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Pilkay SR, Knight AK, Bush NR, LeWinn K, Davis RL, Tylavsky F, Smith AK. Poverty and neighborhood opportunity effects on neonate DNAm developmental age. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306452. [PMID: 38995877 PMCID: PMC11244791 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children from families with low socioeconomic status (SES), as determined by income, experience several negative outcomes, such as higher rates of newborn mortality and behavioral issues. Moreover, associations between DNA methylation and low income or poverty status are evident beginning at birth, suggesting prenatal influences on offspring development. Recent evidence suggests neighborhood opportunities may protect against some of the health consequences of living in low income households. The goal of this study was to assess whether neighborhood opportunities moderate associations between household income (HI) and neonate developmental maturity as measured with DNA methylation. METHODS Umbilical cord blood DNA methylation data was available in 198 mother-neonate pairs from the larger CANDLE cohort. Gestational age acceleration was calculated using an epigenetic clock designed for neonates. Prenatal HI and neighborhood opportunities measured with the Childhood Opportunity Index (COI) were regressed on gestational age acceleration controlling for sex, race, and cellular composition. RESULTS Higher HI was associated with higher gestational age acceleration (B = .145, t = 4.969, p = 1.56x10-6, 95% CI [.087, .202]). Contrary to expectation, an interaction emerged showing higher neighborhood educational opportunity was associated with lower gestational age acceleration at birth for neonates with mothers living in moderate to high HI (B = -.048, t = -2.08, p = .03, 95% CI [-.092, -.002]). Female neonates showed higher gestational age acceleration at birth compared to males. However, within males, being born into neighborhoods with higher social and economic opportunity was associated with higher gestational age acceleration. CONCLUSION Prenatal HI and neighborhood qualities may affect gestational age acceleration at birth. Therefore, policy makers should consider neighborhood qualities as one opportunity to mitigate prenatal developmental effects of HI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie R Pilkay
- School of Social Work, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, United States of America
| | - Anna K Knight
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta Georgia, United States of America
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Kaja LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Robert L Davis
- Health and Science Center, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Frances Tylavsky
- Health and Science Center, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta Georgia, United States of America
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2
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Herzberg MP, Smyser CD. Prenatal Social Determinants of Health: Narrative review of maternal environments and neonatal brain development. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03345-7. [PMID: 38961164 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03345-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The Social Determinants of Health, a set of social factors including socioeconomic status, community context, and neighborhood safety among others, are well-known predictors of mental and physical health across the lifespan. Recent research has begun to establish the importance of these social factors at the earliest points of brain development, including during the prenatal period. Prenatal socioeconomic status, perceived stress, and neighborhood safety have all been reported to impact neonatal brain structure and function, with exploratory work suggesting subsequent effects on infant and child behavior. Secondary effects of the Social Determinants of Health, such as maternal sleep and psychopathology during pregnancy, have also been established as important predictors of infant brain development. This research not only establishes prenatal Social Determinants of Health as important predictors of future outcomes but may be effectively applied even before birth. Future research replicating and extending the effects in this nascent literature has great potential to produce more specific and mechanistic understanding of the social factors that shape early neurobehavioral development. IMPACT: This review synthesizes the research to date examining the effects of the Social Determinants of Health during the prenatal period and neonatal brain outcomes. Structural, functional, and diffusion-based imaging methodologies are included along with the limited literature assessing subsequent infant behavior. The degree to which results converge between studies is discussed, in combination with the methodological and sampling considerations that may contribute to divergence in study results. Several future directions are identified, including new theoretical approaches to assessing the impact of the Social Determinants of Health during the perinatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max P Herzberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Christopher D Smyser
- Department of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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3
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Lamadé EK, Pedraz-Petrozzi B, Lindner O, Meininger P, Coenen M, Witt SH, Rietschel M, Dukal H, Gilles M, Wudy SA, Hellweg R, Deuschle M. Stress during pregnancy and fetal serum BDNF in cord blood at birth. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107035. [PMID: 38603892 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107035] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adverse environments during pregnancy impact neurodevelopment including cognitive abilities of the developing children. The mediating biological alterations are not fully understood. Maternal stress may impact the neurotrophic regulation of the offspring as early as in utero and at birth. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is essential for neurodevelopment. Short-term higher levels of BDNF in mice upon stressors associate with lower BDNF later in life, which itself associates with depression in animals and humans. Stress including glucocorticoids may impact BDNF, but there is a lack of data at birth. This study investigated if stress near term associates with fetal BDNF at birth in humans. METHODS Pregnant women near term who underwent primary cesarean sections (at 38.80±0.64 weeks), were included in this study (n=41). Stress at the end of pregnancy was assessed before the cesarean section by determining maternal depressive symptoms (EDPS), maternal state and trait anxiety (STAI-S and STAI-T), maternal prenatal distress (PDQ), stress over the past month (PSS), prenatal attachment to the offspring (PAI), maternal social support (F-Sozu), maternal early life stress (CTQ), socioeconomic status, and the glucocorticoids cortisol and cortisone (n=40) in amniotic fluid at birth. The association with fetal BDNF was analyzed. Cord blood serum of n=34 newborns at birth was analyzed for BDNF and newborn anthropometrics (weight, length and head circumference per gestational age at birth) were assessed. The association of fetal BDNF with anthropometrics at birth was analyzed. RESULTS After a BDNF-outlier (>3 SD) was removed, higher fetal BDNF associated significantly with maternal depressive symptoms (r=0.398, p=0.022), with lower socioeconomic status as assessed by the average number of people per room in the household (r=0.526, p=0.002) and with borderline significance with net income per person in the household (r=-0.313, p=0.087) in the bivariate analyses. In multivariable analysis, BDNF stayed positively associated with maternal depressive symptoms (β=0.404, 95% CI [7.057, 306.041], p=0.041) and lower net income per person in the household (β=-0.562, 95% CI [-914.511, -60.523], p=0.027) when controlling for maternal age, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, fetal sex and gestational age. Fetal BDNF did not associate with newborn anthropometrics with the outlier removed in bivariate analyses or in multivariable analyses when controlling for maternal BMI and fetal sex. CONCLUSION Maternal depressive symptoms and lower socioeconomic status associated with higher fetal BDNF when controlling for confounders. Fetal BDNF did not associate with newborn anthropometrics with the outlier removed. Further studies should investigate how early altered BDNF associate with the development and possibly psychopathology of the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Kathrin Lamadé
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Research-group Stress-related disorders, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Bruno Pedraz-Petrozzi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Research-group Stress-related disorders, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Ole Lindner
- Center for Child and Adolescent Health, Pediatrics, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg 79106, Germany.
| | - Pascal Meininger
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Westpfalz-Klinikum, Kaiserslautern 67665, Germany.
| | - Michaela Coenen
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology - IBE, Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany.
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Helene Dukal
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Maria Gilles
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Research-group Stress-related disorders, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Stefan A Wudy
- Laboratory for Translational Hormone Analytics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Center of Child and Adolescent Medicine, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Rainer Hellweg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and the Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Michael Deuschle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Research-group Stress-related disorders, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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Baker BH, Freije S, MacDonald JW, Bammler TK, Benson C, Carroll KN, Enquobahrie DA, Karr CJ, LeWinn KZ, Zhao Q, Bush NR, Sathyanarayana S, Paquette AG. Placental transcriptomic signatures of prenatal and preconceptional maternal stress. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1179-1191. [PMID: 38212375 PMCID: PMC11176062 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02403-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to maternal psychological stress is associated with increased risk for adverse birth and child health outcomes. Accumulating evidence suggests that preconceptional maternal stress may also be transmitted intergenerationally to negatively impact offspring. However, understanding of mechanisms linking these exposures to offspring outcomes, particularly those related to placenta, is limited. Using RNA sequencing, we identified placental transcriptomic signatures associated with maternal prenatal stressful life events (SLEs) and childhood traumatic events (CTEs) in 1 029 mother-child pairs in two birth cohorts from Washington state and Memphis, Tennessee. We evaluated individual gene-SLE/CTE associations and performed an ensemble of gene set enrichment analyses combing across 11 popular enrichment methods. Higher number of prenatal SLEs was significantly (FDR < 0.05) associated with increased expression of ADGRG6, a placental tissue-specific gene critical in placental remodeling, and decreased expression of RAB11FIP3, an endocytosis and endocytic recycling gene, and SMYD5, a histone methyltransferase. Prenatal SLEs and maternal CTEs were associated with gene sets related to several biological pathways, including upregulation of protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, protein secretion, and ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, and down regulation of ribosome, epithelial mesenchymal transition, DNA repair, MYC targets, and amino acid-related pathways. The directional associations in these pathways corroborate prior non-transcriptomic mechanistic studies of psychological stress and mental health disorders, and have previously been implicated in pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes. Accordingly, our findings suggest that maternal exposure to psychosocial stressors during pregnancy as well as the mother's childhood may disrupt placental function, which may ultimately contribute to adverse pregnancy, birth, and child health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan H Baker
