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Park S, Hunter ES. Modeling the human placenta: in vitro applications in developmental and reproductive toxicology. Crit Rev Toxicol 2024; 54:431-464. [PMID: 39016688 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2023.2295349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
During its temporary tenure, the placenta has extensive and specialized functions that are critical for pre- and post-natal development. The consequences of chemical exposure in utero can have profound effects on the structure and function of pregnancy-associated tissues and the life-long health of the birthing person and their offspring. However, the toxicological importance and critical functions of the placenta to embryonic and fetal development and maturation have been understudied. This narrative will review early placental development in humans and highlight some in vitro models currently in use that are or can be applied to better understand placental processes underlying developmental toxicity due to in utero environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Park
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN, USA
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, ORD, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Edward Sidney Hunter
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, ORD, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Gan H, Xing Y, Tong J, Lu M, Yan S, Huang K, Wu X, Tao S, Gao H, Pan Y, Dai J, Tao F. Impact of Gestational Exposure to Individual and Combined Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances on a Placental Structure and Efficiency: Findings from the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6117-6127. [PMID: 38525964 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is inevitable among pregnant women. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of research investigating the connections between prenatal PFAS exposure and the placental structure and efficiency. Based on 712 maternal-fetal dyads in the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort, we analyzed associations between individual and mixed PFAS exposure and placental measures. We repeatedly measured 12 PFAS in the maternal serum during pregnancy. Placental weight, scaling exponent, chorionic disc area, and disc eccentricity were used as the outcome variables. Upon adjusting for confounders and implementing corrections for multiple comparisons, we identified positive associations between branched perfluorohexane sulfonate (br-PFHxS) and 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA) with placental weight. Additionally, a positive association was observed between br-PFHxS and the scaling exponent, where a higher scaling exponent signified reduced placental efficiency. Based on neonatal sex stratification, female infants were found to be more susceptible to the adverse effects of PFAS exposure. Mixed exposure modeling revealed that mixed PFAS exposure was positively associated with placental weight and scaling exponent, particularly during the second and third trimesters. Furthermore, br-PFHxS and 6:2 Cl-PFESA played major roles in the placental measures. This study provides the first epidemiological evidence of the relationship between prenatal PFAS exposure and placental measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Gan
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Yanan Xing
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Juan Tong
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Mengjuan Lu
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Shuangqin Yan
- Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Ma'anshan 243011 Anhui, China
| | - Kun Huang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Shuman Tao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Hui Gao
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022 Anhui, China
| | - Yitao Pan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jiayin Dai
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
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Ewing A, O'Callaghan JL, McCracken S, Ellery S, Lappas M, Holland OJ, Perkins A, Saif Z, Clifton VL. Placentae of small appropriately-grown-for-gestational-age neonates exhibit sexually dimorphic transcriptomic changes representative of placental insufficiency. Placenta 2024; 149:37-43. [PMID: 38492471 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2024.02.003] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous studies have reported that neonates less than the 25th BWC especially if they were male, were more likely to be associated with birth complications suggesting small neonates often identified as appropriately grown are at risk of adverse outcomes. We have questioned whether smaller neonates not typically categorized as "small for gestational age" may not reach their genetically determined growth due to placental insufficiency. METHODS RNA-Seq was performed on the Illumina NovaSeq 600 using term placentae from neonates that were less than the 10th birthweight centile (BWC) (n = 39), between the 10th and the 30th BWC (n = 15) or greater than the 30th BWC (n = 23). Bioinformatic analyses were conducted and statistical significance was assessed at a level of P < 0.05 for single comparisons or FDR <0.05 unless otherwise noted. RESULTS Gene set enrichment analysis revealed differences between BWC groups and in relation to the sex of the placenta. Genes associated with hypoxia, inflammatory responses, estrogen responsive genes, and androgen responsive genes were enriched (FDR <0.1) for in placentae of neonates <10th BWC regardless of sex and also in male placentae of neonates between the 10th-30th BWC. Female placenta of neonates between the 10th-30th BWC were comparable to placentae of neonates >30th BWC. DISCUSSION These findings provide evidence that small male neonates may be at a greater risk of an adverse outcome than females due to changes in gene expression that are associated with placental dysfunction. The current data raises questions of whether placental pathology for smaller appropriately grown neonates should be scientifically and clinically examined in more depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Ewing
- Mater Research Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
| | | | - Sharon McCracken
- Women and Babies Research, Perinatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Northern Sydney Local Health District Research (Kolling Institute), St Leonards, NSW, Australia
| | - Stacy Ellery
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Martha Lappas
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, Mercy Hospital for Women, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC, Australia
| | - Olivia J Holland
- School of Medical Science, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Anthony Perkins
- School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
| | - Zarqa Saif
- Mater Research Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia
| | - Vicki L Clifton
- Mater Research Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD, Australia.
