency and consequences of infertility is needed. Health options, including male contraceptives, must be expanded, and the opportunities encompassed in such investment understood. The pressing questions related to male reproductive health, spanning the spectrum of andrology are identified in the Expert Recommendation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kimmins
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Département de Pathologie et Biologie Cellulaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard A Anderson
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christopher L R Barratt
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Hermann M Behre
- Center for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Sarah R Catford
- Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Geraldine Delbes
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Sante Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael L Eisenberg
- Department of Urology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nicolas Garrido
- IVI Foundation, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Brendan J Houston
- School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Niels Jørgensen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Csilla Krausz
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, 'Mario Serio', University of Florence, University Hospital of Careggi Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ariane Lismer
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Robert I McLachlan
- Hudson Institute of Medical Research and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Monash IVF Group, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | - Suks Minhas
- Department of Surgery and Cancer Imperial, London, UK
| | - Tim Moss
- Healthy Male and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Allan Pacey
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Lærke Priskorn
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stefan Schlatt
- Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jacquetta Trasler
- Departments of Paediatrics, Human Genetics and Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, Department of Paediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frank Tüttelmann
- Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Mónica Hebe Vazquez-Levin
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina, Fundación IBYME, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Joris A Veltman
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Feng Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Moira K O'Bryan
- School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
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Schaub AM, Gonzalez TL, Dorfman AE, Novoa AG, Hussaini RA, Harakuni PM, Khan MH, Shabani BJ, Swarna A, Wang ET, Chan JL, Williams J, Pisarska MD. A systematic review of genome-wide analyses of methylation changes associated with assisted reproductive technologies in various tissues. Fertil Steril 2024; 121:80-94. [PMID: 37827482 PMCID: PMC11262788 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Because analytic technologies improve, increasing amounts of data on methylation differences between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and unassisted conceptions are available. However, various studies use different tissue types and different populations in their analyses, making data comparison and integration difficult. OBJECTIVE To compare and integrate data on genome-wide analyses of methylation differences due to ART, allowing exposure of overarching themes. EVIDENCE REVIEW All studies undertaking genome-wide analysis of human methylation differences due to ART or infertility in any tissue type across the lifespan were assessed for inclusion. FINDINGS Seventeen studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. One study assessed trophectoderm biopsies, 2 first-trimester placenta, 1 first-trimester fetal tissue, 2 term placenta, 7 cord blood, 3 newborn dried blood spots, 1 childhood buccal smears, 1 childhood peripheral blood, and 2 adult peripheral blood. Eleven studies compared tissues from in vitro fertilization (IVF) conceptions with those of unassisted conceptions, 4 compared intracytoplasmic sperm injection with unassisted conceptions, 4 compared non-IVF fertility treatment (NIFT) with unassisted conceptions, 4 compared NIFT with IVF, and 5 compared an infertile population (conceiving via various methods) with an unassisted presumably fertile population. In studies assessing placental tissue, 1 gene with potential methylation changes due to IVF when compared with unassisted conceptions was identified by 2 studies. In blood, 11 potential genes with methylation changes due to IVF compared with unassisted conceptions were identified by 2 studies, 1 of which was identified by 3 studies. Three potentially affected genes were identified by 2 studies involving blood between intracytoplasmic sperm injection and unassisted populations. There were no overlapping genes identified in any tissue type between NIFT and unassisted populations, between NIFT and IVF, or the infertility combined population when compared with the unassisted fertile population. CONCLUSIONS Comparing studies is challenging due to differing variables between analyses. However, even in similar tissue types and populations, overlapping methylation changes are limited, suggesting that differences due to ART are minimal. RELEVANCE Information from this systematic review is significant for providers and patients who provide and use ART to understand methylation risks that may be associated with the technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia M Schaub
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Tania L Gonzalez
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Anna E Dorfman
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Allynson G Novoa
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Rimsha A Hussaini
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Paige M Harakuni
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mayaal H Khan
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Brandon J Shabani
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Akhila Swarna
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Erica T Wang
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jessica L Chan
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - John Williams
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Margareta D Pisarska
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California.
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8
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Amjadian T, Yaghmaei P, Nasim HR, Yari K. Impact of DNA methylation of the human mesoderm-specific transcript ( MEST) on male infertility. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21099. [PMID: 37928396 PMCID: PMC10622617 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Male infertility accounts for nearly 40%-50% of all infertile cases. One of the most prevalent disorders detected in infertile men is errors in the MEST differentially methylated region (DMR), which has been correlated with poor sperm indexes. The aim of our study was to characterize the methylation pattern of the MEST gene, along with assessing seminal factors and chromatin condensation in sperm samples from both infertile patients and fertile cases, all of whom were candidates for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. We collected forty-five semen specimens from men undergoing routine spermiogram analysis at the Infertility Treatment Center. The specimens consisted of 15 samples of normospermia as the control group, 15 individuals of asthenospermia, and 15 individuals of oligoasthenoteratospermia as the cases group. Standard semen analysis and the chromatin quality and sperm maturity tests using aniline blue staining were performed. The DNA from spermatozoa was extracted and treated with a sodium bisulfite-based procedure. The methylation measure was done quantitatively at the DMRs of the MEST gene by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP). The mean percentages of total motility, progression, and morphology in normospermia were significantly higher than oligoasthenoteratospermia and asthenospermia, and they were substantially higher in asthenospermia compared to oligoasthenoteratospermia (P ≤ 0.05). The mean percentages of histone transition abnormality and MEST methylation in oligoasthenoteratospermia were significantly higher than asthenospermia and normospermia (P ≤ 0.05). A negative correlation existed between the histone transition abnormality and MEST methylation with sperm parameters. In conclusion, chromatin integrity, sperm maturity, and MEST methylation may be considered important predictors for addressing male factor infertility. Therefore, we suggest that male infertility may be linked to methylation of the imprinted genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayebeh Amjadian
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parichehreh Yaghmaei
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hayati Roodbari Nasim
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kheirollah Yari
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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Denicol AC, Siqueira LGB. Maternal contributions to pregnancy success: from gamete quality to uterine environment. Anim Reprod 2023; 20:e20230085. [PMID: 37720724 PMCID: PMC10503891 DOI: 10.1590/1984-3143-ar2023-0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The establishment and maintenance of a pregnancy that goes to term is sine qua non for the long-term sustainability of dairy and beef cattle operations. The oocyte plays a critical role in providing the factors necessary for preimplantation embryonic development. Furthermore, the female, or maternal, environment where oocytes and embryos develop is crucial for the establishment and maintenance of a pregnancy to term. During folliculogenesis, the oocyte must sequentially acquire meiotic and developmental competence, which are the results of a series of molecular events preparing the highly specialized gamete to return to totipotency after fertilization. Given that folliculogenesis is a lengthy process in the cow, the occurrence of disease, metabolic imbalances, heat stress, or other adverse events can make it challenging to maintain oocyte quality. Following fertilization, the newly formed embryo must execute a tightly planned program that includes global DNA remodeling, activation of the embryonic genome, and cell fate decisions to form a blastocyst within a few days and cell divisions. The increasing use of assisted reproductive technologies creates an additional layer of complexity to ensure the highest oocyte and embryo quality given that in vitro systems do not faithfully recreate the physiological maternal environment. In this review, we discuss cellular and molecular factors and events known to be crucial for proper oocyte development and maturation, as well as adverse events that may negatively affect the oocyte; and the importance of the uterine environment, including signaling proteins in the maternal-embryonic interactions that ensure proper embryo development. We also discuss the impact of assisted reproductive technologies in oocyte and embryo quality and developmental potential, and considerations when looking into the prospects for developing systems that allow for in vitro gametogenesis as a tool for assisted reproduction in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Carolina Denicol
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America
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10
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Ahmadi H, Aghebati-Maleki L, Rashidiani S, Csabai T, Nnaemeka OB, Szekeres-Bartho J. Long-Term Effects of ART on the Health of the Offspring. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13564. [PMID: 37686370 PMCID: PMC10487905 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) significantly increase the chance of successful pregnancy and live birth in infertile couples. The different procedures for ART, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), intrauterine insemination (IUI), and gamete intrafallopian tube transfer (GIFT), are widely used to overcome infertility-related problems. In spite of its inarguable usefulness, concerns about the health consequences of ART-conceived babies have been raised. There are reports about the association of ART with birth defects and health complications, e.g., malignancies, high blood pressure, generalized vascular functional disorders, asthma and metabolic disorders in later life. It has been suggested that hormonal treatment of the mother, and the artificial environment during the manipulation of gametes and embryos may cause genomic and epigenetic alterations and subsequent complications in the health status of ART-conceived babies. In the current study, we aimed to review the possible long-term consequences of different ART procedures on the subsequent health status of ART-conceived offspring, considering the confounding factors that might account for/contribute to the long-term consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Ahmadi
- Department of Medical Biology and Central Electron Microscope Laboratory, Medical School, Pécs University, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (H.A.); (T.C.)
| | - Leili Aghebati-Maleki
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5165665931, Iran;
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5165665931, Iran
| | - Shima Rashidiani
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical School, Pécs University, 7624 Pécs, Hungary;
| | - Timea Csabai
- Department of Medical Biology and Central Electron Microscope Laboratory, Medical School, Pécs University, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (H.A.); (T.C.)
- János Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs University, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Endocrine Studies, Centre of Excellence, Pécs University, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Human Reproduction, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Obodo Basil Nnaemeka
- Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pécs University, 7621 Pécs, Hungary;
| | - Julia Szekeres-Bartho
- Department of Medical Biology and Central Electron Microscope Laboratory, Medical School, Pécs University, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (H.A.); (T.C.)