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Ciara Benson
- Global Alliance to Prevent Preterm Birth and Stillbirth (GAPPS), Lynnwood, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison G Paquette
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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5
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Volqvartz T, Andersen HHB, Pedersen LH, Larsen A. Obesity in pregnancy-Long-term effects on offspring hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and associations with placental cortisol metabolism: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:4393-4422. [PMID: 37974556 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16184] [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: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Obesity, affecting one in three pregnant women worldwide, is not only a major obstetric risk factor. The resulting low-grade inflammation may have a long-term impact on the offspring's HPA axis through dysregulation of maternal, placental and fetal corticosteroid metabolism, and children born of obese mothers have increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The long-term effects of maternal obesity on offspring neurodevelopment are, however, undetermined and could depend on the specific effects on placental and fetal cortisol metabolism. This systematic review evaluates how maternal obesity affects placental cortisol metabolism and the offspring's HPA axis. Pubmed, Embase and Scopus were searched for original studies on maternal BMI, obesity, and cortisol metabolism and transfer. Fifteen studies were included after the screening of 4556 identified records. Studies were small with heterogeneous exposures and outcomes. Two studies found that maternal obesity reduced placental HSD11β2 activity. In one study, umbilical cord blood cortisol levels were affected by maternal BMI. In three studies, an altered cortisol response was consistently seen among offspring in childhood (n = 2) or adulthood (n = 1). Maternal BMI was not associated with placental HSD11β1 or HSD11β2 mRNA expression, or placental HSD11β2 methylation. In conclusion, high maternal BMI is associated with reduced placental HSD11β2 activity and a dampened cortisol level among offspring, but the data is sparse. Further investigations are needed to clarify whether the HPA axis is affected by prenatal factors including maternal obesity and investigate if adverse effects can be ameliorated by optimising the intrauterine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabia Volqvartz
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Lars Henning Pedersen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Agnete Larsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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6
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Bublitz M, Kelsey K, Butler R, Bourjeily G. Maternal history of childhood maltreatment is associated with diurnal cortisol and DNA methylation of placental 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2. Obstet Med 2023; 16:12-16. [PMID: 37139510 PMCID: PMC10150305 DOI: 10.1177/1753495x221087168] [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: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Accumulating evidence indicates that maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity over pregnancy differs according to maternal history of childhood maltreatment. DNA methylation of the placental 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (BHSD) type 2 enzyme regulates fetal exposure to maternal cortisol, yet the association between maternal history of childhood maltreatment and methylation of placental 11BHSD type 2 has not been previously studied. Methods We examined if maternal cortisol production at 11 and 32 weeks' gestation (n = 89) and placental methylation of the 11BHSD type 2 gene (n = 19) differed among pregnant women with and without histories of childhood maltreatment. Twenty-nine percent of participants reported a history of childhood maltreatment (physical/sexual abuse). Results Women with histories of childhood maltreatment displayed lower cortisol in early gestation, hypo-methylation of placental 11BHSD type 2, and lower levels of cord blood cortisol. Conclusion Preliminary results suggest alterations in cortisol regulation over pregnancy according to maternal history of childhood maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Bublitz
- Women’s Medicine Collaborative, Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical
School, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Karl Kelsey
- Departments of Epidemiology and
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown
University, Providence, RI, USA
- Center for Environmental Health and
Technology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Rondi Butler
- Center for Environmental Health and
Technology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Ghada Bourjeily
- Women’s Medicine Collaborative, Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown
University, Providence, RI, USA
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7
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Mortillo M, Marsit CJ. Select Early-Life Environmental Exposures and DNA Methylation in the Placenta. Curr Environ Health Rep 2023; 10:22-34. [PMID: 36469294 PMCID: PMC10152976 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00385-1] [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] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To summarize recent literature relating early-life environmental exposures on DNA methylation in the placenta, to identify how variation in placental methylation is regulated in an exposure-specific manner, and to encourage additional work in this area. RECENT FINDINGS Multiple studies have evaluated associations between prenatal environmental exposures and placental methylation in both gene-specific and epigenome-wide frameworks. Specific exposures lead to unique variability in methylation, and cross-exposure assessments have uncovered certain genes that demonstrate consistency in differential placental methylation. Exposure studies that assess methylation effects in a trimester-specific approach tend to find larger effects during the 1st trimester exposure. Earlier studies have more targeted gene-specific approaches to methylation, while later studies have shifted towards epigenome-wide, array-based approaches. Studies focusing on exposures such as air pollution, maternal smoking, environmental contaminants, and trace metals appear to be more abundant, while studies of socioeconomic adversity and circadian disruption are scarce but demonstrate remarkable effects. Understanding the impacts of early-life environmental exposures on placental methylation is critical to establishing the link between the maternal environment, epigenetic variation, and long-term health. Future studies into this field should incorporate repeated measures of exposure throughout pregnancy, in order to determine the critical windows in which placental methylation is most heavily affected. Additionally, the use of methylation-based scores and sequencing technology could provide important insights into epigenetic gestational age and uncovering more genomic regions where methylation is affected. Studies examining the impact of other exposures on methylation, including pesticides, alcohol, and other chemicals are also warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mortillo
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
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8
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Reid BM, Sokol N, Aubuchon-Endsley NL, Stroud LR. Maternal prenatal cortisol and the interaction of income and pre-pregnancy body mass index are independently associated with newborn cortisol. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22354. [PMID: 36567656 PMCID: PMC9940703 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22354] [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: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
While extensive research has supported the developmental programming hypothesis regarding contributions of prenatal psychosocial or nutritional adversity to offspring stress physiology, fewer studies consider both exposures together with maternal stress physiology. This study examined newborn cortisol output during a stressor as a function of maternal pre-pregnancy health status and nutritional history (pre-pregnancy body mass index [PPBMI]), economic resources (household income), and maternal cortisol awakening response (mCAR) in late pregnancy. Participants were 102 mother-infant pairs from an economically and racial/ethnically diverse sample. Offspring salivary cortisol response to a neurobehavioral exam was assessed at 1 month. Income and maternal PPBMI were positively associated with mCAR in late pregnancy. mCAR was positively related to 1-month newborn cortisol response. The interaction of income and PPBMI was positively associated with newborn cortisol output during an exam at 1-month. Mothers with the highest PPBMI and lowest income had offspring with higher cortisol responses than offspring of mothers with higher income and lower PPBMI. There was no evidence of indirect mediation effects of predictors (PPBMI, income, and interaction) on infant cortisol via mCAR. The differential effects of the interaction of PPBMI and income suggest that these exposures influence infant cortisol output in the context of one another, independent of maternal pregnancy cortisol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brie M. Reid
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Natasha Sokol
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | | | - Laura R. Stroud
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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9
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Azar N, Booij L. DNA methylation as a mediator in the association between prenatal maternal stress and child mental health outcomes: Current state of knowledge. J Affect Disord 2022; 319:142-163. [PMID: 36113690 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.008] [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: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal maternal stress is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for offspring mental health challenges. DNA methylation may be a mechanism, but few studies directly tested mediation. These few integrative studies are reviewed along with studies from three research areas: prenatal maternal stress and child mental health, prenatal maternal stress and child DNA methylation, and child mental health and DNA methylation. METHODS We conducted a narrative review of articles in each research area and the few published integrative studies to evaluate the state of knowledge. RESULTS Prenatal maternal stress was related to greater offspring internalizing and externalizing symptoms and to greater offspring peripheral DNA methylation of the NR3C1 gene. Youth mental health problems were also related to NR3C1 hypermethylation while epigenome-wide studies identified genes involved in nervous system development. Integrative studies focused on infant outcomes and did not detect significant mediation by DNA methylation though methodological considerations may partially explain these null results. LIMITATIONS Operationalization of prenatal maternal stress and child mental health varied greatly. The few published integrative studies did not report conclusive evidence of mediation by DNA methylation. CONCLUSIONS DNA methylation likely mediates the association between prenatal maternal stress and child mental health. This conclusion still needs to be tested in a larger number of integrative studies. Key empirical and statistical considerations for future research are discussed. Understanding the consequences of prenatal maternal stress and its pathways of influence will help prevention and intervention efforts and ultimately promote well-being for both mothers and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Azar
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, 3175 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Linda Booij
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, 3175 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1C5, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavillon Roger-Gaudry, Université de Montréal, P.O. Box 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada.