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González-Rojas A, Valencia-Narbona M. Neurodevelopmental Disruptions in Children of Preeclamptic Mothers: Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Consequences. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3632. [PMID: 38612445 PMCID: PMC11012011 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystem disorder characterized by elevated blood pressure in the mother, typically occurring after 20 weeks of gestation and posing risks to both maternal and fetal health. PE causes placental changes that can affect the fetus, particularly neurodevelopment. Its key pathophysiological mechanisms encompass hypoxia, vascular and angiogenic dysregulation, inflammation, neuronal and glial alterations, and disruptions in neuronal signaling. Animal models indicate that PE is correlated with neurodevelopmental alterations and cognitive dysfunctions in offspring and in humans, an association between PE and conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and sexual dimorphism has been observed. Considering the relevance for mothers and children, we conducted a narrative literature review to describe the relationships between the pathophysiological mechanisms behind neurodevelopmental alterations in the offspring of PE mothers, along with their potential consequences. Furthermore, we emphasize aspects pertinent to the prevention/treatment of PE in pregnant mothers and alterations observed in their offspring. The present narrative review offers a current, complete, and exhaustive analysis of (i) the pathophysiological mechanisms that can affect neurodevelopment in the children of PE mothers, (ii) the relationship between PE and neurological alterations in offspring, and (iii) the prevention/treatment of PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea González-Rojas
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias Aplicadas, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Brasil 2950, Valparaíso 2340025, Chile;
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Kobayashi H, Yoshimoto C, Matsubara S, Shigetomi H, Imanaka S. An integral role of mitochondrial function in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:330. [PMID: 38393449 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09285-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The development of effective treatment strategies remains a major challenge due to the limited understanding of the pathogenesis. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of PE research, focusing on the molecular basis of mitochondrial function in normal and PE placentas, and discuss perspectives on future research directions. Mitochondria integrate numerous physiological processes such as energy production, cellular redox homeostasis, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitophagy, a selective autophagic clearance of damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria. Normal placental mitochondria have evolved innovative survival strategies to cope with uncertain environments (e.g., hypoxia and nutrient starvation). Cytotrophoblasts, extravillous trophoblast cells, and syncytiotrophoblasts all have distinct mitochondrial morphology and function. Recent advances in molecular studies on the spatial and temporal changes in normal mitochondrial function are providing valuable insight into PE pathogenesis. In PE placentas, hypoxia-mediated mitochondrial fission may induce activation of mitophagy machinery, leading to increased mitochondrial fragmentation and placental tissue damage over time. Repair mechanisms in mitochondrial function restore placental function, but disruption of compensatory mechanisms can induce apoptotic death of trophoblast cells. Additionally, molecular markers associated with repair or compensatory mechanisms that may influence the development and progression of PE are beginning to be identified. However, contradictory results have been obtained regarding some of the molecules that control mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamics, and mitophagy in PE placentas. In conclusion, understanding how the mitochondrial morphology and function influence cell fate decisions of trophoblast cells is an important issue in normal as well as pathological placentation biology. Research focusing on mitochondrial function will become increasingly important for elucidating the pathogenesis and effective treatment strategies of PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kobayashi
- Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Ms.Clinic MayOne, 871-1 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, 634-0813, Japan.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, 634-8522, Japan.
| | - Chiharu Yoshimoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, 634-8522, Japan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, 2-897-5 Shichijyonishi-machi, Nara, 630-8581, Japan
| | - Sho Matsubara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, 634-8522, Japan
- Department of Medicine, Kei Oushin Clinic, 5-2-6, Naruo-cho, Nishinomiya, 663-8184, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Shigetomi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, 634-8522, Japan
- Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Aska Ladies Clinic, 3-3-17 Kitatomigaoka-cho, Nara, 634- 0001, Japan
| | - Shogo Imanaka
- Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Ms.Clinic MayOne, 871-1 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, 634-0813, Japan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, 634-8522, Japan
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Saeed H, Wu J, Tesfaye M, Grantz KL, Tekola-Ayele F. Placental accelerated aging in antenatal depression. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2024; 6:101237. [PMID: 38012987 PMCID: PMC10843762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.101237] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antenatal maternal depression is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes and long-term effects on the offspring. Previous studies have identified links between antenatal depression and placental DNA methylation and between placental epigenetic aging and poor pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm labor and preeclampsia. The relationship between antenatal depression and poor pregnancy outcomes may be partly mediated via placental aging. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate whether antenatal depressive symptoms are associated with placental epigenetic age acceleration, an epigenetic aging clock measure derived from the difference between methylation age and gestational age at delivery. STUDY DESIGN The study included 301 women who provided placenta samples at delivery as part of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies - Singletons that recruited participants from diverse race and ethnic groups at 12 US clinical sites (2009-2013). Women underwent depression screening using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale up to 6 times across the 3 trimesters of pregnancy. Depressive symptoms status was determined for each pregnancy trimester using an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score, in which a score of ≥10 was defined as having depressive symptoms and a score of <10 was defined as not having depressive symptoms. Placental DNA methylation was profiled from placenta samples. Placental epigenetic age was estimated using a methylation-based age estimator (placental "epigenetic clock") that has previously been found to have high placental gestational age prediction accuracy for uncomplicated term pregnancies. Placental age acceleration was defined to be the residual upon regressing the estimated epigenetic age on gestational age at delivery. Associations between an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of ≥10 and an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of <10 in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy (ie, depressive symptoms vs none in each trimester) and placental age acceleration were tested using multivariable linear regression adjusting for maternal age, parity, race