- János Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs University, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Endocrine Studies, Centre of Excellence, Pécs University, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Human Reproduction, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- MTA—PTE Human Reproduction Research Group, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
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11
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Sundrani DP, Joshi SR. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) and epigenetic modifications in the placenta. HUM FERTIL 2023; 26:665-677. [PMID: 34706609 DOI: 10.1080/14647273.2021.1995901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has become common amongst couples with infertility issues. ART is known to be successful, but epidemiological data indicates that ART is associated with placental disorders. Additionally, reports show increased risks of short- and long-term complications in children born to mothers undergoing ART. However, the mechanisms responsible for these events are obscure. The placenta is considered as a key organ for programming of diseases and ART procedures are suggested to alter the placental function and intrauterine growth trajectories. Epigenetic changes in maternal and foetal tissues are suggested to be the underlying mechanisms for these outcomes. Epigenetic regulation is known to evolve following fertilisation and before implantation and subsequently across gestation. During these critical periods of epigenetic 'programming', DNA methylation and chromatin remodelling influence the placental structure and function by regulating the expression of various genes. ART treatment coinciding with epigenetic 'programming' events during gametogenesis and early embryo development may alter the programming phases leading to long-term consequences. Thus, disruptions in placental development observed in ART pregnancies could be associated with altered epigenetic regulation of vital genes in the placenta. The review summarises available literature on the influence of ART procedures on epigenetic changes in the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepali P Sundrani
- Mother and Child Health, Interactive Research School for Health Affairs (IRSHA), Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, India
| | - Sadhana R Joshi
- Mother and Child Health, Interactive Research School for Health Affairs (IRSHA), Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, India
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12
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Rahimi S, Shao X, Chan D, Martel J, Bérard A, Fraser WD, Simon MM, Kwan T, Bourque G, Trasler J. Capturing sex-specific and hypofertility-linked effects of assisted reproductive technologies on the cord blood DNA methylome. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:82. [PMID: 37170172 PMCID: PMC10176895 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01497-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children conceived through assisted reproduction are at an increased risk for growth and genomic imprinting disorders, often linked to DNA methylation defects. It has been suggested that assisted reproductive technology (ART) and underlying parental infertility can induce epigenetic instability, specifically interfering with DNA methylation reprogramming events during germ cell and preimplantation development. To date, human studies exploring the association between ART and DNA methylation defects have reported inconsistent or inconclusive results, likely due to population heterogeneity and the use of technologies with limited coverage of the epigenome. In our study, we explored the epigenetic risk of ART by comprehensively profiling the DNA methylome of 73 human cord blood samples of singleton pregnancies (n = 36 control group, n = 37 ART/hypofertile group) from a human prospective longitudinal birth cohort, the 3D (Design, Develop, Discover) Study, using a high-resolution sequencing-based custom capture panel that examines over 2.4 million autosomal CpGs in the genome. RESULTS We identified evidence of sex-specific effects of ART/hypofertility on cord blood DNA methylation patterns. Our genome-wide analyses identified ~ 46% more CpGs affected by ART/hypofertility in female than in male infant cord blood. We performed a detailed analysis of three imprinted genes which have been associated with altered DNA methylation following ART (KCNQ1OT1, H19/IGF2 and GNAS) and found that female infant cord blood was associated with DNA hypomethylation. When compared to less invasive procedures such as intrauterine insemination, more invasive ARTs (in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, embryo culture) resulted in more marked and distinct effects on the cord blood DNA methylome. In the in vitro group, we found a close to fourfold higher proportion of significantly enriched Gene Ontology terms involved in development than in the in vivo group. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the ability of a sensitive, targeted, sequencing-based approach to uncover DNA methylation perturbations in cord blood associated with hypofertility and ART and influenced by offspring sex and ART technique invasiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Rahimi
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Xiaojian Shao
- Digital Technologies Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Donovan Chan
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Josée Martel
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anick Bérard
- Research Unit On Medications and Pregnancy, Research Centre, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Canada
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - William D Fraser
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Université de Sherbrooke and Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | | | - Tony Kwan
- McGill University Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guillaume Bourque
- McGill University Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jacquetta Trasler
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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13
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Okada T, Penn A, St John JC. Mitochondrial DNA Supplementation of Oocytes Has Downstream Effects on the Transcriptional Profiles of Sus scrofa Adult Tissues with High mtDNA Copy Number. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087545. [PMID: 37108708 PMCID: PMC10140937 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Oocytes can be supplemented with extra copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to enhance developmental outcome. Pigs generated through supplementation with mtDNA derived from either sister (autologous) or third-party (heterologous) oocytes have been shown to exhibit only minor differences in growth, physiological and biochemical assessments, and health and well-being do not appear affected. However, it remains to be determined whether changes in gene expression identified during preimplantation development persisted and affected the gene expression of adult tissues indicative of high mtDNA copy number. It is also unknown if autologous and heterologous mtDNA supplementation resulted in different patterns of gene expression. Our transcriptome analyses revealed that genes involved in immune response and glyoxylate metabolism were commonly affected in brain, heart and liver tissues by mtDNA supplementation. The source of mtDNA influenced the expression of genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), suggesting a link between the use of third-party mtDNA and OXPHOS. We observed a significant difference in parental allele-specific imprinted gene expression in mtDNA-supplemented-derived pigs, with shifts to biallelic expression with no effect on expression levels. Overall, mtDNA supplementation influences the expression of genes in important biological processes in adult tissues. Consequently, it is important to determine the effect of these changes on animal development and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Okada
- Mitochondrial Genetics Group, School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Alexander Penn
- Mitochondrial Genetics Group, School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Justin C St John
- Mitochondrial Genetics Group, School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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14
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Al-Kass Z, Ntallaris T, Morrell JM, Johannisson A. Deciphering sperm chromatin properties to predict stallion sperm fertility. Anim Reprod Sci 2023; 250:107200. [PMID: 36801727 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2023.107200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Although previous studies have examined the relationship between the sperm DNA fragmentation index and fertility in stallions, other aspects of chromatin structure or packaging and fertility have not been explored. In the present study, relationships between fertility and DNA fragmentation index, protamine deficiency, total thiols, free thiols and disulfide bonds in stallion spermatozoa were investigated. Ejaculates (n = 36) were collected from 12 stallions and extended to prepare semen doses for insemination. One dose from each ejaculate was sent to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Aliquots of semen were stained for flow cytometry with acridine orange for the Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (DNA fragmentation Index, %DFI), with chromomycin A3 (CMA) for protamine deficiency, and with monobromobimane (mBBr) for detection of total and free thiols and disulfide bonds. Per season pregnancy rates after insemination were obtained. Mixed linear models were used to analyze data. Negative correlations were found between pregnancy rate and %DFI (r = -0.35, P < 0.03) and pregnancy rate and free thiols (r = -0.60, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, there were positive correlations between total thiols and disulfide bonds (r = 0.95, P < 0.0001), and protamine and disulfide bonds (r = 0.4100, P < 0.01986). Since chromatin integrity, protamine deficiency and packaging were all associated with fertility, a combination of these factors could be used as a biomarker of fertility when assessing ejaculates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyad Al-Kass
- Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Surgery and Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq
| | - Theodoros Ntallaris
- Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jane M Morrell
- Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Anders Johannisson
- Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
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15
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Mitochondrial DNA Deficiency and Supplementation in Sus scrofa Oocytes Influence Transcriptome Profiles in Oocytes and Blastocysts. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043783. [PMID: 36835193 PMCID: PMC9963854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deficiency correlates with poor oocyte quality and fertilisation failure. However, the supplementation of mtDNA deficient oocytes with extra copies of mtDNA improves fertilisation rates and embryo development. The molecular mechanisms associated with oocyte developmental incompetence, and the effects of mtDNA supplementation on embryo development are largely unknown. We investigated the association between the developmental competence of Sus scrofa oocytes, assessed with Brilliant Cresyl Blue, and transcriptome profiles. We also analysed the effects of mtDNA supplementation on the developmental transition from the oocyte to the blastocyst by longitudinal transcriptome analysis. mtDNA deficient oocytes revealed downregulation of genes associated with RNA metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation, including 56 small nucleolar RNA genes and 13 mtDNA protein coding genes. We also identified the downregulation of a large subset of genes for meiotic and mitotic cell cycle process, suggesting that developmental competence affects the completion of meiosis II and first embryonic cell division. The supplementation of oocytes with mtDNA in combination with fertilisation improves the maintenance of the expression of several key developmental genes and the patterns of parental allele-specific imprinting gene expression in blastocysts. These results suggest associations between mtDNA deficiency and meiotic cell cycle and the developmental effects of mtDNA supplementation on Sus scrofa blastocysts.
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16
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Gonzalez TL, Schaub AM, Lee B, Cui J, Taylor KD, Dorfman AE, Goodarzi MO, Wang ET, Chen YDI, Rotter JI, Hussaini R, Harakuni PM, Khan MH, Rich SS, Farber CR, Williams J, Pisarska MD. Infertility and treatments used have minimal effects on first-trimester placental DNA methylation and gene expression. Fertil Steril 2023; 119:301-312. [PMID: 36379261 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation alterations exist in the first-trimester human placenta between conceptions using fertility treatments and those that do not and, if so, whether they are the result of underlying infertility or fertility treatments. We also assessed whether significant alterations led to changes in gene expression. DESIGN We compared DNA methylation of the first-trimester placenta from singleton pregnancies that resulted in live births from unassisted, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and non-IVF fertility treatment (NIFT) conceptions using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array. Significant CpG sites were compared with corresponding ribonucleic acid sequencing analysis in similar cohorts to determine whether methylation alterations lead to differences in gene expression. SETTING Academic medical center. PATIENT(S) A total of 138 singleton pregnancies undergoing chorionic villus sampling resulting in a live birth were recruited for methylation analysis (56 unassisted, 38 NIFT, and 44 IVF conceptions). Ribonucleic acid-sequencing data consisted of 141 subjects (74 unassisted, 33 NIFT, and 34 IVF conceptions) of which 116 overlapped with the methylation cohort. INTERVENTION(S) In vitro fertilization-conceived pregnancy or pregnancy conceived via NIFT, such as ovulation induction and intrauterine insemination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Significant methylation changes at CpG sites after adjustment for multiple comparisons. The secondary outcome was gene expression changes of significant CpG sites. RESULT(S) Of the 741,145 probes analyzed in the placenta, few were significant at Bonferroni <0.05: 185 CpG sites (0.025%) significant in pregnancies conceived with the fertility treatments (NIFT + IVF) vs. unassisted conceptions; 28 in NIFT vs. unassisted; 195 in IVF vs. unassisted; and only 13 (0.0018%) in IVF vs. NIFT conceptions. Of all significant CpG sites combined, 10% (35) were located in genes with suggestive gene expression changes, but none were significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons (ribonucleic acid sequencing false discovery rate <0.05). None of the 13 differentially methylated probes in the IVF vs. NIFT placenta were located in genes with suggestive IVF vs. NIFT gene expression differences. CONCLUSION(S) Underlying infertility is the most significant contributor to the minimal differences in first-trimester placental methylation, and not the specific fertility treatment used, such as IVF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania L Gonzalez
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Amelia M Schaub
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Bora Lee
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jinrui Cui
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Kent D Taylor
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
| | - Anna E Dorfman
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mark O Goodarzi
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Erica T Wang
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Yii-Der Ida Chen
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
| | - Jerome I Rotter
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
| | - Rimsha Hussaini
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Paige M Harakuni
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mayaal H Khan
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Stephen S Rich
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Charles R Farber
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - John Williams
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Margareta D Pisarska
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
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17
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Sciorio R, Tramontano L, Rapalini E, Bellaminutti S, Bulletti FM, D'Amato A, Manna C, Palagiano A, Bulletti C, Esteves SC. Risk of genetic and epigenetic alteration in children conceived following ART: Is it time to return to nature whenever possible? Clin Genet 2023; 103:133-145. [PMID: 36109352 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Assisted reproductive technology may influence epigenetic signature as the procedures coincide with the extensive epigenetic modification occurring from fertilization to embryo implantation. However, it is still unclear to what extent ART alters the embryo epigenome. In vivo fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube, where a specific and natural environment enables the embryo's healthy development. During this dynamic period, major waves of epigenetic reprogramming, crucial for the normal fate of the embryo, take place. Over the past decade, concerns relating to the raised incidence of epigenetic anomalies and imprinting following ART have been raised by several authors. Epigenetic reprogramming is particularly susceptible to environmental conditions during the periconceptional period; therefore, unphysiological conditions, including ovarian stimulation, in vitro fertilization, embryo culture, cryopreservation of gametes and embryos, parental lifestyle, and underlying infertility, have the potential to contribute to epigenetic dysregulation independently or collectively. This review critically appraises the evidence relating to the association between ART and genetic and epigenetic modifications that may be transmitted to the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romualdo Sciorio
- Edinburgh Assisted Conception Programme, EFREC, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Luca Tramontano