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10
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Rajaprakash M, Dean LT, Palmore M, Johnson SB, Kaufman J, Fallin DM, Ladd-Acosta C. DNA methylation signatures as biomarkers of socioeconomic position. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 9:dvac027. [PMID: 36694711 PMCID: PMC9869656 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This review article provides a framework for the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation (DNAm) biomarkers to study the biological embedding of socioeconomic position (SEP) and summarizes the latest developments in the area. It presents the emerging literature showing associations between individual- and neighborhood-level SEP exposures and DNAm across the life course. In contrast to questionnaire-based methods of assessing SEP, we suggest that DNAm biomarkers may offer an accessible metric to study questions about SEP and health outcomes, acting as a personal dosimeter of exposure. However, further work remains in standardizing SEP measures across studies and evaluating consistency across domains, tissue types, and time periods. Meta-analyses of epigenetic associations with SEP are offered as one approach to confirm the replication of DNAm loci across studies. The development of DNAm biomarkers of SEP would provide a method for examining its impact on health outcomes in a more robust way, increasing the rigor of epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Rajaprakash
- Department of Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Lorraine T Dean
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Meredith Palmore
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sara B Johnson
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joan Kaufman
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniele M Fallin
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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11
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Jeličić L, Veselinović A, Ćirović M, Jakovljević V, Raičević S, Subotić M. Maternal Distress during Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: Underlying Mechanisms and Child's Developmental Outcomes-A Narrative Review. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232213932. [PMID: 36430406 PMCID: PMC9692872 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal mental health may be considered a determining factor influencing fetal and child development. An essential factor with potentially negative consequences for a child's psychophysiological development is the presence of maternal distress during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The review is organized and presented to explore and describe the effects of anxiety, stress, and depression in pregnancy and the postpartum period on adverse child developmental outcomes. The neurobiology of maternal distress and the transmission mechanisms at the molecular level to the fetus and child are noted. In addition, the paper discusses the findings of longitudinal studies in which early child development is monitored concerning the presence of maternal distress in pregnancy and the postpartum period. This topic gained importance in the COVID-19 pandemic context, during which a higher frequency of maternal psychological disorders was observed. The need for further interdisciplinary research on the relationship between maternal mental health and fetal/child development was highlighted, especially on the biological mechanisms underlying the transmission of maternal distress to the (unborn) child, to achieve positive developmental outcomes and improve maternal and child well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ljiljana Jeličić
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Research and Development Institute “Life Activities Advancement Institute”, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Institute for Experimental Phonetics and Speech Pathology, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +381-11-3208-519; Fax: +381-11-2624-168
| | - Aleksandra Veselinović
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Research and Development Institute “Life Activities Advancement Institute”, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Institute for Experimental Phonetics and Speech Pathology, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milica Ćirović
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Research and Development Institute “Life Activities Advancement Institute”, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Institute for Experimental Phonetics and Speech Pathology, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Jakovljević
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
- Department of Human Pathology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Saša Raičević
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
- Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinical Center of Montenegro, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
| | - Miško Subotić
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Research and Development Institute “Life Activities Advancement Institute”, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
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Musana J, Cohen CR, Kuppermann M, Gerona R, Wanyoro A, Aguilar D, Santos N, Temmerman M, Weiss SJ. Obstetric risk in pregnancy interacts with hair cortisone levels to reduce gestational length. Front Glob Womens Health 2022; 3:878538. [PMID: 35936818 PMCID: PMC9354598 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2022.878538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Maternal psychological stress has been linked to preterm birth. However, the differential contribution of psychological stress versus stress hormones is not clear. Studies focus primarily on perceived stress and cortisol, with few assessing its inter-convertible hormone cortisone. Furthermore, little is known about the potential moderating roles of obstetric risk and fetal sex in the relationship between maternal stress and gestational length. This gap in knowledge is particularly evident for rural women who typically experience chronic multiple stressors during pregnancy. We explored the relationship of hormonal and psychological stress to gestational length and the effects of obstetric risks and fetal sex on this relationship among Kenyan pregnant women. Methods The sample included 130 women recruited between 22 to 28 weeks gestation. They completed a clinical and sociodemographic questionnaire together with the Perceived Stress Scale and provided a hair sample for cortisol and cortisone assay. Women underwent an ultrasound to assess weeks of gestation. At delivery, their pregnancy-related health problems were identified using information extracted from medical records to compile each woman's number of pregnancy risks on the Obstetric Medical Risk Index (OMRI). Results Perceived stress and hair cortisol were not significant predictors of gestational length. However, a greater number of obstetric risks on the OMRI was associated with shorter gestational length. This effect was further explained by the interaction between obstetric risk and hair cortisone (B = 0.709, p = 0.02). Hair cortisone levels of mothers who had a shorter gestation were significantly higher in mothers with 2 or more risks on the OMRI but not among mothers with only one or no risks (t = 2.39, p = 0.02). Fetal sex had no relationship to gestational length and also had no moderating effect on the relationship between any stress-related metric and gestational length. Conclusion Cortisone levels may increase in anticipation of shorter gestation as a compensatory response to increased obstetric risk. Elevated cortisone may be a more sensitive marker of risk for early delivery than cortisol or psychological stress, with salience for both the male and female fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Musana
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
- *Correspondence: Joseph Musana
| | - Craig R. Cohen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Miriam Kuppermann
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Roy Gerona
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Anthony Wanyoro
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - David Aguilar
- Clinical Toxicology and Environmental Biomonitoring Lab, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Nicole Santos
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Marleen Temmerman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sandra J. Weiss
- Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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13
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Padbury JF, Do BT, Bann CM, Marsit C, Hintz SR, Vohr BR, Lowe J, Newman JE, Granger DA, Payne A, Watterberg K. DNA methylation in former extremely low birth weight newborns: association with cardiovascular and endocrine function. Pediatr Res 2022; 91:1469-1477. [PMID: 33953357 PMCID: PMC8568736 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01531-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increased risk of cardiovascular, metabolic, and hypertensive disorders in later life in the preterm population. We studied school-age children who had been born extremely premature who had undergone endocrine, cardiovascular, and anthropometric evaluations. METHODS School age measurements of salivary cortisol, adrenal androgens, blood pressure, and anthropometric markers were correlated with DNA methylation of 11-betahydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11BHSD2), leptin, and the LINE1 repetitive DNA element. RESULTS We observed a modest correlation between log AUC for salivary cortisol and methylation of leptin in preterm infants and a negative correlation between methylation of region 1 of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR in term-born infants. There was an association between LINE1 methylation and cortisol response to awakening and a negative correlation between LINE1 and systolic blood pressure at 6-7 years. Methylation of the GR promoter region showed a positive association with systolic blood pressure at 6-7 years of age. CONCLUSIONS These results show that extremely preterm birth, followed by complex patterns of endocrine, cardiovascular, and metabolic exposures during early postnatal life, is associated with lasting changes in DNA methylation patterns in genes involved in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis function, adrenal hormonal regulation, and cardiometabolic risk. IMPACT Preterm infants have significant environmental and physiological exposures during early life that may have lasting impact on later function. Alterations in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) function have been associated with these exposures. We examined the associated changes in DNA methylation of important genes involved in HPA function, metabolism, and global DNA methylation. The changes we saw in DNA methylation may help to explain associated cardiovascular, metabolic, and growth disturbance in these children in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F. Padbury
- Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Barbara T. Do
- Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences Unit, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Carla M. Bann
- Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences Unit, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Carmen Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA
| | - Susan R. Hintz
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Betty R. Vohr
- Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Jean Lowe
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Jamie E. Newman
- Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences Unit, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Douglas A. Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
| | - Allison Payne
- Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
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14
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Martin CL, Ghastine L, Lodge EK, Dhingra R, Ward-Caviness CK. Understanding Health Inequalities Through the Lens of Social Epigenetics. Annu Rev Public Health 2022; 43:235-254. [PMID: 35380065 PMCID: PMC9584166 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052020-105613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Longstanding racial/ethnic inequalities in morbidity and mortality persist in the United States. Although the determinants of health inequalities are complex, social and structural factors produced by inequitable and racialized systems are recognized as contributing sources. Social epigenetics is an emerging area of research that aims to uncover biological pathways through which social experiences affect health outcomes. A growing body of literature links adverse social exposures to epigenetic mechanisms, namely DNA methylation, offering a plausible pathway through which health inequalities may arise. This review provides an overview of social epigenetics and highlights existing literature linking social exposures—i.e., psychosocial stressors, racism, discrimination, socioeconomic position, and neighborhood social environment—to DNA methylation in humans.We conclude with a discussion of social epigenetics as a mechanistic link to health inequalities and provide suggestions for future social epigenetics research on health inequalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantel L Martin
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; .,Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lea Ghastine
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Evans K Lodge
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; .,Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Radhika Dhingra
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Institute of Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Cavin K Ward-Caviness
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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15
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Associations between maternal awakening salivary cortisol levels in mid-pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2022; 306:1989-1999. [PMID: 35320387 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-022-06513-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Elevated levels of maternal cortisol have been hypothesized as the intermediate process between symptoms of depression and psychosocial stress during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. Therefore, we examined associations between cortisol levels in the second trimester of pregnancy and risks of three common birth outcomes in a nested case-control study. METHODS This study was embedded in the PRIDE Study (n = 3,019), from which we selected all cases with preterm birth (n = 64), low birth weight (n = 49), and small-for-gestational age (SGA; n = 65), and 260 randomly selected controls, among the participants who provided a single awakening saliva sample in approximately gestational week 19 in 2012-2016. Multivariable linear and logistic regression was performed to assess the associations between continuous and categorized cortisol levels and the selected outcomes. RESULTS We did not observe any associations between maternal cortisol levels and preterm birth and low birth weight. However, high cortisol levels (≥ 90th percentile) seemed to be associated with SGA (adjusted odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 0.9-4.8), in particular among girls (adjusted odds ratio 3.7, 95% confidence interval 1.1-11.9, based on eight exposed cases) in an exploratory analysis. CONCLUSION The results of this study showed no suggestions of associations between maternal awakening cortisol levels in mid-pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes, except for an increased risk of SGA.
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Cerutti J, Lussier AA, Zhu Y, Liu J, Dunn EC. Associations between indicators of socioeconomic position and DNA methylation: a scoping review. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:221. [PMID: 34906220 PMCID: PMC8672601 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01189-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socioeconomic position (SEP) is a major determinant of health across the life course. Yet, little is known about the biological mechanisms explaining this relationship. One possibility widely pursued in the scientific literature is that SEP becomes biologically embedded through epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation (DNAm), wherein the socioeconomic environment causes no alteration in the DNA sequence but modifies gene activity in ways that shape health. METHODS To understand the evidence supporting a potential SEP-DNAm link, we performed a scoping review of published empirical findings on the association between SEP assessed from prenatal development to adulthood and DNAm measured across the life course, with an emphasis on exploring how the developmental timing, duration, and type of SEP exposure influenced DNAm. RESULTS Across the 37 identified studies, we found that: (1) SEP-related DNAm signatures varied across the timing, duration, and type of SEP indicator; (2) however, longitudinal studies examining repeated SEP and DNAm measures are generally lacking; and (3) prior studies are conceptually and methodologically diverse, limiting the interpretability of findings across studies with respect to these three SEP features. CONCLUSIONS Given the complex relationship between SEP and DNAm across the lifespan, these findings underscore the importance of analyzing SEP features, including timing, duration, and type. To guide future research, we highlight additional research gaps and propose four recommendations to further unravel the relationship between SEP and DNAm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Cerutti
- Department of Pscyhology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT, USA
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Alexandre A Lussier
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yiwen Zhu
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jiaxuan Liu
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin C Dunn
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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17
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Chen MA, LeRoy AS, Majd M, Chen JY, Brown RL, Christian LM, Fagundes CP. Immune and Epigenetic Pathways Linking Childhood Adversity and Health Across the Lifespan. Front Psychol 2021; 12:788351. [PMID: 34899540 PMCID: PMC8662704 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.788351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity is associated with a host of mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. Individuals who have experienced childhood adversity (e.g., child abuse and neglect, family conflict, poor parent/child relationships, low socioeconomic status or extreme poverty) are at a greater risk for morbidity and premature mortality than those not exposed to childhood adversity. Several mechanisms likely contribute to the relationship between childhood adversity and health across the lifespan (e.g., health behaviors, cardiovascular reactivity). In this paper, we review a large body of research within the field of psychoneuroimmunology, demonstrating the relationship between early life stress and alterations of the immune system. We first review the literature demonstrating that childhood adversity is associated with immune dysregulation across different indices, including proinflammatory cytokine production (and its impact on telomere length), illness and infection susceptibility, latent herpesvirus reactivation, and immune response to a tumor. We then summarize the growing literature on how childhood adversity may alter epigenetic processes. Finally, we propose future directions related to this work that have basic and applied implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A Chen
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Angie S LeRoy
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Marzieh Majd
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan Y Chen
- McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ryan L Brown
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lisa M Christian
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health and the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Christopher P Fagundes
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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18
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Epigenetic Modifications Associated with Maternal Anxiety during Pregnancy and Children's Behavioral Measures. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092421. [PMID: 34572069 PMCID: PMC8469633 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic changes are associated with altered behavior and neuropsychiatric disorders and they modify the trajectory of aging. Maternal anxiety during pregnancy is a common environmental challenge for the fetus, causing changes in DNA methylation. Here, we determined the mediating role of DNA methylation and the moderating role of offspring sex on the association between maternal anxiety and children's behavioral measures. In 83 mother-child dyads, maternal anxiety was assessed in each trimester of pregnancy when the child was four years of age. Children's behavioral measures and children's buccal DNA methylation levels (NR3C1, IGF2/H19 ICR, and LINE1) were examined. Higher maternal anxiety during the third trimester was associated with more methylation levels of the NR3C1. Moderating effects of sex on the association between maternal anxiety and methylation were found for IGF2/H19 and LINE1 CpGs. Mediation analysis showed that methylation of NR3C1 could buffer the effects of maternal anxiety on children's behavioral measures, but this effect did not remain significant after controlling for covariates. In conclusion, our data support an association between maternal anxiety during pregnancy and DNA methylation. The results also underscore the importance of sex differences and timing effects. However, DNA methylation as underlying mechanism of the effect of maternal anxiety during pregnancy on offspring's behavioral measures was not supported.