and ethnicity, and employment. RESULTS There were 31 (10.3%), 48 (16%), and 49 (16.4%) women with depressive symptoms (ie, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of ≥10) in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. Of these women, 21 (7.2%) had sustained first- and second-trimester depressive symptoms, 19 (7%) had sustained second- and third-trimester depressive symptoms, and 12 (4.8%) had sustained depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy. Women with depressive symptoms in the second trimester of pregnancy had 0.41 weeks higher placental age acceleration than women without depressive symptoms during the second trimester of pregnancy (β=0.21 weeks [95% confidence interval, -0.17 to 0.58; P=.28] during the first trimester of pregnancy; β=0.41 weeks [95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.71; P=.009] during the second trimester of pregnancy; β=0.17 weeks [95% confidence interval, -0.14 to 0.47; P=.29] during the third trimester of pregnancy). Sustained first- and second-trimester depressive symptoms were associated with 0.72 weeks higher placental age acceleration (95% confidence interval, 0.29-1.15; P=.001) than no depressive symptom in the 2 trimesters. The association between second-trimester depressive symptoms and higher placental epigenetic age acceleration strengthened in the analysis of pregnancies with male fetuses (β=0.53 weeks; 95% confidence interval, 0.06-1.08; P=.03) but was not significant in pregnancies with female fetuses. CONCLUSION Antenatal depressive symptoms during the second trimester of pregnancy were associated with an average of 0.41 weeks of increased placental age acceleration. Accelerated placental aging may play an important role in the underlying mechanism linking antenatal depression to pregnancy complications related to placental dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haleema Saeed
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (Dr Saeed); Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC (Drs Saeed)
| | - Jing Wu
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (Drs Wu, Grantz, and Tekola-Ayele)
| | - Markos Tesfaye
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (Dr Tesfaye); Department of Psychiatry, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Dr Tesfaye)
| | - Katherine L Grantz
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (Drs Wu, Grantz, and Tekola-Ayele)
| | - Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (Drs Wu, Grantz, and Tekola-Ayele).
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Sainty R, Silver MJ, Prentice AM, Monk D. The influence of early environment and micronutrient availability on developmental epigenetic programming: lessons from the placenta. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1212199. [PMID: 37484911 PMCID: PMC10358779 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1212199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is the most commonly studied epigenetic mark in humans, as it is well recognised as a stable, heritable mark that can affect genome function and influence gene expression. Somatic DNA methylation patterns that can persist throughout life are established shortly after fertilisation when the majority of epigenetic marks, including DNA methylation, are erased from the pre-implantation embryo. Therefore, the period around conception is potentially critical for influencing DNA methylation, including methylation at imprinted alleles and metastable epialleles (MEs), loci where methylation varies between individuals but is correlated across tissues. Exposures before and during conception can affect pregnancy outcomes and health throughout life. Retrospective studies of the survivors of famines, such as those exposed to the Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944-45, have linked exposures around conception to later disease outcomes, some of which correlate with DNA methylation changes at certain genes. Animal models have shown more directly that DNA methylation can be affected by dietary supplements that act as cofactors in one-carbon metabolism, and in humans, methylation at birth has been associated with peri-conceptional micronutrient supplementation. However, directly showing a role of micronutrients in shaping the epigenome has proven difficult. Recently, the placenta, a tissue with a unique hypomethylated methylome, has been shown to possess great inter-individual variability, which we highlight as a promising target tissue for studying MEs and mixed environmental exposures. The placenta has a critical role shaping the health of the fetus. Placenta-associated pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction, are all associated with aberrant patterns of DNA methylation and expression which are only now being linked to disease risk later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Sainty
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Matt J. Silver
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M. Prentice
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, Gambia
| | - David Monk
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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Tola G, Kassa A, Getu M, Dibaba B, Neggesse S. Prevalence of stunting and associated factors among neonates in Shebadino woreda, Sidama region South Ethiopia; a community-based cross-sectional study 2022. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:276. [PMID: 37264376 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04080-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Stunting is a syndrome that begins at conception and leads to severe, irreversible physiological, physical and cognitive damage as an irreversible consequence of nutritional deficiencies and recurrent infections. Although multiple studies have been conducted in Ethiopia to show the magnitude of stunting and factors, all are concentrated on children aged between 6 to 59 months. Therefore, this study was done to determine the prevalence and associated factors of stunting at birth among new-borns. METHODS A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed on 512 neonates in Shebadino Woreda, Sidama Region South Ethiopia 2022. A multistage sampling technique was employed. The data was collected door-to-door using pretested and structured questionnaires, through face-to-face interviews. The collected data were cleaned manually, coded, entered into Epidata version 4.6, and exported to SPSS version 26 software for analysis. Bi-variable analysis was conducted to assess the association of independent variables with the outcome variable. Variables with a p-value < 0.25 in bi-variable logistic regression were further analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI was used as a measure of association, and variables that had a p-value less than 0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression were considered as significantly associated variables. RESULT The prevalence of stunting in this study was 27.5%: 95% CI 22.6 to 31.9. Factors such as residence (AOR = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.49, 11.25), ANC follow up (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.34, 5.27), started taking Amessa (AOR = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.27, 9.55) and Sex of the neonate (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.54, 5.23) were significantly associated with stunting at a p-value of < 0.05. CONCLUSION About 27% of neonates were stunted, which implies, it require a quick public health measurement. New-born who were live in rural area and those who were started traditional medication (Amessa) were more stunted. Besides this, stunting was prevalently observed among a mother who had no ANC follow-up and male neonates. Thus, the regional health bureau and Shebedino woreda health office should increase awareness creation to bring behavioural change at community level to prevent traditional medication usage, ANC follow-up and giving priority for those who live in rural area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizu Tola
- Department of Midwifery, College of Health Science, Mettu University, Mettu, Ethiopia.