- Department of Women, Infants and Adolescents, Division of Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Erika Rapalini
- IVF Department, Versilia Hospital Lido di Camaiore, Lucca, Italy
| | - Serena Bellaminutti
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
- Gynecology and Fertility Unit, Procrea Institute, Lugano, Switzerland
- Gynecology Unit, Centro Medico, Lugano, Switzerland
| | | | - Antonio D'Amato
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Claudio Manna
- Biofertility IVF and Infertility Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Palagiano
- CFA Napoli, Italy, CFA: Centro Fecondazione Assistita Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Bulletti
- Ostetricia e Ginecologia, EXTRA OMNES Medicina e Salute Riproduttiva, Cattolica, Italy
| | - Sandro C Esteves
- Andrology and Human Reproduction Clinic, Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Surgery (Division of Urology), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Faculty of Health, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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18
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Tolani AT, Cedars MI, Zablotska LB, Rinaudo PF. Metabolomic Profile of Children Conceived With Medically Assisted Technologies. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2023; 108:315-322. [PMID: 36214833 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgac589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and non-in vitro fertilization fertility treatments (NIFT) are treatments for infertility. These technologies may have long-term health effects in children such as increased hypertension, glucose intolerance, and hypertriglyceridemia. Few studies have compared children born following ART and NIFT to those conceived spontaneously by subfertile couples. OBJECTIVE This work aimed to describe metabolic differences in children conceived by ART and NIFT compared to children conceived spontaneously by infertile couples. METHODS Children conceived by parent(s) receiving infertility care at the University of California, San Francisco, between 2000 and 2017 were invited to participate in the Developmental Epidemiological Study of Children born through Reproductive Technology (DESCRT). Serum metabolomic analyses were conducted using samples from 143 enrolled children (age range 4-12 years, 43% female) conceived using NIFT or ART (with fresh or frozen embryos with and without intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI]) and children conceived spontaneously by subfertile couples. Principal component analysis and multivariable regression were used to compare the distribution of metabolites between groups. RESULTS There was no separation in metabolites based on treatment or sex. NIFT-conceived children showed no differences compared to spontaneously conceived controls. Only spontaneously conceived children had different metabolomics profiles from children conceived from fresh ART, frozen ART, and all ICSI. Pantoate and propionylglycine levels were elevated in fresh ART compared to the spontaneous group (P < .001). Propionylglycine levels were elevated in the ICSI (both fresh and frozen) vs the spontaneous group (P < .001). Finally, 5-oxoproline levels were decreased in frozen ART compared to the spontaneous group (P < .001). CONCLUSION NIFT-conceived children did not show any metabolic differences compared with spontaneously conceived children. The metabolic differences between ART-conceived children and children conceived spontaneously were small but unlikely to be clinically significant but should be examined in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha T Tolani
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Marcelle I Cedars
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Lydia B Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Paolo F Rinaudo
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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19
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Assisted Reproductive Technology without Embryo Discarding or Freezing in Women ≥40 Years: A 5-Year Retrospective Study at a Single Center in Italy. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12020504. [PMID: 36675433 PMCID: PMC9862537 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12020504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The protocols commonly used in assisted reproductive technology (ART) consist of long-term embryo culture up to the blastocyst stage after the insemination of all mature oocytes, the freezing of all the embryos produced, and their subsequent transfer one by one. These practices, along with preimplantation genetic testing, although developed to improve the live birth rate (LBR) and reduce the risk of multiple pregnancies, are drawing attention to the possible increase in obstetric and perinatal risks, and adverse epigenetic consequences in offspring. Furthermore, ethical-legal concerns are growing regarding the increase in cryopreservation and storage of frozen embryos. In an attempt to reduce the risk associated with prolonged embryo culture and avoid embryo storage, we have chosen to inseminate a limited number of oocytes not exceeding the number of embryos to be transferred, after two days or less of culture. We retrospectively analyzed 245 ICSI cycles performed in 184 infertile couples with a female partner aged ≥40 from January 2016 to July 2021. The results showed a fertilization rate of 95.7%, a miscarriage rate of 48.9%, and a LBR of 10% with twin pregnancies of 16.7%. The cumulative LBR in our group of couples was 13%. No embryos were frozen. In conclusion, these results suggest that oocyte selection and embryo transfer at the cleaving stage constitute a practice that has a LBR comparable to that of the more commonly used protocols in older women who have reduced ovarian reserve.
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20
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Juchniewicz P, Kloska A, Portalska K, Jakóbkiewicz-Banecka J, Węgrzyn G, Liss J, Głodek P, Tukaj S, Piotrowska E. X-chromosome inactivation patterns depend on age and tissue but not conception method in humans. Chromosome Res 2023; 31:4. [PMID: 36695960 PMCID: PMC9877087 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-023-09717-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Female somatic X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) balances the X-linked transcriptional dosages between the sexes, randomly silencing the maternal or paternal X chromosome in each cell of 46,XX females. Skewed XCI toward one parental X has been observed in association with ageing and in some female carriers of X-linked diseases. To address the problem of non-random XCI, we quantified the XCI skew in different biological samples of naturally conceived females of different age groups and girls conceived after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Generally, XCI skew differed between saliva, blood, and buccal swabs, while saliva and blood had the most similar XCI patterns in individual females. XCI skew increased with age in saliva, but not in other tissues. We showed no significant differences in the XCI patterns in tissues of naturally conceived and IVF females. The gene expression profile of the placenta and umbilical cord blood was determined depending on the XCI pattern. The increased XCI skewing in the placental tissue was associated with the differential expression of several genes out of 40 considered herein. Notably, skewed XCI patterns (> 80:20) were identified with significantly increased expression levels of four genes: CD44, KDM6A, PHLDA2, and ZRSR2. The differences in gene expression patterns between samples with random and non-random XCI may shed new light on factors contributing to the XCI pattern outcome and indicate new paths in future research on the phenomenon of XCI skewing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Juchniewicz
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Kloska
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Karolina Portalska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Joanna Jakóbkiewicz-Banecka
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Węgrzyn
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Joanna Liss
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland ,Research and Development Center, INVICTA, Sopot, Poland
| | - Piotr Głodek
- Research and Development Center, INVICTA, Sopot, Poland
| | - Stefan Tukaj
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ewa Piotrowska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
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21
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Leroy JLMR, Meulders B, Moorkens K, Xhonneux I, Slootmans J, De Keersmaeker L, Smits A, Bogado Pascottini O, Marei WFA. Maternal metabolic health and fertility: we should not only care about but also for the oocyte! Reprod Fertil Dev 2022; 35:1-18. [PMID: 36592978 DOI: 10.1071/rd22204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic disorders due to obesity and unhealthy lifestyle directly alter the oocyte's microenvironment and impact oocyte quality. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction play key roles in the pathogenesis. Acute effects on the fully grown oocytes are evident, but early follicular stages are also sensitive to metabolic stress leading to a long-term impact on follicular cells and oocytes. Improving the preconception health is therefore of capital importance but research in animal models has demonstrated that oocyte quality is not fully recovered. In the in vitro fertilisation clinic, maternal metabolic disorders are linked with disappointing assisted reproductive technology results. Embryos derived from metabolically compromised oocytes exhibit persistently high intracellular stress levels due to weak cellular homeostatic mechanisms. The assisted reproductive technology procedures themselves form an extra burden for these defective embryos. Minimising cellular stress during culture using mitochondrial-targeted therapy could rescue compromised embryos in a bovine model. However, translating such applications to human in vitro fertilisation clinics is not simple. It is crucial to consider the sensitive epigenetic programming during early development. Research in humans and relevant animal models should result in preconception care interventions and in vitro strategies not only aiming at improving fertility but also safeguarding offspring health.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L M R Leroy
- Gamete Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - B Meulders
- Gamete Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - K Moorkens
- Gamete Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - I Xhonneux
- Gamete Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - J Slootmans
- Gamete Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - L De Keersmaeker
- Gamete Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - A Smits
- Gamete Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - O Bogado Pascottini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - W F A Marei
- Gamete Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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22
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Carlsen EØ, Lee Y, Magnus P, Jugessur A, Page CM, Nustad HE, Håberg SE, Lie RT, Magnus MC. An examination of mediation by DNA methylation on birthweight differences induced by assisted reproductive technologies. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:151. [PMID: 36443807 PMCID: PMC9703677 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01381-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children born after assisted reproductive technologies (ART) differ in birthweight from those naturally conceived. It has been hypothesized that this might be explained by epigenetic mechanisms. We examined whether cord blood DNA methylation mediated the birthweight difference between 890 newborns conceived by ART (764 by fresh embryo transfer and 126 frozen thawed embryo transfer) and 983 naturally conceived newborns from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). DNA methylation was measured by the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC array. We conducted mediation analyses to assess whether differentially methylated CpGs mediated the differences in birthweight observed between: (1) fresh embryo transfer and natural conception and (2) frozen and fresh embryo transfer. RESULTS We observed a difference in birthweight between fresh embryo transfer and naturally conceived offspring of - 120 g. 44% (95% confidence interval [CI] 26% to 81%) of this difference in birthweight between fresh embryo transfer and naturally conceived offspring was explained by differences in methylation levels at four CpGs near LOXL1, CDH20, and DRC1. DNA methylation differences at two CpGs near PTGS1 and RASGRP4 jointly mediated 22% (95% CI 8.1% to 50.3%) of the birthweight differences between fresh and frozen embryo transfer. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that DNA methylation is an important mechanism in explaining birthweight differences according to the mode of conception. Further research should examine how gene regulation at these loci influences fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Ø. Carlsen
- grid.418193.60000 0001 1541 4204Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway ,grid.5510.10000 0004 1936 8921Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Yunsung Lee
- grid.418193.60000 0001 1541 4204Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Per Magnus
- grid.418193.60000 0001 1541 4204Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Astanand Jugessur
- grid.418193.60000 0001 1541 4204Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway ,grid.7914.b0000 0004 1936 7443Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Christian M. Page
- grid.418193.60000 0001 1541 4204Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway ,grid.5510.10000 0004 1936 8921Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Haakon E. Nustad
- grid.418193.60000 0001 1541 4204Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway ,Deepinsight, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri E. Håberg
- grid.418193.60000 0001 1541 4204Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rolv T. Lie
- grid.418193.60000 0001 1541 4204Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway ,grid.7914.b0000 0004 1936 7443Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Maria C. Magnus
- grid.418193.60000 0001 1541 4204Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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23
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Lloyd DT, Skinner HG, Maguire R, Murphy SK, Motsinger-Reif AA, Hoyo C, House JS. Clomifene and Assisted Reproductive Technology in Humans Are Associated with Sex-Specific Offspring Epigenetic Alterations in Imprinted Control Regions. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:10450. [PMID: 36142363 PMCID: PMC9499479 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Children conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) have an increased risk of adverse outcomes, including congenital malformations and imprinted gene disorders. In a retrospective North Carolina-based-birth-cohort, we examined the effect of ovulation drugs and ART on CpG methylation in differentially methylated CpGs in known imprint control regions (ICRs). Nine ICRs containing 48 CpGs were assessed for methylation status by pyrosequencing in mixed leukocytes from cord blood. After restricting to non-smoking, college-educated participants who agreed to follow-up, ART-exposed (n = 27), clomifene-only-exposed (n = 22), and non-exposed (n = 516) groups were defined. Associations of clomifene and ART with ICR CpG methylation were assessed with linear regression and stratifying by offspring sex. In males, ART was associated with hypomethylation of the PEG3 ICR [β(95% CI) = -1.46 (-2.81, -0.12)] and hypermethylation of the MEG3 ICR [3.71 (0.01, 7.40)]; clomifene-only was associated with hypomethylation of the NNAT ICR [-5.25 (-10.12, -0.38)]. In female offspring, ART was associated with hypomethylation of the IGF2 ICR [-3.67 (-6.79, -0.55)]. Aberrant methylation of these ICRs has been associated with cardiovascular disease and metabolic and behavioral outcomes in children. The results suggest that the increased risk of adverse outcomes in offspring conceived through ART may be due in part to altered methylation of ICRs. Larger studies utilizing epigenome-wide interrogation are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon T. Lloyd
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Harlyn G. Skinner
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Rachel Maguire
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Susan K. Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Alison A. Motsinger-Reif
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Cathrine Hoyo
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - John S. House
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
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24
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DNA Methylation in Offspring Conceived after Assisted Reproductive Techniques: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11175056. [PMID: 36078985 PMCID: PMC9457481 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11175056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In the last 40 years, assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) have emerged as potentially resolving procedures for couple infertility. This study aims to evaluate whether ART is associated with epigenetic dysregulation in the offspring. Methods. To accomplish this, we collected all available data on methylation patterns in offspring conceived after ART and in spontaneously conceived (SC) offspring. Results. We extracted 949 records. Of these, 50 were considered eligible; 12 were included in the quantitative synthesis. Methylation levels of H19 CCCTC-binding factor 3 (CTCF3) were significantly lower in the ART group compared to controls (SMD −0.81 (−1.53; −0.09), I2 = 89%, p = 0.03). In contrast, H19 CCCTC-binding factor 6 (CTCF6), Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Subfamily Q Member 1 (KCNQ1OT1), Paternally-expressed gene 3 (PEG3), and Small Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Polypeptide N (SNRPN) were not differently methylated in ART vs. SC offspring. Conclusion: The methylation pattern of the offspring conceived after ART may be different compared to spontaneous conception. Due to the lack of studies and the heterogeneity of the data, further prospective and well-sized population studies are needed to evaluate the impact of ART on the epigenome of the offspring.