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Han VX, Patel S, Jones HF, Dale RC. Maternal immune activation and neuroinflammation in human neurodevelopmental disorders. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:564-579. [PMID: 34341569 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00530-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Maternal health during pregnancy plays a major role in shaping health and disease risks in the offspring. The maternal immune activation hypothesis proposes that inflammatory perturbations in utero can affect fetal neurodevelopment, and evidence from human epidemiological studies supports an association between maternal inflammation during pregnancy and offspring neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Diverse maternal inflammatory factors, including obesity, asthma, autoimmune disease, infection and psychosocial stress, are associated with an increased risk of NDDs in the offspring. In addition to inflammation, epigenetic factors are increasingly recognized to operate at the gene-environment interface during NDD pathogenesis. For example, integrated brain transcriptome and epigenetic analyses of individuals with NDDs demonstrate convergent dysregulated immune pathways. In this Review, we focus on the emerging human evidence for an association between maternal immune activation and childhood NDDs, including autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and Tourette syndrome. We refer to established pathophysiological concepts in animal models, including immune signalling across the placenta, epigenetic 'priming' of offspring microglia and postnatal immune-brain crosstalk. The increasing incidence of NDDs has created an urgent need to mitigate the risk and severity of these conditions through both preventive strategies in pregnancy and novel postnatal therapies targeting disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Velda X Han
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shrujna Patel
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hannah F Jones
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Neuroservices, Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Russell C Dale
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. .,The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. .,The Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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Epigenetic Alterations of Maternal Tobacco Smoking during Pregnancy: A Narrative Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18105083. [PMID: 34064931 PMCID: PMC8151244 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In utero exposure to maternal tobacco smoking is the leading cause of birth complications in addition to being associated with later impairment in child’s development. Epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation (DNAm), miRNAs expression, and histone modifications, belong to possible underlying mechanisms linking maternal tobacco smoking during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes and later child’s development. The aims of this review were to provide an update on (1) the main results of epidemiological studies on the impact of in utero exposure to maternal tobacco smoking on epigenetic mechanisms, and (2) the technical issues and methods used in such studies. In contrast with miRNA and histone modifications, DNAm has been the most extensively studied epigenetic mechanism with regard to in utero exposure to maternal tobacco smoking. Most studies relied on cord blood and children’s blood, but placenta is increasingly recognized as a powerful tool, especially for markers of pregnancy exposures. Some recent studies suggest reversibility in DNAm in certain genomic regions as well as memory of smoking exposure in DNAm in other regions, upon smoking cessation before or during pregnancy. Furthermore, reversibility could be more pronounced in miRNA expression compared to DNAm. Increasing evidence based on longitudinal data shows that maternal smoking-associated DNAm changes persist during childhood. In this review, we also discuss some issues related to cell heterogeneity as well as downstream statistical analyses used to relate maternal tobacco smoking during pregnancy and epigenetics. The epigenetic effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy have been among the most widely investigated in the epigenetic epidemiology field. However, there are still huge gaps to fill in, including on the impact on miRNA expression and histone modifications to get a better view of the whole epigenetic machinery. The consistency of maternal tobacco smoking effects across epigenetic marks and across tissues will also provide crucial information for future studies. Advancement in bioinformatic and biostatistics approaches is key to develop a comprehensive analysis of these biological systems.
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DNA methylation in children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure and environmental adversity. Pediatr Res 2021; 89:1152-1156. [PMID: 32663835 PMCID: PMC7855315 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-020-1058-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methamphetamine (MA) use during pregnancy is a significant public health concern in the United States and affects long-term brain and behavioral development in children. We hypothesized that prenatal MA exposure would be related to greater DNA methylation of HSD11B2 and postnatal environmental stress. METHODS The Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle Study (IDEAL), a longitudinal study of prenatal MA exposure enrolled mother-infant dyads in California, Hawaii, Iowa, and Oklahoma. Prenatal exposure was defined by maternal self-report and/or meconium toxicology screening. At ages 10-11 years, 100 children were assessed for drug exposure and DNA methylation of HSD11B2. Hierarchical linear models were used to determine the association between prenatal MA exposure and methylation of HSD11B2 at four CpG sites. RESULTS Prenatal MA exposure (1.4% vs 0.31%, P < 0.01) and early childhood adversity (3.0 vs 2.0, P < 0.01) were associated with greater DNA methylation of HSD11B2 at the CpG2 site. The statistically significant effects of early childhood adversity (B = 0.11, P < 0.01) and prenatal MA exposure (B = 0.32, P = 0.03) on DNA methylation remained after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal MA exposure is related to postnatal childhood adversity and epigenetic alterations in HSD11B2, an important gene along the stress response pathway suggesting prenatal and postnatal programming effects. IMPACT Prenatal methamphetamine exposure has been associated with developmental issues in newborns, yet little is known about the stress pathophysiology of methamphetamine on neurobehavior. This is the first evidence that prenatal methamphetamine exposure acts as a stressor, confirming the third pathophysiology of methamphetamine exposure.
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22
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Bacon ER, Brinton RD. Epigenetics of the developing and aging brain: Mechanisms that regulate onset and outcomes of brain reorganization. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:503-516. [PMID: 33657435 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Brain development is a life-long process that encompasses several critical periods of transition, during which significant cognitive changes occur. Embryonic development, puberty, and reproductive senescence are all periods of transition that are hypersensitive to environmental factors. Rather than isolated episodes, each transition builds upon the last and is influenced by consequential changes that occur in the transition before it. Epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, provide mechanisms by which early events can influence development, cognition, and health outcomes. For example, parental environment influences imprinting patterns in gamete cells, which ultimately impacts gene expression in the embryo which may result in hypersensitivity to poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy, raising the risks for cognitive impairment later in life. This review explores how epigenetics induce and regulate critical periods, and also discusses how early environmental interactions prime a system towards a particular health outcome and influence susceptibility to disease or cognitive impairment throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza R Bacon
- Department of Neuroscience, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; The Center for Precision Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Roberta Diaz Brinton
- Department of Neuroscience, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Center for Innovation in Brain Science, School of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
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23
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Lammertink F, Vinkers CH, Tataranno ML, Benders MJNL. Premature Birth and Developmental Programming: Mechanisms of Resilience and Vulnerability. Front Psychiatry 2021; 11:531571. [PMID: 33488409 PMCID: PMC7820177 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.531571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The third trimester of pregnancy represents a sensitive phase for infant brain plasticity when a series of fast-developing cellular events (synaptogenesis, neuronal migration, and myelination) regulates the development of neural circuits. Throughout this dynamic period of growth and development, the human brain is susceptible to stress. Preterm infants are born with an immature brain and are, while admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, precociously exposed to stressful procedures. Postnatal stress may contribute to altered programming of the brain, including key systems such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the autonomic nervous system. These neurobiological systems are promising markers for the etiology of several affective and social psychopathologies. As preterm birth interferes with early development of stress-regulatory systems, early interventions might strengthen resilience factors and might help reduce the detrimental effects of chronic stress exposure. Here we will review the impact of stress following premature birth on the programming of neurobiological systems and discuss possible stress-related neural circuits and pathways involved in resilience and vulnerability. Finally, we discuss opportunities for early intervention and future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Femke Lammertink
- Department of Neonatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Christiaan H. Vinkers
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Anatomy & Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maria L. Tataranno
- Department of Neonatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Manon J. N. L. Benders
- Department of Neonatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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24
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Trumpff C, Sturm G, Picard M, Foss S, Lee S, Feng T, Cardenas A, McCormack C, Champagne FA, Monk C. Added sugar intake during pregnancy: Fetal behavior, birth outcomes, and placental DNA methylation. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:878-889. [PMID: 33415750 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy is a critical time for the effects of environmental factors on children's development. The effect of added sugar intake on fetal development and pregnancy outcomes remains understudied despite increasing dietary intake in the United States. This study investigated the effect of added sugar on fetal programming by examining the association between maternal added sugar consumption, fetal movement, birth outcomes, and placental DNA methylation. Further, primary human fibroblasts were cultured under normal or high glucose conditions to assess the effect of high glucose exposure on cells' DNA methylation. We found that higher added sugar intake across pregnancy was associated with reduced 3rd-trimester fetal movement (p < .05) and shorter gestation (p < .01). Our sample size was not powered to detect the alteration of individual placental CpG with genome-wide significance. However, a secondary analysis suggested that added sugar consumption was associated with differential methylation of functionally related gene families across pregnancy. Consistent with this, high glucose exposure in primary cultured human fibroblasts altered the methylation of 17% of all CpGs, providing converging evidence for an effect of sugar on DNA methylation. Our results suggest that diets high in added sugar during pregnancy may have implications for offspring health via prenatal programming effects measurable before birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Trumpff
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabriel Sturm
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Picard
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sophie Foss
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- Division of Mental Health Data Science, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tianshu Feng
- Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrès Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Clare McCormack
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frances A Champagne
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Catherine Monk
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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25
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Jahnke JR, Terán E, Murgueitio F, Cabrera H, Thompson AL. Maternal stress, placental 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, and infant HPA axis development in humans: Psychosocial and physiological pathways. Placenta 2020; 104:179-187. [PMID: 33360746 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prenatal stress is known to influence fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) development. Placental 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD11B2) is a central gene in this pathway, but little is known about what influences its functioning. We assess how maternal distress influences HSD11B2 functioning, and how HSD11B2 in turn, is associated with infant HPA axis development. METHODS Data come from 24 mother-infant dyads on the Galápagos Islands. Using adjusted linear regression models, we assess the effects of maternal psychosocial (stress and depressive symptoms, measured by the Perceived Stress Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire-8, respectively) and physiological (HPA axis dysregulation) distress during pregnancy on HSD11B2 methylation and expression and then test how these HSD11B2 measures influence infant HPA axis development. RESULTS Maternal HPA axis dysregulation during pregnancy is associated with lower placental HSD11B2 expression, which is associated with an exaggerated cortisol reactivity in infants. Sex-specific analyses revealed that maternal depressive symptoms may influence the functioning of placental HSD11B2 differently in girls (n = 11, 46%) than in boys (n = 13, 54%), though the sample size was small. DISCUSSION These results support a disrupted adaptive framework, in which the ability to upregulate HSD11B2 expression in response to acute stress diminishes as maternal stress becomes chronic. In this model, chronic stress may exhaust the protective mechanism of HSD11B2, leaving the infant vulnerable to high levels of maternal cortisol, which could injure the fetal HPA axis and disrupt long-term neurobehavioral and metabolic development. While larger studies will be needed to confirm these findings, this study offers exploratory results on the effects of maternal distress on both HSD11B2 methylation and expression and the effect of HSD11B2 on offspring HPA axis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna R Jahnke
- Department of Anthropology, 301 Alumni Building CB #3115, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, USA; Carolina Population Center, 123 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA.