| | - Andargachew Kassa
- Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Science, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Melkamu Getu
- Department of Midwifery, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Bekem Dibaba
- Department of Midwifery, College of Health Science, Mettu University, Mettu, Ethiopia
| | - Shambel Neggesse
- Department of Midwifery, College of Health Science, Mettu University, Mettu, Ethiopia
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Tesfaye M, Wu J, Biedrzycki RJ, Grantz KL, Joseph P, Tekola-Ayele F. Prenatal social support in low-risk pregnancy shapes placental epigenome. BMC Med 2023; 21:12. [PMID: 36617561 PMCID: PMC9827682 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02701-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor social support during pregnancy has been linked to inflammation and adverse pregnancy and childhood health outcomes. Placental epigenetic alterations may underlie these links but are still unknown in humans. METHODS In a cohort of low-risk pregnant women (n = 301) from diverse ethnic backgrounds, social support was measured using the ENRICHD Social Support Inventory (ESSI) during the first trimester. Placental samples collected at delivery were analyzed for DNA methylation and gene expression using Illumina 450K Beadchip Array and RNA-seq, respectively. We examined association between maternal prenatal social support and DNA methylation in placenta. Associated cytosine-(phosphate)-guanine sites (CpGs) were further assessed for correlation with nearby gene expression in placenta. RESULTS The mean age (SD) of the women was 27.7 (5.3) years. The median (interquartile range) of ESSI scores was 24 (22-25). Prenatal social support was significantly associated with methylation level at seven CpGs (PFDR < 0.05). The methylation levels at two of the seven CpGs correlated with placental expression of VGF and ILVBL (PFDR < 0.05), genes known to be involved in neurodevelopment and energy metabolism. The genes annotated with the top 100 CpGs were enriched for pathways related to fetal growth, coagulation system, energy metabolism, and neurodevelopment. Sex-stratified analysis identified additional significant associations at nine CpGs in male-bearing pregnancies and 35 CpGs in female-bearing pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that prenatal social support is linked to placental DNA methylation changes in a low-stress setting, including fetal sex-dependent epigenetic changes. Given the relevance of some of these changes in fetal neurodevelopmental outcomes, the findings signal important methylation targets for future research on molecular mechanisms of effect of the broader social environment on pregnancy and fetal outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT00912132 ( ClinicalTrials.gov ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Markos Tesfaye
- Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism (SenSMet), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism & National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Jing Wu
- Glotech, Inc., contractor for Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Richard J Biedrzycki
- Glotech, Inc., contractor for Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Katherine L Grantz
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, MD, Bethesda, USA
| | - Paule Joseph
- Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism (SenSMet), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism & National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, MD, Bethesda, USA.
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10
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Li Piani L, Vigano' P, Somigliana E. Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue? Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1121231. [PMID: 37025178 PMCID: PMC10070683 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1121231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Worldwide increase in life expectancy has boosted research on aging. Overcoming the concept of chronological age, higher attention has been addressed to biological age, which reflects a person's real health state, and which may be the resulting combination of both intrinsic and environmental factors. As epigenetics may exert a pivotal role in the biological aging, epigenetic clocks were developed. They are based on mathematical models aimed at identifying DNA methylation patterns that can define the biological age and that can be adopted for different clinical scopes (i.e., estimation of the risks of developing age-related disorders or predicting lifespan). Recently, epigenetic clocks have gained a peculiar attention in the fertility research field, in particular in the female counterpart. The insight into the possible relations between epigenetic aging and women's infertility might glean additional information about certain conditions that are still not completely understood. Moreover, they could disclose significant implications for health promotion programs in infertile women. Of relevance here is that the impact of biological age and epigenetics may not be limited to fertility status but could translate into pregnancy issues. Indeed, epigenetic alterations of the mother may transfer into the offspring, and pregnancy itself as well as related complications could contribute to epigenetic modifications in both the mother and newborn. However, even if the growing interest has culminated in the conspicuous production of studies on these topics, a global overview and the availability of validated instruments for diagnosis is still missing. The present narrative review aims to explore the possible bonds between epigenetic aging and fertility timeline. In the "infertility" section, we will discuss the advances on epigenetic clocks focusing on the different tissues examined (endometrium, peripheral blood, ovaries). In the "pregnancy" section, we will discuss the results obtained from placenta, umbilical cord and peripheral blood. The possible role of epigenetic aging on infertility mechanisms and pregnancy outcomes represents a question that may configure epigenetic clock as a bond between two apparently opposite worlds: infertility and pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Li Piani
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Letizia Li Piani,
| | - Paola Vigano'
- Infertility Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Edgardo Somigliana
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Infertility Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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11
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Andrawus M, Sharvit L, Atzmon G. Epigenetics and Pregnancy: Conditional Snapshot or Rolling Event. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012698. [PMID: 36293556 PMCID: PMC9603966 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics modification such as DNA methylation can affect maternal health during the gestation period. Furthermore, pregnancy can drive a range of physiological and molecular changes that have the potential to contribute to pathological conditions. Pregnancy-related risk factors include multiple environmental, behavioral, and hereditary factors that can impact maternal DNA methylation with long-lasting consequences. Identification of the epigenetic patterns linked to poor pregnancy outcomes is crucial since changes in DNA methylation patterns can have long-term effects. In this review, we provide an overview of the epigenetic changes that influence pregnancy-related molecular programming such as gestational diabetes, immune response, and pre-eclampsia, in an effort to close the gap in current understanding regarding interactions between the environment, the genetics of the fetus, and the pregnant woman.