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25
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Menezo Y, Elder K, Clement P, Clement A, Patrizio P. Biochemical Hazards during Three Phases of Assisted Reproductive Technology: Repercussions Associated with Epigenesis and Imprinting. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23168916. [PMID: 36012172 PMCID: PMC9408922 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Medically assisted reproduction, now considered a routine, successful treatment for infertility worldwide, has produced at least 8 million live births. However, a growing body of evidence is pointing toward an increased incidence of epigenetic/imprinting disorders in the offspring, raising concern that the techniques involved may have an impact on crucial stages of early embryo and fetal development highly vulnerable to epigenetic influence. In this paper, the key role of methylation processes in epigenesis, namely the essential biochemical/metabolic pathways involving folates and one-carbon cycles necessary for correct DNA/histone methylation, is discussed. Furthermore, potential contributors to epigenetics dysregulation during the three phases of assisted reproduction: preparation for and controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH); methylation processes during the preimplantation embryo culture stages; the effects of unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) during embryogenesis on imprinting methyl “tags”, are described. Advances in technology have opened a window into developmental processes that were previously inaccessible to research: it is now clear that ART procedures have the potential to influence DNA methylation in embryonic and fetal life, with an impact on health and disease risk in future generations. Critical re-evaluation of protocols and procedures is now an urgent priority, with a focus on interventions targeted toward improving ART procedures, with special attention to in vitro culture protocols and the effects of excessive folic acid intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Menezo
- Laboratoire Clément, 17 Avenue d’Eylau, 75016 Paris, France
- Correspondence:
| | - Kay Elder
- Bourn Hall Clinic, Cambridge CB1 0BE, UK
| | | | - Arthur Clement
- Laboratoire Clément, 17 Avenue d’Eylau, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Pasquale Patrizio
- Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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26
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Schroeder M, Badini G, Sferruzzi-Perri AN, Albrecht C. The Consequences of Assisted Reproduction Technologies on the Offspring Health Throughout Life: A Placental Contribution. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:906240. [PMID: 35747691 PMCID: PMC9210138 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.906240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) worldwide has led to the conception and birth of over eight million babies since being implemented in 1978. ART use is currently on the rise, given growing infertility and the increase in conception age among men and women in industrialized countries. Though obstetric and perinatal outcomes have improved over the years, pregnancies achieved by ART still bear increased risks for the mother and the unborn child. Moreover, given that the first generation of ART offspring is now only reaching their forties, the long-term effects of ART are currently unknown. This is important, as there is a wealth of data showing that life-long health can be predetermined by poor conditions during intrauterine development, including irregularities in the structure and functioning of the placenta. In the current review, we aim to summarize the latest available findings examining the effects of ART on the cardiometabolic, cognitive/neurodevelopmental, and behavioral outcomes in the perinatal period, childhood and adolescence/adulthood; and to examine placental intrinsic factors that may contribute to the developmental outcomes of ART offspring. Altogether, the latest knowledge about life outcomes beyond adolescence for those conceived by ART appears to suggest a better long-term outcome than previously predicted. There are also changes in placenta structure and functional capacity with ART. However, more work in this area is critically required, since the potential consequences of ART may still emerge as the offspring gets older. In addition, knowledge of the placenta may help to foresee and mitigate any adverse outcomes in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Schroeder
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gina Badini
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Amanda N Sferruzzi-Perri
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christiane Albrecht
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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27
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Mani S, Ghosh J, Rhon-Calderon EA, Lan Y, Ord T, Kalliora C, Chan J, Schultz B, Vaughan-Williams E, Coutifaris C, Sapienza C, Senapati S, Bartolomei MS, Mainigi M. Embryo cryopreservation leads to sex-specific DNA methylation perturbations in both human and mouse placentas. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:3855-3872. [PMID: 35717573 PMCID: PMC9652110 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is associated with DNA methylation abnormalities and a higher incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, which exposure(s), among the many IVF interventions, contributes to these outcomes remains unknown. Frozen embryo transfer (ET) is increasingly utilized as an alternative to fresh ET, but reports suggest a higher incidence of pre-eclampsia and large for gestational age infants. This study examines DNA methylation in human placentas using the 850K Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array obtained after 65 programmed frozen ET cycles, 82 fresh ET cycles and 45 unassisted conceptions. Nine patients provided placentas following frozen and fresh ET from consecutive pregnancies for a paired subgroup analysis. In parallel, eight mouse placentas from fresh and frozen ET were analyzed using the Infinium Mouse Methylation BeadChip array. Human and mouse placentas were significantly hypermethylated after frozen ET compared with fresh. Paired analysis showed similar trends. Sex-specific analysis revealed that these changes were driven by male placentas in humans and mice. Frozen and fresh ET placentas were significantly different from controls, with frozen samples hypermethylated compared with controls driven by males and fresh samples being hypomethylated compared with controls, driven by females. Sexually dimorphic epigenetic changes could indicate differential susceptibility to IVF-associated perturbations, which highlights the importance of sex-specific evaluation of adverse outcomes. Similarities between changes in mice and humans underscore the suitability of the mouse model in evaluating how IVF impacts the epigenetic landscape, which is valuable given limited access to human tissue and the ability to isolate specific interventions in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Mani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jayashri Ghosh
- Cancer and Cellular Biology, Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Eric A Rhon-Calderon
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yemin Lan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Teri Ord
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Charikleia Kalliora
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joe Chan
- Cancer and Cellular Biology, Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Bryant Schultz
- Cancer and Cellular Biology, Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Elaine Vaughan-Williams
- Cancer and Cellular Biology, Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Christos Coutifaris
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Carmen Sapienza
- Cancer and Cellular Biology, Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Suneeta Senapati
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marisa S Bartolomei
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Monica Mainigi
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3701 Market Street, 8th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Tel: +1 2156622972; Fax: +1 2153495512;
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28
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Sciorio R, El Hajj N. Epigenetic Risks of Medically Assisted Reproduction. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11082151. [PMID: 35456243 PMCID: PMC9027760 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11082151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the birth of Louise Joy Brown, the first baby conceived via in vitro fertilization, more than 9 million children have been born worldwide using assisted reproductive technologies (ART). In vivo fertilization takes place in the maternal oviduct, where the unique physiological conditions guarantee the healthy development of the embryo. During early embryogenesis, a major wave of epigenetic reprogramming takes place that is crucial for the correct development of the embryo. Epigenetic reprogramming is susceptible to environmental changes and non-physiological conditions such as those applied during in vitro culture, including shift in pH and temperature, oxygen tension, controlled ovarian stimulation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, as well as preimplantation embryo manipulations for genetic testing. In the last decade, concerns were raised of a possible link between ART and increased incidence of imprinting disorders, as well as epigenetic alterations in the germ cells of infertile parents that are transmitted to the offspring following ART. The aim of this review was to present evidence from the literature regarding epigenetic errors linked to assisted reproduction treatments and their consequences on the conceived children. Furthermore, we provide an overview of disease risk associated with epigenetic or imprinting alterations in children born via ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romualdo Sciorio
- Edinburgh Assisted Conception Programme, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Nady El Hajj
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar;
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29
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Sciorio R, Esteves SC. Contemporary Use of ICSI and Epigenetic Risks to Future Generations. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11082135. [PMID: 35456226 PMCID: PMC9031244 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11082135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the birth of Louise Brown in 1978 via IVF, reproductive specialists have acquired enormous knowledge and refined several procedures, which are nowadays applied in assisted reproductive technology (ART). One of the most critical steps in this practice is the fertilization process. In the early days of IVF, a remarkable concern was the unpleasant outcomes of failed fertilization, overtaken by introducing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), delineating a real breakthrough in modern ART. ICSI became standard practice and was soon used as the most common method to fertilize oocytes. It has been used for severe male factor infertility and non-male factors, such as unexplained infertility or advanced maternal age, without robust scientific evidence. However, applying ICSI blindly is not free of potential detrimental consequences since novel studies report possible health consequences to offspring. DNA methylation and epigenetic alterations in sperm cells of infertile men might help explain some of the adverse effects reported in ICSI studies on reproductive health in future generations. Collected data concerning the health of ICSI children over the past thirty years seems to support the notion that there might be an increased risk of epigenetic disorders, congenital malformations, chromosomal alterations, and subfertility in babies born following ICSI compared to naturally conceived children. However, it is still to be elucidated to what level these data are associated with the cause of infertility or the ICSI technique. This review provides an overview of epigenetic mechanisms and possible imprinting alterations following the use of ART, in particular ICSI. It also highlights the sperm contribution to embryo epigenetic regulation and the risks of in vitro culture conditions on epigenetic dysregulation. Lastly, it summarizes the literature concerning the possible epigenetic disorders in children born after ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romualdo Sciorio
- Edinburgh Assisted Conception Programme, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Sandro C. Esteves
- Androfert, Andrology and Human Reproduction Clinic, Campinas 13075-460, Brazil;
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
- Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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Saraiva NZ, Oliveira CS, Almeida NN, Figueiró MR, Quintão CC, Garcia JM. Epigenetic modifiers during in vitro maturation as a strategy to increase oocyte competence in bovine. Theriogenology 2022; 187:95-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Perinatal outcomes of singleton live births after preimplantation genetic testing during single frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer cycles: a propensity score-matched study. Fertil Steril 2022; 117:562-570. [PMID: 35120744 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether singleton pregnancy achieved after preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is associated with a higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes than in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) singleton pregnancy. DESIGN A retrospective cohort study. SETTING A university-affiliated fertility center. PATIENT(S) This cohort study included singleton live births resulting from PGT (n = 232) and IVF/ICSI singleton pregnancies (n = 2,829) with single frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer. Multiple baseline covariates were used for propensity score matching, yielding 214 PGT singleton pregnancies matched to 617 IVF/ICSI singleton pregnancies. INTERVENTION(S) Trophectoderm biopsy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) The primary outcome was gestational hypertension, and various clinical perinatal secondary outcomes related to maternal and neonatal health were measured. RESULT(S) Compared with IVF/ICSI singleton pregnancy, PGT singleton pregnancy was associated with a significantly higher risk of gestational hypertension (adjusted odds ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.32, 5.05). In the matched sample, the risk of gestational hypertension remained higher with PGT singleton pregnancy (odds ratio, 2.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.04, 5.22) than with IVF/ICSI singleton pregnancy. No statistical differences were noted in any other measured outcomes between the groups. CONCLUSION(S) The perinatal outcomes of PGT and IVF/ICSI singleton pregnancies were similar except for the observed potentially higher risk of gestational hypertension with PGT singleton pregnancy. However, because the data on PGT singleton pregnancies are limited, this conclusion warrants further investigation.