| | - Enrique Terán
- Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Hospital de los Valles, Ed. Especialidades Médicas, PB, Av. Interoceánica Km. 12 ½; y Av. Florencia, Casilla Postal 17-1200-841, Quito, Ecuador; Galapagos Science Center. Avenida Alsacio Northia, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Ecuador San Cristobal, Galapagos Archipelago, Ecuador.
| | - Francisca Murgueitio
- Hospital Oskar Jandl, Ministerio de Salud Publica. San Cristóbal, Galápagos Archipiélago, Ecuador.
| | - Holger Cabrera
- Hospital Oskar Jandl, Ministerio de Salud Publica. San Cristóbal, Galápagos Archipiélago, Ecuador.
| | - Amanda L Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, 301 Alumni Building CB #3115, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, USA; Carolina Population Center, 123 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 170 Rosenau Hall, CB #7400, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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26
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Rousseaux S, Seyve E, Chuffart F, Bourova-Flin E, Benmerad M, Charles MA, Forhan A, Heude B, Siroux V, Slama R, Tost J, Vaiman D, Khochbin S, Lepeule J. Immediate and durable effects of maternal tobacco consumption alter placental DNA methylation in enhancer and imprinted gene-containing regions. BMC Med 2020; 18:306. [PMID: 33023569 PMCID: PMC7542140 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-020-01736-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although exposure to cigarette smoking during pregnancy has been associated with alterations of DNA methylation in the cord blood or placental cells, whether such exposure before pregnancy could induce epigenetic alterations in the placenta of former smokers has never been investigated. METHODS Our approach combined the analysis of placenta epigenomic (ENCODE) data with newly generated DNA methylation data obtained from 568 pregnant women, the largest cohort to date, either actively smoking during their pregnancy or formerly exposed to tobacco smoking. RESULTS This strategy resulted in several major findings. First, among the 203 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) identified by the epigenome-wide association study, 152 showed "reversible" alterations of DNA methylation, only present in the placenta of current smokers, whereas 26 were also found altered in former smokers, whose placenta had not been exposed directly to cigarette smoking. Although the absolute methylation changes were smaller than those observed in other contexts, such as in some congenital diseases, the observed alterations were consistent within each DMR. This observation was further supported by a demethylation of LINE-1 sequences in the placentas of both current (beta-coefficient (β) (95% confidence interval (CI)), - 0.004 (- 0.008; 0.001)) and former smokers (β (95% CI), - 0.006 (- 0.011; - 0.001)) compared to nonsmokers. Second, the 203 DMRs were enriched in epigenetic marks corresponding to enhancer regions, including monomethylation of lysine 4 and acetylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 (respectively H3K4me1 and H3K27ac). Third, smoking-associated DMRs were also found near and/or overlapping 10 imprinted genes containing regions (corresponding to 16 genes), notably including the NNAT, SGCE/PEG10, and H19/MIR675 loci. CONCLUSIONS Our results pointing towards genomic regions containing the imprinted genes as well as enhancers as preferential targets suggest mechanisms by which tobacco could directly impact the fetus and future child. The persistence of significant DNA methylation changes in the placenta of former smokers supports the hypothesis of an "epigenetic memory" of exposure to cigarette smoking before pregnancy. This observation not only is conceptually revolutionary, but these results also bring crucial information in terms of public health concerning potential long-term detrimental effects of smoking in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Rousseaux
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Emie Seyve
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Florent Chuffart
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Meriem Benmerad
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Marie-Aline Charles
- Université de Paris, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), INSERM, INRAE, Paris, France
| | - Anne Forhan
- Université de Paris, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), INSERM, INRAE, Paris, France
| | - Barbara Heude
- Université de Paris, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), INSERM, INRAE, Paris, France
| | - Valérie Siroux
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Remy Slama
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Jorg Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA - Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Evry, France
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Genomics, Epigenetics and Physiopathology of Reproduction, Institut Cochin, U1016 Inserm - UMR 8104 CNRS - Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Saadi Khochbin
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, IAB, 38000, Grenoble, France.
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27
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Prenatal stress and epigenetics. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:198-210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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28
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Prenatal Risk Factors for Tourette Syndrome: a Systematic Review Update. CURRENT DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40474-020-00217-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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29
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Maternal Education in Early Life and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Young Adult American Females and Males: Disentangling Life Course Processes Through Causal Models. Epidemiology 2020; 30 Suppl 2:S28-S36. [PMID: 31569150 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal education in a child's early life may directly affect the child's adult cardiometabolic health, but this is difficult to disentangle from biological, social, and behavioral life course processes that are associated with maternal education. These processes may also differ between males and females. METHODS Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1995-2009) (N = 4,026 females and 3,192 males), we estimated sex-stratified associations between maternal attainment of less than high school (<HS), high school diploma (HS), or college degree (CD) at the respondent's birth and respondent's risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS); we used marginal structural models (MSM) to account for the influence of major life course risk factors, such as childhood maltreatment, adolescent overweight, adult education, household income, smoking, and physical activity, in mediating associations between maternal education and offspring MetS risk. RESULTS Each higher level of maternal education was associated with a 36% (Relative Risk = 0.64 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.50-0.82]) reduced risk of MetS among females, but only 19% (RR = 0.81 [95% CI: 0.64-1.01]) reduction among males (P-value interaction < 0.05). Stronger inverse associations were also observed for waist circumference and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) among females compared with males (-5 cm vs. -2.4 cm and -1.5% vs. -1.0%, respectively). CONCLUSION High maternal education in early life was associated with a lower risk of MetS in young adulthood even after accounting for life course risk factors, particularly among females. Results were robust to altered model specifications.
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30
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Huang Y, Tzeng JY, Maguire R, Hoyo C, Allen T. The association between neuraxial anesthesia and the development of childhood asthma - a secondary analysis of the newborn epigenetics study cohort. Curr Med Res Opin 2020; 36:1025-1032. [PMID: 32212939 PMCID: PMC7269869 DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2020.1747417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: Childhood asthma is a common chronic illness that has been associated with mode of delivery. However, the effect of cesarean delivery alone does not fully account for the increased prevalence of childhood asthma. We tested the hypothesis that neuraxial anesthesia used for labor analgesia and cesarean delivery alters the risk of developing childhood asthma.Methods: Within the Newborn Epigenetics Study birth cohort, 196 mother and child pairs with entries in the electronic anesthesia records were included. From these records, data on maternal anesthesia type, duration of exposure, and drugs administered peripartum were abstracted and combined with questionnaire-derived prenatal risk factors and medical records and questionnaire-derived asthma diagnosis data in children. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between type of anesthesia, duration of anesthesia, and the development of asthma in males and females.Results: We found that longer duration of epidural anesthesia was associated with a lower risk of asthma in male children (OR = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.66-0.95) for each hour of epidural exposure. Additionally, a unit increase in the composite dose of local anesthetics and opioid analgesics administered via the spinal route was associated with a lower risk of asthma in both male (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.36-0.96) and female children (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.09-0.82).Conclusion: Our data suggest that peripartum exposure to neuraxial anesthesia may reduce the risk of childhood asthma primarily in males. Larger human studies and model systems with longer follow-up are required to elucidate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyang Huang
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Jung-Ying Tzeng
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Rachel Maguire
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Cathrine Hoyo
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Terrence Allen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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31
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Finik J, Buthmann J, Zhang W, Go K, Nomura Y. Placental Gene Expression and Offspring Temperament Trajectories: Predicting Negative Affect in Early Childhood. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 48:783-795. [PMID: 32185610 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-020-00632-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to prenatal stress increases offspring risk for long-term neurobehavioral impairments and psychopathology, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Epigenetic regulation of glucocorticoid pathway genes may be a potential underlying mechanism by which maternal conditions 'program' the fetal brain for downstream vulnerabilities. The present study aims to investigate whether mRNA expression of glucocorticoid pathway genes in the placenta predict offspring negative affect during early childhood (between 6 and 24 months). Participants include 318 mother-child dyads participating in a longitudinal birth cohort study. Placental mRNA expression of glucocorticoid pathway genes (HSD11B1, HSD11B2, NR3C1, NCOR2) were profiled and negative affect traits of the offspring were measured at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. HSD11B1 mRNA expression significantly predicted negative affect (β = -.09, SE = .04; p = .036), and Distress to Limitations trajectories (β = -.13, SE = .06; p = .016). NCOR2 mRNA expression significantly predicted Distress to Limitations (β = .43, SE = .21; p = .047), and marginally predicted Sadness trajectories (β = .39, SE = .21; p = .068). HSD11B2 and NR3C1 did not predict trajectories of Negative Affect or subscale scores. Infant negative affect traits were assessed via maternal self-report, and deviated from linearity across follow-up. mRNA expression of glucocorticoid pathway genes in the placenta may be a potentially novel tool for early identification of infants at greater risk for elevated negative affect. Further study is needed to validate the utility of mRNA expression of glucocorticoid pathway genes in the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Finik
- CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 55 W 125th St., New York, NY, 10027, USA.