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12
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Bartho LA, McKeating DR, Hannan NJ, Kaitu'u-Lino TJ, Perkins AV. Transcriptional profiles of genes related to mitochondrial aging in placental pathologies. Mol Hum Reprod 2022; 29:6648354. [PMID: 35866625 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaac026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As the placenta develops across gestation, the mitochondria and other organelles like the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) must continue to adapt to stressors such as oxidative stress. As pregnancy approaches term, these stressors may contribute to placental aging, including mitochondrial changes leading to cellular senescence. When these processes are exacerbated, pregnancy pathologies arise. This study aimed to identify correlations between genes related to mitochondria, ER and cellular senescence in placentae complicated by pregnancy complications. Placental samples from pregnancies classified as preterm, term, post-term, preterm with fetal growth restriction (FGR), preterm with preeclampsia (PE) and preterm with PE and FGR were used to measure gene expression of TOMM20, MFN1, TFAM, MFN2, PARK2, PINK1, EIF2AK3, TP53 and ERN1. MetaboAnalyst 5.0 was used to generate heatmaps, principal component analysis (PCA) plots, correlation graphs and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. This study found that genes related mitochondrial dynamics and aging undergo changes in placentae affected by pregnancy pathologies. The TOMM20/PARK2 ratio may be a promising marker to discriminate between healthy and unhealthy placental tissue. Future studies should explore circulating biomarkers of mitochondrial aging and dysfunction as indicators of placental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Bartho
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD, 4220, Australia
| | - Daniel R McKeating
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD, 4220, Australia
| | - Natalie J Hannan
- The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia
| | - Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino
- The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia
| | - Anthony V Perkins
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD, 4220, Australia
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13
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Zhao SK, Yeung EH, Ouidir M, Hinkle SN, Grantz KL, Mitro SD, Wu J, Stevens DR, Chatterjee S, Tekola-Ayele F, Zhang C. Recreational physical activity before and during pregnancy and placental DNA methylation-an epigenome-wide association study. Am J Clin Nutr 2022; 116:1168-1183. [PMID: 35771992 PMCID: PMC9535520 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) prior to and during pregnancy may have intergenerational effects on offspring health through placental epigenetic modifications. We are unaware of epidemiologic studies on longitudinal PA and placental DNA methylation. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the association between PA before and during pregnancy and placental DNA methylation. METHODS Placental tissues were obtained at delivery and methylation was measured using HumanMethylation450 Beadchips for participants in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies-Singletons among 298 participants. Using the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire, women recalled periconception PA (past 12 mo) at 8-13 wk of gestation and PA since last visit at 4 follow-up visits at 16-22, 24-29, 30-33, and 34-37 wk. We conducted linear regression for associations of PA at each visit with methylation controlling for false discovery rate (FDR). Top 100 CpGs were queried for enrichment of functional pathways using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. RESULTS Periconception PA was significantly associated with 1 CpG site. PA since last visit for visits 1-4 was associated with 2, 2, 8, and 0 CpGs (log fold changes ranging from -0.0319 to 0.0080, after controlling for FDR). The largest change in methylation occurred at a site in TIMP2 , which is known to encode a protein critical for vasodilation, placentation, and uterine expansion during pregnancy (log fold change: -0.05; 95% CI: -0.06, -0.03 per metabolic equivalent of task-h/wk at 30-33 wk). Most significantly enriched pathways include cardiac hypertrophy signaling, B-cell receptor signaling, and netrin signaling. Significant CpGs and enriched pathways varied by visit. CONCLUSIONS Recreational PA in the year prior and during pregnancy was associated with placental DNA methylation. The associated CpG sites varied based on timing of PA. If replicated, the findings may inform the mechanisms underlying the impacts of PA on placenta health. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00912132.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sifang Kathy Zhao
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Marion Ouidir
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Stefanie N Hinkle
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA,Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Katherine L Grantz
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Susanna D Mitro
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jing Wu
- Glotech, Inc, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Danielle R Stevens
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Suvo Chatterjee
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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14
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Koemel NA, Skilton MR. Epigenetic Aging in Early Life: Role of Maternal and Early Childhood Nutrition. Curr Nutr Rep 2022; 11:318-328. [PMID: 35192186 PMCID: PMC9174131 DOI: 10.1007/s13668-022-00402-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Early life presents a pivotal period during which nutritional exposures are more likely to cause epigenetic modifications, which may impact an individual's health during adulthood. This article reviews the current evidence regarding maternal and early childhood nutritional exposures and their role in epigenetic aging. RECENT FINDINGS Maternal and early life consumption of diets higher in fiber, antioxidants, polyphenols, B vitamins, vitamin D, and ω-3 fatty acids is associated with slower epigenetic aging. Conversely, diets higher in glycemic load, fat, saturated fat, and ω-6 fatty acids demonstrate a positive association with epigenetic aging. Maternal and early life nutrition directly and indirectly influences epigenetic aging via changes in one-carbon metabolism, cardiometabolic health, and the microbiome. Clinical trials are warranted to determine the specific foods, dietary patterns, and dietary supplements that will normalize or lower epigenetic aging across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Koemel
- The Boden Initiative, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael R. Skilton
- The Boden Initiative, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Women, Children and Their Families, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia