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Use of reproductive technology for sex selection for nonmedical reasons: an Ethics Committee opinion. Fertil Steril 2022; 117:720-726. [PMID: 35105444 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Because the practice of preimplantation sex selection is ethically controversial, clinics are encouraged to develop and make available their policies regarding its use. Practitioners offering assisted reproductive services are under no ethical obligation to provide or refuse to provide nonmedically-indicated methods of sex selection. This document replaces the document of the same name, last published in 2015.
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Placental Dysfunction in Assisted Reproductive Pregnancies: Perinatal, Neonatal and Adult Life Outcomes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020659. [PMID: 35054845 PMCID: PMC8775397 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Obstetric and newborn outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) pregnancies are associated with significative prevalence of maternal and neonatal adverse health conditions, such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. These data are interpreted as anomalies in placentation involving a dysregulation of several molecular factors and pathways. It is not clear which extent of the observed placental alterations are the result of ART and which originate from infertility itself. These two aspects probably act synergically for the final obstetric risk. Data show that mechanisms of inappropriate trophoblast invasion and consequent altered vascular remodeling sustain several clinical conditions, leading to obstetric and perinatal risks often found in ART pregnancies, such as preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction and placenta previa or accreta. The roles of factors such as VEGF, GATA3, PIGF, sFLT-1, sEndoglin, EGFL7, melatonin and of ART conditions, such as short or long embryo cultures, trophectoderm biopsy, embryo cryopreservation, and supraphysiologic endometrium preparation, are discussed. Inflammatory local conditions and epigenetic influence on embryos of ART procedures are important research topics since they may have important consequences on obstetric risk. Prevention and treatment of these conditions represent new frontiers for clinicians and biologists involved in ART, and synergic actions with researchers at molecular levels are advocated.
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Mizrak I, Asserhøj LL, Lund MAV, Kielstrup LR, Greisen G, Clausen TD, Main KM, Jensen RB, Vejlstrup NG, Madsen PL, Pinborg A. Cardiovascular function in 8- to 9-year-old singletons born after ART with frozen and fresh embryo transfer. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:600-611. [PMID: 35015837 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Do 8- to 9-year-old singletons conceived after frozen embryo transfer (FET) or fresh embryo transfer (Fresh-ET) have increased arterial stiffness compared to naturally conceived (NC) children? SUMMARY ANSWER The process of FET or Fresh-ET is not associated with altered cardiovascular function in 8- to 9-year-old singletons, including arterial stiffness, as compared to NC children. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY ART has been suggested to influence cardiovascular risk factors (i.e. endothelial dysfunction, increased arterial blood pressure and insulin resistance). It is not known if ART procedures alter arterial stiffness in singletons. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A cohort study was carried out, including 8- to 9-year-old singletons conceived after FET, Fresh-ET and NC children (50 children in each group). This study was conducted between November 2018 and August 2020. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS In total, 150 singletons were identified through the Danish IVF Registry and the Medical Birth Registry. They underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and anthropometric measurements. Parental data were collected using questionnaires. NC children were matched by sex and birth year with FET/Fresh-ET children. Exclusion criteria were congenital heart disease, maternal gestational diabetes or maternal diabetes mellitus. Our primary outcome was arterial stiffness, which is assessed from noninvasive arterial blood pressure and aortic ascendens distensibility. The secondary outcome was the pulse wave velocity of total aorta and exploratory outcomes were left ventricular ejection fraction, mean arterial pressure, cardiac output and total peripheral resistance. Measurements and analyses were performed blinded to the child group. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Aortic ascendens distensibility of children conceived after FET and Fresh-ET did not differ from NC children (mean (SD): FET 11.1 (3.6) 10-3 mmHg-1, Fresh-ET 11.8 (3.0) 10-3 mmHg-1, NC 11.4 (2.8) 10-3 mmHg-1, P > 0.05). Multivariate linear regression was performed to adjust for potential confounders (i.e. child sex and age, maternal BMI at early pregnancy and maternal educational level). Data showed no statistically significant differences between study groups and aortic ascendens distensibility. However, the fully adjusted model showed a non-significant tendency of lowered aortic ascendens distensibility in children born after FET compared to Fresh-ET (β estimate (95% CI): -0.99 10-3 mmHg-1 (-2.20; 0.21)) and NC children (β estimate (95% CI): -0.77 10-3 mmHg-1 (-1.98; 0.44)). Lastly, secondary and exploratory outcomes did not differ between the groups. Primary and secondary outcomes showed good intra-rater reliability. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study is possibly limited by potential selection bias as the participation rate was higher in the ART compared to the NC group. Also, in some variables, the study groups differed slightly from the non-participant population. The non-participant population (n = 1770) included those who were excluded, not invited to CMR scan, or declined to participate in this study. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our findings indicate that children born after FET or Fresh-ET do not have altered cardiovascular function, including arterial stiffness. This is reassuring for the future use of ART. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (grant reference number: NNF19OC0054340) and The Research Foundation of Rigshospitalet. All authors declared no conflict of interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03719703.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Mizrak
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev-Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark.,Fertility Department, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, Copenhagen
| | - L L Asserhøj
- Fertility Department, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, Copenhagen.,Department of Growth and Reproduction and EDMaRC, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M A V Lund
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, Copenhagen
| | - L R Kielstrup
- Fertility Department, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, Copenhagen
| | - G Greisen
- Department of Neonatology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - T D Clausen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, North Zealand Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | - K M Main
- Department of Growth and Reproduction and EDMaRC, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - R B Jensen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction and EDMaRC, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - N G Vejlstrup
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, Copenhagen
| | - P L Madsen
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev-Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - A Pinborg
- Fertility Department, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, Copenhagen
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35
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OUP accepted manuscript. Hum Reprod Update 2022; 28:629-655. [DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmac010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Barberet J, Binquet C, Guilleman M, Romain G, Bruno C, Martinaud A, Ginod P, Cavalieri M, Amblot C, Choux C, Fauque P. Does underlying infertility in natural conception modify the epigenetic control of imprinted genes and transposable elements in newborns? Reprod Biomed Online 2022; 44:706-715. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Chu M, Yao F, Xi G, Yang J, Zhang Z, Yang Q, Tian J, An L. Vitamin C Rescues in vitro Embryonic Development by Correcting Impaired Active DNA Demethylation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:784244. [PMID: 34869387 PMCID: PMC8640463 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.784244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During preimplantation development, a wave of genome-wide DNA demethylation occurs to acquire a hypomethylated genome of the blastocyst. As an essential epigenomic event, postfertilization DNA demethylation is critical to establish full developmental potential. Despite its importance, this process is prone to be disrupted due to environmental perturbations such as manipulation and culture of embryos during in vitro fertilization (IVF), and thus leading to epigenetic errors. However, since the first case of aberrant DNA demethylation reported in IVF embryos, its underlying mechanism remains unclear and the strategy for correcting this error remains unavailable in the past decade. Thus, understanding the mechanism responsible for DNA demethylation defects, may provide a potential approach for preventing or correcting IVF-associated complications. Herein, using mouse and bovine IVF embryos as the model, we reported that ten-eleven translocation (TET)-mediated active DNA demethylation, an important contributor to the postfertilization epigenome reprogramming, was impaired throughout preimplantation development. Focusing on modulation of TET dioxygenases, we found vitamin C and α-ketoglutarate, the well-established important co-factors for stimulating TET enzymatic activity, were synthesized in both embryos and the oviduct during preimplantation development. Accordingly, impaired active DNA demethylation can be corrected by incubation of IVF embryos with vitamin C, and thus improving their lineage differentiation and developmental potential. Together, our data not only provides a promising approach for preventing or correcting IVF-associated epigenetic errors, but also highlights the critical role of small molecules or metabolites from maternal paracrine in finetuning embryonic epigenomic reprogramming during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqiang Chu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Fusheng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Guangyin Xi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenni Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qianying Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianhui Tian
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei An
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Epigenetic Modifications at the Center of the Barker Hypothesis and Their Transgenerational Implications. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182312728. [PMID: 34886453 PMCID: PMC8656758 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Embryo/fetal nutrition and the environment in the reproductive tract influence the subsequent risk of developing adult diseases and disorders, as formulated in the Barker hypothesis. Metabolic syndrome, obesity, heart disease, and hypertension in adulthood have all been linked to unwanted epigenetic programing in embryos and fetuses. Multiple studies support the conclusion that environmental challenges, such as a maternal low-protein diet, can change one-carbon amino acid metabolism and, thus, alter histone and DNA epigenetic modifications. Since histones influence gene expression and the program of embryo development, these epigenetic changes likely contribute to the risk of adult disease onset not just in the directly affected offspring, but for multiple generations to come. In this paper, we hypothesize that the effects of parental nutritional status on fetal epigenetic programming are transgenerational and warrant further investigation. Numerous studies supporting this hypothesis are reviewed, and potential research techniques to study these transgenerational epigenetic effects are offered.
