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Mckinnon K, Conole ELS, Vaher K, Hillary RF, Gadd DA, Binkowska J, Sullivan G, Stevenson AJ, Corrigan A, Murphy L, Whalley HC, Richardson H, Marioni RE, Cox SR, Boardman JP. Epigenetic scores derived in saliva are associated with gestational age at birth. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:84. [PMID: 38951914 PMCID: PMC11218140 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01701-2] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic scores (EpiScores), reflecting DNA methylation (DNAm)-based surrogates for complex traits, have been developed for multiple circulating proteins. EpiScores for pro-inflammatory proteins, such as C-reactive protein (DNAm CRP), are associated with brain health and cognition in adults and with inflammatory comorbidities of preterm birth in neonates. Social disadvantage can become embedded in child development through inflammation, and deprivation is overrepresented in preterm infants. We tested the hypotheses that preterm birth and socioeconomic status (SES) are associated with alterations in a set of EpiScores enriched for inflammation-associated proteins. RESULTS In total, 104 protein EpiScores were derived from saliva samples of 332 neonates born at gestational age (GA) 22.14 to 42.14 weeks. Saliva sampling was between 36.57 and 47.14 weeks. Forty-three (41%) EpiScores were associated with low GA at birth (standardised estimates |0.14 to 0.88|, Bonferroni-adjusted p-value < 8.3 × 10-3). These included EpiScores for chemokines, growth factors, proteins involved in neurogenesis and vascular development, cell membrane proteins and receptors, and other immune proteins. Three EpiScores were associated with SES, or the interaction between birth GA and SES: afamin, intercellular adhesion molecule 5, and hepatocyte growth factor-like protein (standardised estimates |0.06 to 0.13|, Bonferroni-adjusted p-value < 8.3 × 10-3). In a preterm subgroup (n = 217, median [range] GA 29.29 weeks [22.14 to 33.0 weeks]), SES-EpiScore associations did not remain statistically significant after adjustment for sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotising enterocolitis, and histological chorioamnionitis. CONCLUSIONS Low birth GA is substantially associated with a set of EpiScores. The set was enriched for inflammatory proteins, providing new insights into immune dysregulation in preterm infants. SES had fewer associations with EpiScores; these tended to have small effect sizes and were not statistically significant after adjusting for inflammatory comorbidities. This suggests that inflammation is unlikely to be the primary axis through which SES becomes embedded in the development of preterm infants in the neonatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Mckinnon
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, 4-5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Eleanor L S Conole
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kadi Vaher
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, 4-5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Danni A Gadd
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Justyna Binkowska
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, 4-5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Gemma Sullivan
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anna J Stevenson
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Amy Corrigan
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, 4-5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Lee Murphy
- Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Heather C Whalley
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hilary Richardson
- School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James P Boardman
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, 4-5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK.
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Mangiaterra S, Vincenzetti S, Rossi G, Marchegiani A, Gavazza A, Petit T, Sagratini G, Ricciutelli M, Cerquetella M. Evaluation of the Fecal Proteome in Healthy and Diseased Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) Suffering from Gastrointestinal Disorders. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182392. [PMID: 36139251 PMCID: PMC9494964 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fecal proteomics allows for the identification of proteins and peptides present in stools and is useful in finding possible new biomarkers for diagnosing and/or monitoring gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. In the present study, we investigated the fecal proteome in healthy and diseased cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Captive individuals of this species frequently show gastrointestinal disorders characterized by recurrent episodes of diarrhea, rare episodes of vomiting and weight loss, associated with Helicobacter spp. infection. Fecal proteomic evaluation has been performed by two-dimensional electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In healthy cheetahs, the results showed the presence of the following proteins: collagen alpha-1 (II) chain, transthyretin, IgG Fc-binding protein, titin, dystonin, isopentenyl-diphosphate Delta-isomerase 1, sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-1 and protein disulfide-isomerase A6. The presence of albumin isoforms was found only in diseased cheetahs. The present paper reports the study of the fecal proteome in the cheetah, evidences some differences between healthy and diseased patients and confirms, once again, the potential of fecal proteomics for the study of the GI environment, with promising developments regarding the identification of new diagnostic/monitoring markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Mangiaterra
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Silvia Vincenzetti
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy
| | - Giacomo Rossi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy
| | - Andrea Marchegiani
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gavazza
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy
| | | | - Gianni Sagratini
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Sant’Agostino, 1, 32032 Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Massimo Ricciutelli
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Sant’Agostino, 1, 32032 Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Matteo Cerquetella
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy
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