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15
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Björvang RD, Mamsen LS. Sexually Dimorphic Accumulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Fetuses. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 4:909307. [PMID: 35656542 PMCID: PMC9152108 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2022.909307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Living in an industrialized era, we are exposed to man-made chemicals including persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Previous studies have shown associations of POP exposure with adverse outcomes in humans, wildlife, and the environment, making it a global concern. Exposure during sensitive windows of susceptibility such as fetal development is of particular concern because of the potential increased risk of developing diseases in childhood and adulthood. However, there are limited studies on the sexual dimorphism of POP accumulation during the prenatal period. In this mini-review, we focus on differences in POP concentrations in the placenta and fetal tissues between males and females. We also show the sexually dimorphic adverse outcomes of prenatal exposure to POPs. Overall, our summary shows that males may accumulate higher concentrations of POPs in the placenta and fetal tissues compared to females, although studies are sparse and inconsistent. In addition, there are differences in adverse health outcomes associated to prenatal POP exposure according to sex. Hence, we highly urge researchers investigating the health effects of POP exposure to consider sexual dimorphism in their studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richelle D. Björvang
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linn Salto Mamsen
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Linn Salto Mamsen,
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16
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Tekola-Ayele F, Zeng X, Chatterjee S, Ouidir M, Lesseur C, Hao K, Chen J, Tesfaye M, Marsit CJ, Workalemahu T, Wapner R. Placental multi-omics integration identifies candidate functional genes for birthweight. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2384. [PMID: 35501330 PMCID: PMC9061712 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30007-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal birthweight is associated with increased risk for cardiometabolic diseases in later life. Although the placenta is critical to fetal development and later life health, it has not been integrated into largescale functional genomics initiatives, and mechanisms of birthweight-associated variants identified by genome wide association studies (GWAS) are unclear. The goal of this study is to provide functional mechanistic insight into the causal pathway from a genetic variant to birthweight by integrating placental methylation and gene expression with established GWAS loci for birthweight. We identify placental DNA methylation and gene expression targets for several birthweight GWAS loci. The target genes are broadly enriched in cardiometabolic, immune response, and hormonal pathways. We find that methylation causally influences WNT3A, CTDNEP1, and RANBP2 expression in placenta. Multi-trait colocalization identifies PLEKHA1, FES, CTDNEP1, and PRMT7 as likely functional effector genes. These findings reveal candidate functional pathways that underpin the genetic regulation of birthweight via placental epigenetic and transcriptomic mechanisms. Clinical trial registration; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00912132.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Xuehuo Zeng
- Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Suvo Chatterjee
- Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marion Ouidir
- Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Corina Lesseur
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Markos Tesfaye
- Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism (SenSMet), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism & National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tsegaselassie Workalemahu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ronald Wapner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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17
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Lapehn S, Paquette AG. The Placental Epigenome as a Molecular Link Between Prenatal Exposures and Fetal Health Outcomes Through the DOHaD Hypothesis. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:490-501. [PMID: 35488174 PMCID: PMC9363315 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00354-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis posits that the perinatal environment can impact fetal and later life health. The placenta is uniquely situated to assess prenatal exposures in the context of DOHaD because it is an essential ephemeral fetal organ that manages the transport of oxygen, nutrients, waste, and endocrine signals between the mother and fetus. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent studies that evaluated the DOHaD hypothesis in human placentas using epigenomics, including DNA methylation and transcriptomic studies of mRNA, lncRNA, and microRNAs. Recent Findings Between 2016 and 2021, 28 articles evaluated associations between prenatal exposures and placental epigenomics across broad exposure categories including maternal smoking, psychosocial stressors, chemicals, air pollution, and metals. Sixteen of these studies connected exposures to health outcome such as birth weight, fetal growth, or infant neurobehavior through mediation analysis, identification of shared associations between exposure and outcome, or network analysis. These aspects of infant and childhood health serve as a foundation for future studies that aim to use placental epigenetics to understand relationships between the prenatal environment and perinatal complications (such as preterm birth or fetal growth restriction) or later life childhood health. Summary Placental DNA methylation and RNA expression have been linked to numerous prenatal exposures, such as PM2.5 air pollution, metals, and maternal smoking, as well as infant and childhood health outcomes, including fetal growth and birth weight. Placental epigenomics provides a unique opportunity to expand the DOHaD premise, particularly if research applies novel methodologies such as multi-omics analysis, sequencing of non-coding RNAs, mixtures analysis, and assessment of health outcomes beyond early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Lapehn
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Alison G Paquette
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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18