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Ducreux B, Frappier J, Bruno C, Doukani A, Guilleman M, Simon E, Martinaud A, Bourc’his D, Barberet J, Fauque P. Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Buccal Cells of Children Conceived through IVF and ICSI. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1912. [PMID: 34946866 PMCID: PMC8701402 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life periconceptional exposures during assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures could alter the DNA methylation profiles of ART children, notably in imprinted genes and repetitive elements. At the genome scale, DNA methylation differences have been reported in ART conceptions at birth, but it is still unclear if those differences remain at childhood. Here, we performed an epigenome-wide DNA methylation association study using Illumina InfiniumEPIC BeadChip to assess the effects of the mode of conception on the methylome of buccal cells from 7- to 8-year-old children (48 children conceived after ART or naturally (control, CTL)) and according to the embryo culture medium in which they were conceived. We identified 127 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and 16 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) (FDR < 0.05) with low delta beta differences between the two groups (ART vs. CTL). DMPs were preferentially located inside promoter proximal regions and CpG islands and were mostly hypermethylated with ART. We highlighted that the use of distinct embryo culture medium was not associated with DNA methylation differences in childhood. Overall, we bring additional evidence that children conceived via ART display limited genome-wide DNA methylation variation compared with those conceived naturally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Ducreux
- Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1231, 2 Rue Angélique Ducoudray, F-21000 Dijon, France; (B.D.); (J.F.); (C.B.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (A.M.); (J.B.)
| | - Jean Frappier
- Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1231, 2 Rue Angélique Ducoudray, F-21000 Dijon, France; (B.D.); (J.F.); (C.B.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (A.M.); (J.B.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction—CECOS, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, 14 Rue Gaffarel, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Céline Bruno
- Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1231, 2 Rue Angélique Ducoudray, F-21000 Dijon, France; (B.D.); (J.F.); (C.B.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (A.M.); (J.B.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction—CECOS, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, 14 Rue Gaffarel, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Abiba Doukani
- Faculté de Médecine, Sorbonne Université, UMS 37 PASS Plateforme P3S, 91, Bd de l’hôpital, F-75634 Paris, France;
| | - Magali Guilleman
- Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1231, 2 Rue Angélique Ducoudray, F-21000 Dijon, France; (B.D.); (J.F.); (C.B.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (A.M.); (J.B.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction—CECOS, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, 14 Rue Gaffarel, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Emmanuel Simon
- Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1231, 2 Rue Angélique Ducoudray, F-21000 Dijon, France; (B.D.); (J.F.); (C.B.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (A.M.); (J.B.)
- Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, 14 Rue Gaffarel, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Aurélie Martinaud
- Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1231, 2 Rue Angélique Ducoudray, F-21000 Dijon, France; (B.D.); (J.F.); (C.B.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (A.M.); (J.B.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction—CECOS, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, 14 Rue Gaffarel, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Déborah Bourc’his
- Institut Curie, PSL University, CNRS, INSERM, 26 Rue d’Ulm, F-75248 Paris, France;
| | - Julie Barberet
- Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1231, 2 Rue Angélique Ducoudray, F-21000 Dijon, France; (B.D.); (J.F.); (C.B.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (A.M.); (J.B.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction—CECOS, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, 14 Rue Gaffarel, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Patricia Fauque
- Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1231, 2 Rue Angélique Ducoudray, F-21000 Dijon, France; (B.D.); (J.F.); (C.B.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (A.M.); (J.B.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction—CECOS, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, 14 Rue Gaffarel, F-21000 Dijon, France
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Zheng W, Yang C, Yang S, Sun S, Mu M, Rao M, Zu R, Yan J, Ren B, Yang R, Guan Y. Obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnancies resulting from preimplantation genetic testing: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Update 2021; 27:989-1012. [PMID: 34473268 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) includes methods that allow embryos to be tested for severe inherited diseases or chromosomal abnormalities. In addition to IVF/ICSI and repeated freezing and thawing of the embryos, PGT requires a biopsy to obtain embryonic genetic material for analysis. However, the potential effects of PGT on obstetric and neonatal outcomes are currently uncertain. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE This study aimed to investigate whether pregnancies conceived after PGT were associated with a higher risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes compared with spontaneously conceived (SC) pregnancies or pregnancies conceived after IVF/ICSI. SEARCH METHODS PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library entries from January 1990 to January 2021 were searched. The primary outcomes in this study were low birth weight (LBW) and congenital malformations (CMs), and the secondary outcomes included gestational age, preterm delivery (PTD), very preterm delivery (VPTD), birth weight (BW), very low birth weight (VLBW), neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes, placenta previa and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PROM). We further pooled the results of PGT singleton pregnancies. Subgroup analyses included preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), cleavage-stage biopsy combined with fresh embryo transfer (CB-ET) and blastocyst biopsy combined with frozen-thawed embryo transfer (BB-FET). OUTCOMES This meta-analysis included 15 studies involving 3682 babies born from PGT pregnancies, 127 719 babies born from IVF/ICSI pregnancies and 915 222 babies born from SC pregnancies. The relative risk (RR) of LBW was higher in PGT pregnancies compared with SC pregnancies (RR = 3.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.32-6.72), but the risk of CMs was not different between the two groups. The pooled results for the risks of LBW and CMs were similar in PGT and IVF/ICSI pregnancies. The risks of PTD (RR = 3.12, 95% CI: 2.67-3.64) and HDP (RR = 3.12, 95% CI: 2.18-4.47) were significantly higher in PGT pregnancies compared with SC pregnancies. Lower gestational age (mean difference [MD] = -0.76 weeks, 95% CI -1.17 to -0.34) and BW (MD = -163.80 g, 95% CI: -299.35 to -28.24) were also noted for PGT pregnancies compared with SC pregnancies. Nevertheless, compared with IVF/ICSI pregnancies, the risks of VPTD and VLBW in PGT pregnancies were significantly decreased by 41% and 30%, respectively, although the risk of HDP was still significantly increased by 50% in PGT pregnancies compared with IVF/ICSI pregnancies. The combined results of obstetric and neonatal outcomes of PGT and IVF/ICSI singleton pregnancies were consistent with the overall results. Further subgroup analyses indicated that both PGD and PGS pregnancies were associated with a higher risk of PTD and a lower gestational age compared with SC pregnancies. WIDER IMPLICATIONS This meta-analysis showed that PGT pregnancies may be associated with increased risks of LBW, PTD and HDP compared with SC pregnancies. The overall obstetric and neonatal outcomes of PGT pregnancies are favourable compared with those of IVF/ICSI pregnancies, although PGT pregnancies were associated with a higher risk of HDP. However, because the number of studies that could be included was limited, more randomised controlled trials and prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm these conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zheng
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chen Yang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuheng Yang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Simin Sun
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mingkun Mu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Meng Rao
- Department of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Ruowen Zu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Junfang Yan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bingnan Ren
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Rujing Yang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yichun Guan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Barberet J, Romain G, Binquet C, Guilleman M, Bruno C, Ginod P, Chapusot C, Choux C, Fauque P. Do frozen embryo transfers modify the epigenetic control of imprinted genes and transposable elements in newborns compared with fresh embryo transfers and natural conceptions? Fertil Steril 2021; 116:1468-1480. [PMID: 34538459 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether the epigenetic control of imprinted genes (IGs) and transposable elements (TEs) differs at birth between fresh or frozen embryo transfers and natural conceptions. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING University hospital. PATIENT(S) A total of 202 singleton births were divided into three groups: 84 natural pregnancies (controls), 66 in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection with fresh embryo transfers, and 52 vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection with frozen embryo transfers. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Pyrosequencing was used to assess the DNA methylation profiles of three IGs (H19/IGF2:IG-DMR [two sequences], KCNQ1OT1:TSS-DMR, and SNURF:TSS-DMR) and two TEs (LINE-1 and HERV-FRD) in cord blood and placenta. The quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to study the transcription of three IGs (H19, KCNQ1, and SNRPN) and two TEs (LINE-1 and ORF2). RESULT(S) After adjustment, the placental DNA methylation levels of H19/IGF2 were lower in the fresh embryo transfer group than in the control (H19/IGF2-seq1) and frozen embryo transfer (H19/IGF2-seq2) groups. The DNA methylation rate for LINE-1 was lower in placentas from the fresh embryo transfer group than in placentas from the control and frozen embryo transfer groups and for HERV-FRD compared with controls. In cord blood, DNA methylation levels were not significantly associated with the mode of conception. The relative expression of LINE-1 and ORF2 was decreased in both cord blood and placental tissues from fresh embryo transfer conceptions compared with natural conceptions and frozen embryo transfer conceptions. CONCLUSION(S) Compared with natural conceptions and frozen embryo transfers, fresh embryo transfers were associated with methylation and/or transcription changes in some TEs and IGs, mostly in placental samples, which could indicate altered placental epigenetic regulation resulting from ovarian stimulation protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Barberet
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté-Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), INSERM UMR1231, Dijon, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon-Bourgogne, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, Dijon, France
| | - Gaelle Romain
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon-Bourgogne, Centre d'Investigation Clinique, Module Epidémiologie Clinique/Essais Cliniques (CIC-EC), Dijon, France; INSERM, CIC1432, Module Epidémiologie Clinique, Dijon, France
| | - Christine Binquet
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon-Bourgogne, Centre d'Investigation Clinique, Module Epidémiologie Clinique/Essais Cliniques (CIC-EC), Dijon, France; INSERM, CIC1432, Module Epidémiologie Clinique, Dijon, France
| | - Magali Guilleman
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté-Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), INSERM UMR1231, Dijon, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon-Bourgogne, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, Dijon, France
| | - Céline Bruno
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté-Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), INSERM UMR1231, Dijon, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon-Bourgogne, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, Dijon, France
| | - Perrine Ginod
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté-Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), INSERM UMR1231, Dijon, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon-Bourgogne, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Dijon, France
| | - Caroline Chapusot
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon-Bourgogne, Plateforme de Génétique des Cancers de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Cécile Choux
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté-Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), INSERM UMR1231, Dijon, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon-Bourgogne, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Dijon, France
| | - Patricia Fauque
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté-Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD), INSERM UMR1231, Dijon, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon-Bourgogne, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, Dijon, France.