- CUNY Queens College, Department of Psychology, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA.
| | - J Buthmann
- CUNY Queens College, Department of Psychology, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
- CUNY Graduate Center, Department of Psychology, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - W Zhang
- CUNY Queens College, Department of Psychology, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
- New Jersey City University, Department of Psychology, 2039 John Fitzgerald Kennedy Blvd, Jersey City, NJ, 07305, USA
| | - K Go
- CUNY Queens College, Department of Psychology, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
- Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Y Nomura
- CUNY Queens College, Department of Psychology, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
- CUNY Graduate Center, Department of Psychology, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, Graduate Center, 85 St Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY, 10031, USA
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Psychiatry, 1 Gustave Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
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32
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Bharti S, Bharti B. Modeling Life-Course Socioeconomic Changes and Blood Pressure in Adults: Time for Transdisciplinary Approach. Am J Hypertens 2020; 33:23-25. [PMID: 31586444 DOI: 10.1093/ajh/hpz156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sahul Bharti
- Build Healthy India Movement (Research based NGO), Chandigarh, India
| | - Bhavneet Bharti
- Build Healthy India Movement (Research based NGO), Chandigarh, India
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33
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Rosa MJ, Nentin F, Enlow MB, Hacker MR, Pollas N, Coull B, Wright RJ. Sex-specific associations between prenatal negative life events and birth outcomes. Stress 2019; 22:647-653. [PMID: 31057018 PMCID: PMC6776698 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1608944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal psychosocial stress can negatively impact gestational length and development of the fetus. These effects may be sex-specific but have not been extensively studied. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between prenatal maternal stress and birth outcomes and whether effects are modified by sex. Prenatal maternal stress was indexed by a maternal negative life events (NLEs) score ascertained in 527 urban mothers; a higher NLE score indicates greater stress. Birth outcomes included gestational age, preterm birth (PTB) (<37 weeks), and birthweight for gestational age z-scores. Modified Poisson regression and linear models were used to evaluate associations of prenatal NLE scores with birth outcomes. Sex differences were assessed by inclusion of an interaction term for sex by NLE score and in sex-stratified analyses. In analyses adjusted for maternal age, education, race/ethnicity, and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), increasing prenatal stress was associated with shortened gestational age (days) (β = -0.63, [95% CI -1.20, -0.06]). This effect was sex specific, with increasing prenatal stress associated with shortened gestational age, as well as increased risk of PTB, in male infants (β = -1.35 [95% CI -2.17, -0.54] and RR = 1.18 [95% CI 0.99, 1.42], respectively) but not female infants (β = 0.15 [95%CI -0.63, 0.94] and RR = 0.85, [95%CI 0.65, 1.11], respectively). Prenatal stress was not associated with birthweight z-scores. Our results support the importance of psychosocial stress as a programming factor that may have sex-specific effects for adverse fetal outcomes. Understanding sex-specific effects of prenatal stress on birth outcomes may inform prevention strategies. LAY SUMMARY Higher stress experienced by mothers in pregnancy was associated with shorter length of pregnancy and the effect was stronger in male infants when compared to female infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria José Rosa
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount, Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Farida Nentin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michele R. Hacker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, KS3, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Brent Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount, Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Kravis Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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34
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Laubach ZM, Perng W, Cardenas A, Rifas-Shiman SL, Oken E, DeMeo D, Litonjua AA, Duca RC, Godderis L, Baccarelli A, Hivert MF. Socioeconomic status and DNA methylation from birth through mid-childhood: a prospective study in Project Viva. Epigenomics 2019; 11:1413-1427. [PMID: 31509016 PMCID: PMC6802709 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: We investigated associations of prenatal socioeconomic status (SES) with DNA methylation at birth, and to explore persistence of associations into early (∼3 years) and mid-childhood (∼7 years) among 609 mother-child pairs in a Boston-area prebirth cohort. Materials & methods: First, we created a prenatal SES index comprising individual- and neighborhood-level metrics and examined associations of low (lowest 10%) versus high (upper 90%) SES with genome-wide DNA methylation in cord blood via the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Next, we evaluated persistence of associations detected in cord blood with DNA methylation of the same CpG sites measured in peripheral leukocytes in early- and mid-childhood. Results & conclusion: Low prenatal SES was associated with methylation at CpG sites near ACSF3, TNRC6C-AS1, MTMR4 and LRRN4. The relationship with LRRN4 persisted into early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M Laubach
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
| | - Wei Perng
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dawn DeMeo
- Center for Chest Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Augusto A Litonjua
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Radu-Corneliu Duca
- Centre for Environment & Health, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000, Belgium
| | - Lode Godderis
- Centre for Environment & Health, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000, Belgium
- IDEWE, External Service for Prevention at Protection at Work, Heverlee, 3001, Belgium
| | - Andrea Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Marie-France Hivert
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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Laubach ZM, Faulk CD, Dolinoy DC, Montrose L, Jones TR, Ray D, Pioon MO, Holekamp KE. Early life social and ecological determinants of global DNA methylation in wild spotted hyenas. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3799-3812. [PMID: 31291495 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Environmental factors early in life can have lasting influence on the development and phenotypes of animals, but the underlying molecular modifications remain poorly understood. We examined cross-sectional associations among early life socioecological factors and global DNA methylation in 293 wild spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, grouped according to three age classes (cub, subadult and adult). Explanatory variables of interest included annual maternal rank based on outcomes of dyadic agonistic interactions, litter size, wild ungulate prey density and anthropogenic disturbance in the year each hyena was born based on counts of illegal livestock in the Reserve. The dependent variable of interest was global DNA methylation, assessed via the LUminometric Methylation Assay, which provides a percentage methylation value calculated at CCGG sites across the genome. Among cubs, we observed approximately 2.75% higher CCGG methylation in offspring born to high- than low-ranking mothers. Among cubs and subadults, higher anthropogenic disturbance corresponded with greater %CCGG methylation. In both cubs and adults, we found an inverse association between prey density measured before a hyena was 3 months old and %CCGG methylation. Our results suggest that maternal rank, anthropogenic disturbance and prey availability early in life are associated with later life global DNA methylation. Future studies are required to understand the extent to which these DNA methylation patterns relate to adult phenotypes and fitness outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M Laubach
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,BEACON, NSF Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Masai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
| | | | - Dana C Dolinoy
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Luke Montrose
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tamara R Jones
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Donna Ray
- Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Malit O Pioon
- Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Masai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,BEACON, NSF Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Masai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
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Santos HP, Bhattacharya A, Martin EM, Addo K, Psioda M, Smeester L, Joseph RM, Hooper SR, Frazier JA, Kuban KC, O’Shea T, Fry RC. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation in placentas from preterm infants: association with maternal socioeconomic status. Epigenetics 2019; 14:751-765. [PMID: 31062658 PMCID: PMC6615526 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1614743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This study evaluated the hypothesis that prenatal maternal socioeconomic status (SES) adversity is associated with DNA methylation in the placenta. SES adversity was defined by the presence of, as well as a summative count of, four factors: less than college education, single marital status, food and nutritional service assistance, and public health insurance. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation was assessed using the Illumina EPIC array in 426 placentas from a sample of infants born < 28 weeks of gestation from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn cohort. Associations between SES adversity and DNA methylation were assessed with robust linear regressions adjusted for covariates and controlled the false discovery rate at < 10%. We also examined whether such associations were sex specific. Indicators of SES adversity were associated with differential methylation at 33 CpG sites. Of the 33 identified CpG sites, 19 (57.6%) displayed increased methylation, and 14 (42.4%) displayed decreased methylation in association with at least one of the SES adversity factors. Sex differences were observed in DNA methylation associated with summative SES score; in which placentas derived from female pregnancies showed more robust differential CpG methylation than placentas from male pregnancies. Maternal SES adversity was associated with differential methylation of genes with key role in gene transcription and placental function, potentially altering immunity and stress response. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the role of epigenetic differences in mediating the association between maternal socioeconomic status during pregnancy and later life health outcomes in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hudson P. Santos
- School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Arjun Bhattacharya
- Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Martin
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kezia Addo
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Matt Psioda
- Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Lisa Smeester
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Robert M. Joseph
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen R. Hooper
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jean A. Frazier
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School/University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Karl C. Kuban
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - T.Michael O’Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Litzky JF, Marsit CJ. Epigenetically regulated imprinted gene expression associated with IVF and infertility: possible influence of prenatal stress and depression. J Assist Reprod Genet 2019; 36:1299-1313. [PMID: 31127477 PMCID: PMC6642239 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-019-01483-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Despite the growing body of research implying an impact of in vitro fertilization (IVF) on imprinted genes and epigenetics, few studies have examined the effects of underlying subfertility or prenatal stress on epigenetics, particularly in terms of their role in determining infant birthweights. Both subfertility and prenatal stressors have been found to impact epigenetics and may be confounding the effect of IVF on epigenetics and imprinted genes. Like IVF, both of these exposures-infertility and prenatal stressors-have been associated with lower infant birthweights. The placenta, and specifically epigenetically regulated placental imprinted genes, provides an ideal but understudied mechanism for evaluating the relationship between underlying genetics, environmental exposures, and birthweight. METHODS AND RESULTS In this review, we discuss the impacts of IVF and infertility on birthweight, epigenetic mechanisms and genomic imprinting, and the role of these mechanisms in the IVF population and discuss the role and importance of the placenta in infant development. We then highlight recent work on the relationships between infertility, IVF, and prenatal stressors in terms of placental imprinting. CONCLUSIONS In combination, the studies discussed, as well as two recent projects of our own on placental imprinted gene expression, suggest that lower birthweights in IVF infants are secondary to a combination of exposures including the infertility and prenatal stress that couples undergoing IVF are experiencing. The work highlighted herein emphasizes the need for appropriate control populations that take infertility into account and also for consideration of prenatal psychosocial stressors as confounders and causes of variation in IVF infant outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia F Litzky
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, CNR 202, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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McKee CL, Stapleton P, Pidgeon AM. Delphi Expert Parent Study: Factors Needed for 21st Century Pre- and Perinatal Parenting Programs. J Perinat Educ 2019; 28:163-179. [PMID: 31341375 PMCID: PMC6613731 DOI: 10.1891/1058-1243.28.3.163] [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: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Using Delphi methodology, the current study utilized a panel of "expert" parents (N = 23 after three rounds) to examine nine content-based and logistical factors perceived to be important when developing pre-and perinatal (PPN) parenting programs for the modern day. The aim was to attain consensus on 235 items generated from literature and panelists. Consensus was reached on 126 items (53.62%). The most notable related to needs-based content, barriers to fathers' attendance, and groups of parents who may benefit most from programs. Consistent with the literature, clarity was not achieved for appropriate timing and length of programs. With the diversity of recommendations, next steps involve developing a range of programs that use randomized clinical trials with control groups, effective sample sizes, and are pre-and posttested.