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Pruszkowska-Przybylska P, Brennecke S, Moses EK, Melton PE. Evaluation of epigenetic age calculators between preeclampsia and normotensive pregnancies in an Australian cohort. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1664. [PMID: 35102228 PMCID: PMC8803933 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05744-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced biological aging, as assessed through DNA methylation markers, is associated with several complex diseases. The associations between maternal DNA methylation age and preeclampsia (PE) have not been fully assessed. The aim of this study was to examine if increased maternal DNA methylation age (DNAmAge) was shown to be accelerated in women with PE when compared to women who had normotensive pregnancies. The case/control cohort available for study consisted of 166 women (89 with normotensive pregnancy, 77 with PE) recruited previously at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. DNA methylation profiles were obtained using the Illumina EPIC Infinium array for analysis of genomic DNA isolated from whole blood. These profiles were used to calculate seven estimates of DNAmAge and included (1) Horvath, (2) Hannum, (3) Horvath Skin and Blood, (4) Wu, (5) PhenoAge, (6) telomere length and (7) GrimAge and its surrogate measures. Three measures of DNA methylation age acceleration were calculated for all seven measures using linear regression. Pearson's correlation was performed to investigate associations between chronological age and DNAmAge. Differences between chronological age and DNAmAge and epigenetic age acceleration were investigated using t-tests. No significant difference was observed for chronological age between women with PE (age = 30.53 ± 5.68) and women who had normotensive pregnancies (age = 31.76 ± 4.76). All seven DNAmAge measures were significantly correlated (p < 0.001) with chronological age. After accounting for multiple testing and investigating differences in DNAmAge between normotensive women and women with PE, only Wu DNAmAge was significant (p = 0.001). When examining differences for epigenetic age acceleration between PE and normotensive women Hannum, Wu, and PhenoAge DNAmAge estimates (p < 0.001) were significant for both epigenetic age acceleration and intrinsic acceleration models. We found that accelerated maternal DNAmAge is increased in women with PE in some models of epigenetic aging. This research underlines the importance for further investigation into the potential changes of differential DNA methylation in PE.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shaun Brennecke
- Pregnancy Research Centre, Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Royal Women's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Eric K Moses
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,School of Global Population Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Phillip E Melton
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,School of Biomedical Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
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19
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Yu P, Chen Y, Ge C, Wang H. Sexual dimorphism in placental development and its contribution to health and diseases. Crit Rev Toxicol 2021; 51:555-570. [PMID: 34666604 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2021.1977237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
According to the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD), intrauterine exposure to adverse environments can affect fetus and birth outcomes and lead to long-term disease susceptibility. Evidence has shown that neonatal outcomes and the timing and severity of adult diseases are sexually dimorphic. As the link between mother and fetus, the placenta is an essential regulator of fetal development programming. It is found that the physiological development trajectory of the placenta has sexual dimorphism. Furthermore, under pathological conditions, the placental function undergoes sex-specific adaptation to ensure fetal survival. Therefore, the placenta may be an important mediator of sexual dimorphism in neonatal outcomes and adult disease susceptibility. Few systematic reviews have been conducted on sexual dimorphism in placental development and its underlying mechanisms. In this review, sex chromosomes and sex hormones, as the main reasons for sexual differentiation of the placenta, will be discussed. Besides, in the etiology of fetal-originated adult diseases, overexposure to glucocorticoids is closely related to adverse neonatal outcomes and long-term disease susceptibility. Studies have found that prenatal glucocorticoid overexposure leads to sexually dimorphic expression of placental glucocorticoid receptor isoforms, resulting in different sensitivity of the placenta to glucocorticoids, and may further affect fetal development. The present review examines what is currently known about sex differences in placental development and the underlying regulatory mechanisms of this sex bias. This review highlights the importance of placental contributions to the origins of sexual dimorphism in health and diseases. It may help develop personalized diagnosis and treatment strategies for fetal development in pathological pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxia Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yawen Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Caiyun Ge
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China
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20
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Strawn M, Moraes JGN, Safranski TJ, Behura SK. Sexually Dimorphic Transcriptomic Changes of Developing Fetal Brain Reveal Signaling Pathways and Marker Genes of Brain Cells in Domestic Pigs. Cells 2021; 10:2439. [PMID: 34572090 PMCID: PMC8466205 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, transcriptomic changes of the developing brain of pig fetuses of both sexes were investigated on gestation days (GD) 45, 60 and 90. Pig fetal brain grows rapidly around GD60. Consequently, gene expression of the fetal brain was distinctly different on GD90 compared to that of GD45 and GD60. In addition, varying numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the male brain compared to the female brain during development. The sex of adjacent fetuses also influenced gene expression of the fetal brain. Extensive changes in gene expression at the exon-level were observed during brain development. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the ionotropic glutamate receptor pathway and p53 pathway were enriched in the female brain, whereas specific receptor-mediated signaling pathways were enriched in the male brain. Marker genes of neurons and astrocytes were significantly differentially expressed between male and female brains during development. Furthermore, comparative analysis of gene expression patterns between fetal brain and placenta suggested that genes related to ion transportation may play a key role in the regulation of the brain-placental axis in pig. Collectively, the study suggests potential application of pig models to better understand influence of fetal sex on brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Strawn
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (M.S.); (T.J.S.); (J.G.N.M.)