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Norrman E, Petzold M, Gissler M, Spangmose AL, Opdahl S, Henningsen AK, Pinborg A, Tiitinen A, Rosengren A, Romundstad LB, Wennerholm UB, Bergh C. Cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes in children born after assisted reproductive technology: A population-based cohort study. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003723. [PMID: 34491995 PMCID: PMC8423242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some earlier studies have found indications of significant changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in children born after assisted reproductive technology (ART). Most of these studies are based on small cohorts with high risk of selection bias. In this study, we compared the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes between singleton children born after ART and singleton children born after spontaneous conception (SC). METHODS AND FINDINGS This was a large population-based cohort study of individuals born in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark between 1984 and 2015. Data were obtained from national ART and medical birth registers and cross-linked with data from national patient registers and other population-based registers in the respective countries. In total, 122,429 children born after ART and 7,574,685 children born after SC were included. Mean (SD) maternal age was 33.9 (4.3) years for ART and 29.7 (5.2) for SC, 67.7% versus 41.8% were primiparous, and 45.2% versus 32.1% had more than 12 years of education. Preterm birth (<37 weeks 0 days) occurred in 7.9% of children born after ART and 4.8% in children born after SC, and 5.7% versus 3.3% had a low birth weight (<2,500 g). Mean (SD) follow-up time was 8.6 (6.2) years for children born after ART and 14.0 (8.6) years for children born after SC. In total, 135 (0.11%), 645 (0.65%), and 18 (0.01%) children born after ART were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, or cerebrovascular disease), obesity or type 2 diabetes, respectively. The corresponding values were 10,702 (0.14%), 30,308 (0.74%), and 2,919 (0.04%) for children born after SC. In the unadjusted analysis, children born after ART had a significantly higher risk of any cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio [HR] 1.24; 95% CI 1.04-1.48; p = 0.02), obesity (HR 1.13; 95% CI 1.05-1.23; p = 0.002), and type 2 diabetes (HR 1.71; 95% CI 1.08-2.73; p = 0.02). After adjustment, there was no significant difference between children born after ART and children born after SC for any cardiovascular disease (adjusted HR [aHR]1.02; 95% CI 0.86-1.22; p = 0.80) or type 2 diabetes (aHR 1.31; 95% CI 0.82-2.09; p = 0.25). For any cardiovascular disease, the 95% CI was reasonably narrow, excluding effects of a substantial magnitude, while the 95% CI for type 2 diabetes was wide, not excluding clinically meaningful effects. For obesity, there was a small but significant increased risk among children born after ART (aHR 1.14; 95% CI 1.06-1.23; p = 0.001). Important limitations of the study were the relatively short follow-up time, the limited number of events for some outcomes, and that the outcome obesity is often not considered as a disease and therefore not caught by registers, likely leading to an underestimation of obesity in both children born after ART and children born after SC. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we observed no difference in the risk of cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes between children born after ART and children born after SC. For obesity, there was a small but significant increased risk for children born after ART. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN11780826.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Norrman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Max Petzold
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mika Gissler
- Information Services Department, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anne Lærke Spangmose
- Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Signe Opdahl
- Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Anja Pinborg
- Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Aila Tiitinen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Annika Rosengren
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Liv Bente Romundstad
- Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Spiren Fertility Clinic, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ulla-Britt Wennerholm
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christina Bergh
- Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Caramaschi D, Jungius J, Page CM, Novakovic B, Saffery R, Halliday J, Lewis S, Magnus MC, London SJ, Håberg SE, Relton CL, Lawlor DA, Elliott HR. Association of medically assisted reproduction with offspring cord blood DNA methylation across cohorts. Hum Reprod 2021; 36:2403-2413. [PMID: 34136910 PMCID: PMC8289315 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is cord blood DNA methylation associated with having been conceived by medically assisted reproduction? SUMMARY ANSWER This study does not provide strong evidence of an association of conception by medically assisted reproduction with variation in infant blood cell DNA methylation. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Medically assisted reproduction consists of procedures used to help infertile/subfertile couples conceive, including ART. Due to its importance in gene regulation during early development programming, DNA methylation and its perturbations associated with medically assisted reproduction could reveal new insights into the biological effects of assisted reproductive technologies and potential adverse offspring outcomes. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We investigated the association of DNA methylation and medically assisted reproduction using a case–control study design (N = 205 medically assisted reproduction cases and N = 2439 naturally conceived controls in discovery cohorts; N = 149 ART cases and N = 58 non-ART controls in replication cohort). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTINGS, METHODS We assessed the association between medically assisted reproduction and DNA methylation at birth in cord blood (205 medically assisted conceptions and 2439 naturally conceived controls) at >450 000 CpG sites across the genome in two sub-samples of the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and two sub-samples of the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) by meta-analysis. We explored replication of findings in the Australian Clinical review of the Health of adults conceived following Assisted Reproductive Technologies (CHART) study (N = 149 ART conceptions and N = 58 controls). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The ALSPAC and MoBa meta-analysis revealed evidence of association between conception by medically assisted reproduction and DNA methylation (false-discovery-rate-corrected P-value < 0.05) at five CpG sites which are annotated to two genes (percentage difference in methylation per CpG, cg24051276: Beta = 0.23 (95% CI 0.15,0.31); cg00012522: Beta = 0.47 (95% CI 0.31, 0.63); cg17855264: Beta = 0.31 (95% CI 0.20, 0.43); cg17132421: Beta = 0.30 (95% CI 0.18, 0.42); cg18529845: Beta = 0.41 (95% CI 0.25, 0.57)). Methylation at three of these sites has been previously linked to cancer, aging, HIV infection and neurological diseases. None of these associations replicated in the CHART cohort. There was evidence of a functional role of medically assisted reproduction-induced hypermethylation at CpG sites located within regulatory regions as shown by putative transcription factor binding and chromatin remodelling. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTIONS While insufficient power is likely, heterogeneity in types of medically assisted reproduction procedures and between populations may also contribute. Larger studies might identify replicable variation in DNA methylation at birth due to medically assisted reproduction. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Newborns conceived with medically assisted procedures present with divergent DNA methylation in cord blood white cells. If these associations are true and causal, they might have long-term consequences for offspring health. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS(S) This study has been supported by the US National Institute of Health (R01 DK10324), the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC Grant agreement no. 669545, European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant agreement no. 733206 (LifeCycle) and the NIHR Biomedical Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol. The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 102215/2/13/2) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. Methylation data in the ALSPAC cohort were generated as part of the UK BBSRC funded (BB/I025751/1 and BB/I025263/1) Accessible Resource for Integrated Epigenomic Studies (ARIES, http://www.ariesepigenomics.org.uk). D.C., J.J., C.L.R. D.A.L and H.R.E. work in a Unit that is supported by the University of Bristol and the UK Medical Research Council (Grant nos. MC_UU_00011/1, MC_UU_00011/5 and MC_UU_00011/6). B.N. is supported by an NHMRC (Australia) Investigator Grant (1173314). ALSPAC GWAS data were generated by Sample Logistics and Genotyping Facilities at Wellcome Sanger Institute and LabCorp (Laboratory Corporation of America) using support from 23andMe. The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research, NIH/NIEHS (Contract no. N01-ES-75558), NIH/NINDS (Grant nos. (i) UO1 NS 047537-01 and (ii) UO1 NS 047537-06A1). For this work, MoBa 1 and 2 were supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Z01-ES-49019) and the Norwegian Research Council/BIOBANK (Grant no. 221097). This work was partly supported by the Research Council of Norway through its Centres of Excellence funding scheme, Project no. 262700. D.A.L. has received support from national and international government and charity funders, as well as from Roche Diagnostics and Medtronic for research unrelated to this study. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doretta Caramaschi
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - James Jungius
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Christian M Page
- Division for Research Support, Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Boris Novakovic
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jane Halliday
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Sharon Lewis
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Maria C Magnus
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stephanie J London
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Siri E Håberg
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Caroline L Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Deborah A Lawlor
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Bristol NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Hannah R Elliott
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Yeung EH, Mendola P, Sundaram R, Zeng X, Guan W, Tsai MY, Robinson SL, Stern JE, Ghassabian A, Lawrence D, O'Connor TG, Segars J, Gore-Langton RE, Bell EM. Conception by fertility treatment and offspring deoxyribonucleic acid methylation. Fertil Steril 2021; 116:493-504. [PMID: 33823999 PMCID: PMC8349775 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation at birth and in childhood differ by conception using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) or ovulation induction compared with those in children conceived without fertility treatment. DESIGN Upstate KIDS is a matched exposure cohort which oversampled on newborns conceived by treatment. SETTING New York State (excluding New York City). PATIENT(S) This analysis included 855 newborns and 152 children at approximately 9 years of age. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) DNA methylation levels were measured using the Illumina EPIC platform. Single CpG and regional analyses at imprinting genes were conducted. RESULT(S) Compared to no fertility treatment, ART was associated with lower mean DNA methylation levels at birth in 11 CpGs (located in/near SYCE1, SPRN, KIAA2013, MYO1D, GET1/WRB-SH4BGR, IGF1R, SORD, NECAB3/ACTL10, and GET1) and higher mean methylation level in 1 CpG (KLK4; all false discovery rate P<.05). The strongest association (cg17676129) was located at SYCE1, which codes for a synaptonemal complex that plays a role in meiosis and therefore infertility. This CpG remained associated with newborn hypomethylation when the analysis was limited to those conceived with ICSI, but this may be because of underlying male infertility. In addition, nine regions in maternally imprinted genes (IGF1R, PPIEL, SVOPL GNAS, L3MBTL, BLCAP, HYMAI/PLAGL1, SNU13, and MEST) were observed to have decreased mean DNA methylation levels among newborns conceived by ART. In childhood, hypomethylation of the maternally imprinted gene, GNAS, persisted. No CpGs or regions were associated with ovulation induction. CONCLUSION(S) ART but not ovulation induction was associated with hypomethylation at birth, but only one difference at an imprinting region appeared to persist in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwina H Yeung
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Pauline Mendola
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Rajeshwari Sundaram
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Weihua Guan
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Michael Y Tsai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Sonia L Robinson
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Judy E Stern
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Akhgar Ghassabian
- Departments of Pediatrics, Population Health, and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - David Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany School of Public Health, Albany, New York
| | - Thomas G O'Connor
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - James Segars
- Howard W. and Georgeanna Seegar Jones Laboratory of Reproductive Sciences and Women's Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johns Hopkins Medical University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Erin M Bell
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, Albany, New York
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Cerebral palsy in children born after assisted reproductive technology: a meta-analysis. World J Pediatr 2021; 17:364-374. [PMID: 34283367 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-021-00442-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several studies have assessed the association between cerebral palsy (CP) and assisted reproductive technology (ART), but the results remain controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the risk of CP after ART compared with natural conceptions and to examine CP risk separately in ART singletons, multiples and preterm births. METHODS Web-based databases (PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) were searched until November 22, 2020. Studies which compare CP rates after ART with natural conceptions were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Effect estimates were extracted and combined using the fixed-effects or random-effects model depending on the heterogeneity test. RESULTS There were nine studies included in the meta-analysis. The included studies were of moderate or high quality. A significantly higher risk of CP [odds ratio (OR) = 2.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.72-2.74] was found in ART children (n = 89,214) compared with naturally conceived children (n = 4,160,745). The significantly higher risk decreased when data were restricted to singletons (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.16-1.59) and disappeared when data were restricted to multiples (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.86-1.29) or preterm births (OR = 1.53, 95% CI 0.66-3.56). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses indicated that the overall results were robust. CONCLUSIONS The risk of CP is increased more than two-fold after ART. This increased risk is largely due to increased rates of multiple birth and preterm delivery in ART children.