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Monk C, Lugo-Candelas C, Trumpff C. Prenatal Developmental Origins of Future Psychopathology: Mechanisms and Pathways. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2019; 15:317-344. [PMID: 30795695 PMCID: PMC7027196 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050718-095539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis applied to neurodevelopmental outcomes asserts that the fetal origins of future development are relevant to mental health. There is a third pathway for the familial inheritance of risk for psychiatric illness beyond shared genes and the quality of parental care: the impact of pregnant women's distress-defined broadly to include perceived stress, life events, depression, and anxiety-on fetal and infant brain-behavior development. We discuss epidemiological and observational clinical data demonstrating that maternal distress is associated with children's increased risk for psychopathology: For example, high maternal anxiety is associated with a twofold increase in the risk of probable mental disorder in children. We review several biological systems hypothesized to be mechanisms by which maternal distress affects fetal and child brain and behavior development, as well as the clinical implications of studies of the developmental origins of health and disease that focus on maternal distress. Development and parenting begin before birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Monk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA;
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; ,
| | - Claudia Lugo-Candelas
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA;
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; ,
| | - Caroline Trumpff
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA;
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; ,
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Clarkson-Townsend DA, Everson TM, Deyssenroth MA, Burt AA, Hermetz KE, Hao K, Chen J, Marsit CJ. Maternal circadian disruption is associated with variation in placental DNA methylation. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215745. [PMID: 31026301 PMCID: PMC6485638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian disruption is a common environmental and occupational exposure with public health consequences, but not much is known about whether circadian disruption affects in utero development. We investigated whether maternal circadian disruption, using night shift work as a proxy, is associated with variations in DNA methylation patterns of placental tissue in an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of night shift work. Here, we compared cytosine-guanosine dinucleotide (CpG) specific methylation genome-wide of placental tissue (measured with the Illumina 450K array) from participants (n = 237) in the Rhode Island Child Health Study (RICHS) who did (n = 53) and did not (n = 184) report working the night shift, using robust linear modeling and adjusting for maternal age, pre-pregnancy smoking, infant sex, maternal adversity, and putative cell mixture. Statistical analyses were adjusted for multiple comparisons and results presented with Bonferroni or Benjamini and Hochberg (BH) adjustment for false discovery rate. Night shift work was associated with differential methylation in placental tissue, including CpG sites in the genes NAV1, SMPD1, TAPBP, CLEC16A, DIP2C, FAM172A, and PLEKHG6 (Bonferroni-adjusted p<0.05). CpG sites within NAV1, MXRA8, GABRG1, PRDM16, WNT5A, and FOXG1 exhibited the most hypomethylation, while CpG sites within TDO2, ADAMTSL3, DLX2, and SERPINA1 exhibited the most hypermethylation (BH q<0.10). Functional analysis indicated GO-terms associated with cell-cell adhesion and enriched GWAS results for psoriasis. Night shift work was associated with differential methylation of the placenta, which may have implications for fetal health and development. This is the first study to examine the epigenetic impacts of night shift exposure, as a proxy for circadian disruption, on placental methylation in humans, and, while results should be interpreted with caution, suggests circadian disruption may have epigenetic impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A. Clarkson-Townsend
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Todd M. Everson
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Maya A. Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Amber A. Burt
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Karen E. Hermetz
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Enlow MB, Sideridis G, Bollati V, Hoxha M, Hacker MR, Wright RJ. Maternal cortisol output in pregnancy and newborn telomere length: Evidence for sex-specific effects. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 102:225-235. [PMID: 30590340 PMCID: PMC6420355 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.12.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Newborn telomere length is a potential biomarker of the effects of maternal-fetal processes on offspring long-term health. A number of maternal psychosocial and environmental factors in pregnancy (e.g., stress, health, socioeconomic status) have been associated with shortened telomere length at birth. The physiological mechanisms responsible for potential effects of maternal factors on newborn telomere length have yet to be identified. Indirect evidence suggests that disruptions in maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning in pregnancy may be involved. Studies are needed that test whether maternal HPA axis functioning in pregnancy is associated with newborn telomere length. This study examined whether maternal HPA axis functioning across pregnancy, reflected in hair cortisol collected within one week after delivery, predicted newborn telomere length assessed from leukocyte cord blood collected at birth among 93 sociodemographically diverse mother-infant dyads. We further tested whether associations between maternal hair cortisol and newborn telomere length differed by infant sex, given documented sex differences in prenatal environmental exposure effects on offspring health, patterns of cortisol exposure during gestation, and telomere biology across the lifespan. In a multi-group structural equation modeling analysis that accounted for cortisol exposures across trimesters, maternal cortisol levels in pregnancy were not associated with newborn telomere length in the sample as a whole. However, significant sex differences emerged, with a significant positive association among females and a lack of a significant association among males. In addition, analyses revealed that cortisol levels were higher across trimesters among mothers of male infants than mothers of female infants. The results suggest that functioning of the maternal HPA axis in pregnancy may differ by fetal sex and have sex-specific effects on newborn telomere biology. These findings have implications for understanding the mechanisms by which maternal psychosocial and environmental exposures influence newborn telomere length and for elucidating mechanisms contributing to sex disparities in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, AT-120.3, Mailstop BCH 3199, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Georgios Sideridis
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, AT-210.3, Mailstop BCH 3200, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Valentina Bollati
- EPIGET Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via San Barnaba 8, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Mirjam Hoxha
- EPIGET Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via San Barnaba 8, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele R. Hacker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, KS3, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1198, New York City, NY 10029, USA,Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
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McDade TW, Ryan CP, Jones MJ, Hoke MK, Borja J, Miller GE, Kuzawa CW, Kobor MS. Genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation in relation to socioeconomic status during development and early adulthood. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 169:3-11. [PMID: 30771258 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Socioeconomic status (SES) is a powerful determinant of health, but the underlying biological mechanisms are poorly understood. This study investigates whether levels of DNA methylation at CpG sites across the genome are associated with SES in a cohort of young adults in the Philippines. METHODS DNA methylation was assayed with the Illumina HumanMethylation450 Bead Chip, in leukocytes from 489 participants in the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (mean age = 20.9 years). SES was measured in infancy/childhood and adulthood, and was based on composite measures of income, assets, and education. Genome-wide analysis of variable probes identified CpG sites significantly associated with SES after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Functional enrichment analysis was used to identify biological pathways associated with these sites. RESULTS A total of 2,546 CpG sites, across 1,537 annotated genes, were differentially methylated in association with SES. In comparison with high SES, low SES was associated with increased methylation at 1,777 sites, and decreased methylation at 769 sites. Functional enrichment analysis identified over-representation of biological pathways related to immune function, skeletal development, and development of the nervous system. CONCLUSIONS Socioeconomic status predicts DNA methylation at a large number of CpG sites across the genome. The scope of these associations is commensurate with the wide range of biological systems and health outcomes that are shaped by SES, and these findings suggest that DNA methylation may play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Calen P Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Meaghan J Jones
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.,Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba
| | - Morgan K Hoke
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Judith Borja
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, Inc., University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines.,Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Gregory E Miller
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.,Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
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Alfano R, Guida F, Galobardes B, Chadeau-Hyam M, Delpierre C, Ghantous A, Henderson J, Herceg Z, Jain P, Nawrot TS, Relton C, Vineis P, Castagné R, Plusquin M. Socioeconomic position during pregnancy and DNA methylation signatures at three stages across early life: epigenome-wide association studies in the ALSPAC birth cohort. Int J Epidemiol 2019; 48:30-44. [PMID: 30590607 PMCID: PMC6443021 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyy259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socioeconomic experiences are recognized determinants of health, and recent work has shown that social disadvantages in early life may induce sustained biological changes at molecular level that are detectable later in life. However, the dynamics and persistence of biological embedding of socioeconomic position (SEP) remains vastly unexplored. METHODS Using the data from the ALSPAC birth cohort, we performed epigenome-wide association studies of DNA methylation changes at three life stages (birth, n = 914; childhood at mean age 7.5 years, n = 973; and adolescence at mean age 15.5 years, n = 974), measured using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 Beadchip, in relation to pregnancy SEP indicators (maternal and paternal education and occupation). RESULTS Across the four early life SEP metrics investigated, only maternal education was associated with methylation levels at birth, and four CpGs mapped to SULF1, GLB1L2 and RPUSD1 genes were identified [false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected P-value <0.05]. No epigenetic signature was found associated with maternal education in child samples, but methylation levels at 20 CpG loci were found significantly associated with maternal education in adolescence. Although no overlap was found between the differentially methylated CpG sites at different ages, we identified two CpG sites at birth and during adolescence which are 219 bp apart in the SULF1 gene that encodes an heparan sulphatase involved in modulation of signalling pathways. Using data from an independent birth cohort, the ENVIRONAGE cohort, we were not able to replicate these findings. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results suggest that parental SEP, and particularly maternal education, may influence the offspring's methylome at birth and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Alfano
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Florence Guida
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Bruna Galobardes
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- INSERM, UMR1027, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Akram Ghantous
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
| | - John Henderson
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Zdenko Herceg
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