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Abstract
Assisted reproductive technology is today considered a safe and reliable medical intervention, with healthy live births a reality for many IVF and ICSI treatment cycles. However, there are increasing numbers of published reports describing epigenetic/imprinting anomalies in children born as a result of these procedures. These anomalies have been attributed to methylation errors in embryo chromatin remodelling during in vitro culture. Here we re-visit three concepts: (1) the so-called 'in vitro toxicity' of 'essential amino acids' before the maternal to zygotic transition period; (2) the effect of hyperstimulation (controlled ovarian hyperstimulation) on homocysteine in the oocyte environment and the effect on methylation in the absence of essential amino acids; and (3) the fact/postulate that during the early stages of development the embryo undergoes a 'global' demethylation. Methylation processes require efficient protection against oxidative stress, which jeopardizes the correct acquisition of methylation marks as well as subsequent methylation maintenance. The universal precursor of methylation [by S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)], methionine, 'an essential amino acid', should be present in the culture. Polyamines, regulators of methylation, require SAM and arginine for their syntheses. Cystine, another 'semi-essential amino acid', is the precursor of the universal protective antioxidant molecule: glutathione. It protects methylation marks against some undue DNA demethylation processes through ten-eleven translocation (TET), after formation of hydroxymethyl cytosine. Early embryos are unable to convert homocysteine to cysteine as the cystathionine β-synthase pathway is not active. In this way, cysteine is a 'real essential amino acid'. Most IVF culture medium do not maintain methylation/epigenetic processes, even in mouse assays. Essential amino acids should be present in human IVF medium to maintain adequate epigenetic marking in preimplantation embryos. Furthermore, morphological and morphometric data need to be re-evaluated, taking into account the basic biochemical processes involved in early life.
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Liu Y, Li X, Chen S, Wang L, Tan Y, Li X, Tang L, Zhang J, Wu D, Wu Y, Liu X, Zhu Y, Sheng J, Pan J, Jin L, Huang H. Comparison of Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiles of Human Fetal Tissues Conceived by in vitro Fertilization and Natural Conception. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:694769. [PMID: 34336842 PMCID: PMC8318003 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.694769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Assisted reproductive technology (ART) might induce adverse pregnancy outcomes and increase the risk of metabolic diseases in offspring' later life with unknown reasons. Here we evaluated the global methylation level and methylation profile of fetal tissue from elective terminations of pregnancy (ETP) after natural conception and multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR) after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Results Global methylation levels were comparable between the fetal tissue of ETP after natural conception group and MFPR after IVF-ET group. The methylation levels were lower in the hypermethylated regions of the MFPR group than in the ETP group, while the methylation levels were higher in the hypomethylated regions of the MFPR group. Heatmap visualization and hierarchical clustering of the candidate differentially methylated regions (DMRs) showed differences between the DMRs in the ETP and MFPR samples. We identified 196 differentially methylated regions that matched 164 genes between the ETP and MFPR groups. In the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, skeletal system morphogenesis and diabetes mellitus ranked first. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) revealed 8 diseases and functional annotations associated with IVT-ET. In the MFPR group, the final validation showed lower methylation levels in gene bodies of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), higher methylation levels in the 1st exon and 5'UTR of thyroid peroxidase (TPO), and higher methylation levels in TSS1500 and TSS200 of interleukin 1 beta (IL1B). Conclusions ART does not alter global DNA methylation level, but influences DNA methylation variation in specific regions of human fetus in the early stage of life. Further studies are warranted to clarify the potential role of DNA methylation alterations in the gene expression profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Liu
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinzhu Li
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Songchang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Wang
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yajing Tan
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaocui Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Tang
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Junyu Zhang
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dandan Wu
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanting Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinmei Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yimin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianzhong Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pathology and Pathphysiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiexue Pan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Jin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hefeng Huang
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Penova-Veselinovic B, Melton PE, Huang RC, Yovich JL, Burton P, Wijs LA, Hart RJ. DNA methylation patterns within whole blood of adolescents born from assisted reproductive technology are not different from adolescents born from natural conception. Hum Reprod 2021; 36:2035-2049. [PMID: 33890633 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Do the epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiles of adolescents born from ART differ from the epigenome of naturally conceived counterparts? SUMMARY ANSWER No significant differences in the DNA methylation profiles of adolescents born from ART [IVF or ICSI] were observed when compared to their naturally conceived, similar aged counterparts. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Short-term and longer-term studies have investigated the general health outcomes of children born from IVF treatment, albeit without common agreement as to the cause and underlying mechanisms of these adverse health findings. Growing evidence suggests that the reported adverse health outcomes in IVF-born offspring might have underlying epigenetic mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The Growing Up Healthy Study (GUHS) is a prospective study that recruited 303 adolescents and young adults, conceived through ART, to compare various long-term health outcomes and DNA methylation profiles with similar aged counterparts from Generation 2 from the Raine Study. GUHS assessments were conducted between 2013 and 2017. The effect of ART on DNA methylation levels of 231 adolescents mean age 15.96 ± 1.59 years (52.8% male) was compared to 1188 naturally conceived counterparts, 17.25 ± 0.58 years (50.9% male) from the Raine Study. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS DNA methylation profiles from a subset of 231 adolescents (13-19.9 years) from the GUHS, generated using the Infinium Methylation Epic Bead Chip (EPIC) array were compared to 1188 profiles from the Raine Study previously measured using the Illumina 450K array. We conducted epigenome-wide association approach (EWAS) and tested for an association between the cohorts applying Firth's bias reduced logistic regression against the outcome of ART versus naturally conceived offspring. Additionally, within the GUHS cohort, we investigated differences in methylation status in fresh versus frozen embryo transfers, cause of infertility as well as IVF versus ICSI conceived offspring. Following the EWAS analysis we investigated nominally significant probes using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) to identify enriched biological pathways. Finally, within GUHS we compared four estimates (Horvath, Hanuum, PhenoAge [Levine], and skin Horvath) of epigenetic age and their correlation with chronological age. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Between the two cohorts, we did not identify any DNA methylation probes that reached a Bonferroni corrected P-value < 1.24E-0.7. When comparing IVF versus ICSI conceived adolescents within the GUHS cohort, after adjustment for participant age, sex, maternal smoking, multiple births, and batch effect, three methylation probes (cg15016734, cg26744878 and cg20233073) reached a Bonferroni correction of 6.31E-08. After correcting for cell count heterogeneity, two of the aforementioned probes remained significant and an additional two probes (cg 0331628 and cg 20235051) were identified. A general trend towards hypomethylation in the ICSI offspring was observed. All four measures of epigenetic age were highly correlated with chronological age and showed no evidence of accelerated epigenetic aging within their whole blood. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The small sample size coupled with the use of whole blood, where epigenetic differences may occur in other tissue. This was corrected by the utilized statistical method that accounts for imbalanced sample size between groups and adjusting for cell count heterogeneity. Only a small portion of the methylome was analysed and rare individual differences may be missed. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our findings provide further reassurance that the effects of the ART manipulations occurring during early embryogenesis, existing in the neonatal period are indeed of a transient nature and do not persist into adolescence. However, we have not excluded that alternative epigenetic mechanisms may be at play. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This project was supported by NHMRC project Grant no. 1042269 and R.J.H. received funding support from Ferring Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd. R.J.H. is the Medical Director of Fertility Specialists of Western Australia and a shareholder in Western IVF. He has received educational sponsorship from Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.- Australia, Merck-Serono Australia Pty Ltd and Ferring Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd. P.B. is the Scientific Director of Concept Fertility Centre, Subiaco, Western Australia. J.L.Y. is the Medical Director of PIVET Medical Centre, Perth, Western Australia. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Penova-Veselinovic
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - P E Melton
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.,Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - R C Huang
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - J L Yovich
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.,PIVET Medical Centre, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - P Burton
- Concept Fertility Centre, Subiaco, WA, Australia.,School of Health and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - L A Wijs
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - R J Hart
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Fertility Specialists of Western Australia, Bethesda Hospital, Claremont, WA, Australia
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49
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Talebi T, Mohsen-Pour N, Hesami M, Maleki M, Kalayinia S. The association between in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment and the risk of congenital heart defects. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2021; 35:7471-7485. [PMID: 34233556 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2021.1949705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Assisted reproductive technology (ART), an effective treatment modality for infertility, is associated with a higher prevalence of congenital anomalies such as congenital heart defects (CHDs). The present study aimed to evaluate data linking CHDs in infants to pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). METHODS In this study, we conducted a systematic literature search on CHDs in infants following IVF/ICSI in Google Scholar, Embase, Scopus, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases from inception to February 2020. The search strategy used combinations of search keywords that included assisted reproductive technology/ART, in vitro fertilization/IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection/ICSI, birth defect, congenital malformation, and congenital heart defects. RESULTS Fifty-six studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were selected in the current systematic review, which assessed the association between ART and the risk of CHDs. CONCLUSION Children conceived by IVF/ICSI manifested an increased risk of CHDs compared with spontaneously conceived children. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term cardiovascular safety of these techniques, which is important for the counseling of patients before the use of ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taravat Talebi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS), Zanjan, Iran
| | - Neda Mohsen-Pour
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS), Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mahshid Hesami
- Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Maleki
- Cardiogenetic Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Kalayinia
- Cardiogenetic Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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50
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Xiang M, Chen S, Zhang X, Ma Y. Placental diseases associated with assisted reproductive technology. Reprod Biol 2021; 21:100505. [PMID: 33862590 DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2021.100505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The placenta develops from the outer trophoblastic layer following the differentiation of the fertilized ovum and is therefore more susceptible to epigenetic regulatory changes caused by environmental interventions and influences during assisted reproductive technology. Furthermore, the placenta regulates the development of the fetal heart, brain, kidneys, bones, and other tissues and organs [1]. Placental dysplasia leads to poor perinatal outcomes as well as long-term health risks later in life, including neurodevelopmental disorders, tumors, and adult metabolic syndrome [2,3]. In view of the decisive role of the placenta during intrauterine fetal development, Graham J. Burton, an expert in placentology from the University of Cambridge, formally proposed the theory of "placenta-derived chronic diseases" in 2018 based on embryonic-derived diseases [4]. In this review, we summarized the changes in placental morphology and structure, growth dynamics, imprinted and non-imprinted genes, and other aspects attributable to assisted reproduction technology. Our review provides a theoretical basis for further research on placental changes caused by assisted reproductive technology that are most strongly associated with an increased risk of neonatal long-term diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Xiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710021, China.
| | - Shuqiang Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Yuan Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
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