| | - Pooja Jain
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- NIHR-Health Protection Research Unit, Respiratory Infections and Immunity, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Caroline Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Paolo Vineis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- IIGM, Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, Turin, Italy
| | - Raphaële Castagné
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- INSERM, UMR1027, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Michelle Plusquin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
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Shearer FJG, Wyrwoll CS, Holmes MC. The Role of 11β-Hydroxy Steroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 in Glucocorticoid Programming of Affective and Cognitive Behaviours. Neuroendocrinology 2019; 109:257-265. [PMID: 30884491 DOI: 10.1159/000499660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Developmental exposure to stress hormones, i.e. glucocorticoids, is central to the process of prenatal programming of later-life health. Glucocorticoid overexposure, through stress or exogenous glucocorticoids, results in a reduced birthweight, as well as affective and neuropsychiatric outcomes in adults, combined with altered hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. As such, glucocorticoids are tightly regulated during development through the presence of the metabolizing enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD2). HSD2 is highly expressed in 2 hubs during development, i.e. the placenta and the fetus itself, protecting the fetus from inappropriate glucocorticoid exposure early in gestation. Through manipulation of HSD2 expression in the mouse placenta and fetal tissues, we are able to determine the relative contribution of glucocorticoid exposure in each compartment. Feto-placental HSD2 deletion resulted in a reduced birthweight and the development of anxiety- and depression-like behaviours in adult mice. The placenta itself is altered by glucocorticoid overexposure, which causes reduced placental weight and vascular arborisation. Furthermore, altered flow and resistance in the umbilical vessels and modification of fetal heart function and development are observed. However, brain-specific HSD2 removal (HSD2BKO) also generated adult phenotypes of depressive-like behaviour and memory deficits, demonstrating the importance of fetal brain HSD2 expression in development. In this review we will discuss potential mechanisms underpinning early-life programming of adult neuropsychiatric disorders and the novel therapeutic potential of statins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fraser J G Shearer
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Caitlin S Wyrwoll
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Washington, Australia
| | - Megan C Holmes
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,
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Gjerde LC, Eilertsen EM, Eley TC, McAdams TA, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Røysamb E, Ystrom E. Maternal Perinatal and Concurrent Anxiety and Mental Health Problems in Early Childhood: A Sibling-Comparison Study. Child Dev 2018; 91:456-470. [PMID: 30536534 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Do associations between maternal anxiety symptoms and offspring mental health remain after comparing differentially exposed siblings? Participants were 17,724 offspring siblings and 11,553 mothers from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study. Mothers reported anxiety and depressive symptoms at 30 weeks' gestation, and 0.5, 1.5, 3, and 5 years postpartum. Child internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed at ages 1.5, 3, and 5, and modeled using multilevel analyses with repeated measures nested within siblings, nested within mothers. Maternal pre- and postnatal anxiety were no longer associated with child internalizing or externalizing problems after adjusting for maternal depression and familial confounding. Maternal anxiety when the children were in preschool age, however, remained significantly associated with child internalizing but not externalizing problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Line C Gjerde
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health and University of Oslo
| | | | - Thalia C Eley
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College
| | - Tom A McAdams
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College
| | | | - Espen Røysamb
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health and University of Oslo
| | - Eivind Ystrom
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health and University of Oslo
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Lemche E. Early Life Stress and Epigenetics in Late-onset Alzheimer's Dementia: A Systematic Review. Curr Genomics 2018; 19:522-602. [PMID: 30386171 PMCID: PMC6194433 DOI: 10.2174/1389202919666171229145156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Involvement of life stress in Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease (LOAD) has been evinced in longitudinal cohort epidemiological studies, and endocrinologic evidence suggests involvements of catecholamine and corticosteroid systems in LOAD. Early Life Stress (ELS) rodent models have successfully demonstrated sequelae of maternal separation resulting in LOAD-analogous pathology, thereby supporting a role of insulin receptor signalling pertaining to GSK-3beta facilitated tau hyper-phosphorylation and amyloidogenic processing. Discussed are relevant ELS studies, and findings from three mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways (JNK/SAPK pathway, ERK pathway, p38/MAPK pathway) relevant for mediating environmental stresses. Further considered were the roles of autophagy impairment, neuroinflammation, and brain insulin resistance. For the meta-analytic evaluation, 224 candidate gene loci were extracted from reviews of animal studies of LOAD pathophysiological mechanisms, of which 60 had no positive results in human LOAD association studies. These loci were combined with 89 gene loci confirmed as LOAD risk genes in previous GWAS and WES. Of the 313 risk gene loci evaluated, there were 35 human reports on epigenomic modifications in terms of methylation or histone acetylation. 64 microRNA gene regulation mechanisms were published for the compiled loci. Genomic association studies support close relations of both noradrenergic and glucocorticoid systems with LOAD. For HPA involvement, a CRHR1 haplotype with MAPT was described, but further association of only HSD11B1 with LOAD found; however, association of FKBP1 and NC3R1 polymorphisms was documented in support of stress influence to LOAD. In the brain insulin system, IGF2R, INSR, INSRR, and plasticity regulator ARC, were associated with LOAD. Pertaining to compromised myelin stability in LOAD, relevant associations were found for BIN1, RELN, SORL1, SORCS1, CNP, MAG, and MOG. Regarding epigenetic modifications, both methylation variability and de-acetylation were reported for LOAD. The majority of up-to-date epigenomic findings include reported modifications in the well-known LOAD core pathology loci MAPT, BACE1, APP (with FOS, EGR1), PSEN1, PSEN2, and highlight a central role of BDNF. Pertaining to ELS, relevant loci are FKBP5, EGR1, GSK3B; critical roles of inflammation are indicated by CRP, TNFA, NFKB1 modifications; for cholesterol biosynthesis, DHCR24; for myelin stability BIN1, SORL1, CNP; pertaining to (epi)genetic mechanisms, hTERT, MBD2, DNMT1, MTHFR2. Findings on gene regulation were accumulated for BACE1, MAPK signalling, TLR4, BDNF, insulin signalling, with most reports for miR-132 and miR-27. Unclear in epigenomic studies remains the role of noradrenergic signalling, previously demonstrated by neuropathological findings of childhood nucleus caeruleus degeneration for LOAD tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin Lemche
- Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
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Prenatal stress and the development of psychopathology: Lifestyle behaviors as a fundamental part of the puzzle. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:1129-1144. [PMID: 30068418 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Maternal psychological stress, depression, and anxiety during pregnancy (prenatal stress; PNS) are thought to impact fetal development with long-term effects on offspring outcome. These effects would include physical and mental health, including psychopathology. Maternal sleep, diet, and exercise during pregnancy are lifestyle behaviors that are understudied and often solely included in PNS studies as confounders. However, there are indications that these lifestyle behaviors may actually constitute essential mediators between PNS and fetal programming processes. The goal of this theoretical review was to investigate this idea by looking at the evidence for associations between PNS and sleep, diet, and exercise, and by piecing together the information on potential underlying mechanisms and causal pathways through which these factors may affect the offspring. The analysis of the literature led to the conclusion that sleep, diet, and exercise during pregnancy, may have fundamental roles as mediators between PNS and maternal pregnancy physiology. By integrating these lifestyle behaviors into models of prenatal programming of development, a qualitatively higher and more comprehensive understanding of the prenatal origins of psychopathology can be obtained. The review finalizes by discussing some of the present challenges facing the field of PNS and offspring programming, and offering solutions for future research.
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Brunst KJ, Tignor N, Just A, Liu Z, Lin X, Hacker MR, Bosquet Enlow M, Wright RO, Wang P, Baccarelli AA, Wright RJ. Cumulative lifetime maternal stress and epigenome-wide placental DNA methylation in the PRISM cohort. Epigenetics 2018; 13:665-681. [PMID: 30001177 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2018.1497387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolving evidence links maternal stress exposure to changes in placental DNA methylation of specific genes regulating placental function that may have implications for the programming of a host of chronic disorders. Few studies have implemented an epigenome-wide approach. Using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip (450K), we investigated epigenome-wide placental DNA methylation in relation to maternal experiences of traumatic and non-traumatic stressors over her lifetime assessed using the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised (LSC-R) survey (n = 207). We found differential DNA methylation at epigenome-wide statistical significance (FDR = 0.05) for 112 CpGs. Additionally, we observed three clusters that exhibited differential methylation in response to high maternal lifetime stress. Enrichment analyses, conducted at an FDR = 0.20, revealed lysine degradation to be the most significant pathway associated with maternal lifetimes stress exposure. Targeted enrichment analyses of the three largest clusters of probes, identified using the gap statistic, were enriched for genes associated with endocytosis (i.e., SMAP1, ANKFY1), tight junctions (i.e., EPB41L4B), and metabolic pathways (i.e., INPP5E, EEF1B2). These pathways, also identified in the top 10 KEGG pathways associated with maternal lifetime stress exposure, play important roles in multiple physiological functions necessary for proper fetal development. Further, two genes were identified to exhibit multiple probes associated with maternal lifetime stress (i.e., ANKFY1, TM6SF1). The methylation status of the probes belonging to each cluster and/or genes exhibiting multiple hits, may play a role in the pathogenesis of adverse health outcomes in children born to mothers with increased lifetime stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Brunst
- a Department of Environmental Health , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Nicole Tignor
- b Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai One Gustave L. Levy Place , New York , NY , USA
| | - Allan Just
- c Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- d Department of Biostatistics , Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Xihong Lin
- d Department of Biostatistics , Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Michele R Hacker
- e Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston , MA , USA.,f Department of Obstetrics , Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- g Department of Psychiatry, Program for Behavioral Science, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- c Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Pei Wang
- b Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai One Gustave L. Levy Place , New York , NY , USA
| | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- h Department of Environmental Health Sciences , Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University , New York , NY , USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- c Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.,i Department of Pediatrics , Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
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