| | - Joao G. N. Moraes
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (M.S.); (T.J.S.); (J.G.N.M.)
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74075, USA
| | - Timothy J. Safranski
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (M.S.); (T.J.S.); (J.G.N.M.)
| | - Susanta K. Behura
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (M.S.); (T.J.S.); (J.G.N.M.)
- MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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Dhakal P, Strawn M, Samal A, Behura SK. Fetal Brain Elicits Sexually Conflicting Transcriptional Response to the Ablation of Uterine Forkhead Box A2 ( Foxa2) in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189693. [PMID: 34575858 PMCID: PMC8468108 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the effects of ablation of uterine Forkhead Box A2 (Foxa2) on gene expression of fetal brain relative to placenta. Using a conditional knockout mouse model for uterine Foxa2, here we show that the lack of uterine Foxa2 elicits a sexually-conflicting transcriptional response in the fetal brain relative to placenta. The ablation of Foxa2 in the uterus altered expression of genes related to growth, nutrient sensing, aging, longevity and angiogenesis among others. In the wildtype mice, these genes were expressed higher in the fetal brain and placenta of males compared to females. However, in mice lacking uterine Foxa2, the same genes showed the opposite pattern i.e., higher expression in the fetal brain and placenta of females compared to males. Based on the known marker genes of mice placenta and fetal brain cells, we further predicted that the genes exhibiting the sexually conflicting expression were associated with vascular endothelial cells. Overall, our study suggests that uterine Foxa2 plays a role in the regulation of the brain-placental axis by influencing the fetoplacental vascular changes during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pramod Dhakal
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (P.D.); (M.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Monica Strawn
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (P.D.); (M.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Ananya Samal
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (P.D.); (M.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Susanta K. Behura
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (P.D.); (M.S.); (A.S.)
- MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-573-882-1722
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22
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Strawn M, Samal A, Sarker MB, Dhakal P, Behura SK. Relevance of microRNAs to the regulation of the brain-placental axis in mice. Placenta 2021; 112:123-131. [PMID: 34332202 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2021.07.293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The development of fetal brain is intricately dependent upon placental functions. Recently, we showed that the placenta and fetal brain express genes in a coordinated manner in mice. But, how the brain-placental axis is regulated at the molecular level remains poorly understood. The microRNAs (miRNAs) play diverse roles in pregnancy including regulation of placenta function as well as brain development. Thus, we hypothesized that specific miRNAs are expressed in the placenta and fetal brain to coordinate gene regulation in the brain-placental axis. METHODS To test this hypothesis, we performed deep sequencing of small RNAs in mouse placenta and fetal brain of both sexes. RESULTS The findings study show that miRNAs are potent regulators of gene expression in the placenta and fetal brain. Our data provides evidence that fetal sex influences the regulation of miRNAs between the placenta and fetal brain. Functional annotation of known target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs show that they are significantly enriched with specific signaling and transporter pathways. DISCUSSION Together, the results of this study suggest that placental miRNAs are potent regulators of fetal brain development in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Strawn
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Ananya Samal
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | | | - Pramod Dhakal
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Susanta K Behura
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA; MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
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23
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Tekola-Ayele F. Invited Commentary: Epigenetic Clocks and Obesity-Towards the Next Frontier Using Integrative Approaches and Early-Life Models. Am J Epidemiol 2021; 190:994-997. [PMID: 33693471 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaa252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Why people of the same age show differences in age-related functional decline and whether biological aging can be slowed down through lifestyle changes and therapeutics are active research topics. Molecular tools that predict biological age based on DNA methylation markers, known as epigenetic clocks, are facilitating these efforts. In this issue, Kresovich et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;190(6):984-993) investigated a cohort of non-Hispanic White women, demonstrating positive relationships between adiposity measures and the ticking rate of epigenetic clocks in blood. This commentary emphasizes that integrating molecular and genetic epidemiology approaches is crucial to dissecting the complex relationship between obesity and epigenetic aging. The early-life period is explored as a unique opportunity to gain novel insights into links between developmental processes and aging in later life. Last, the landscape of the next frontier in aging research is described in light of the imperative for transdisciplinary approaches to outline a shared vision and public health implementation dilemmas.
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24
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Rahnavard A, Chatterjee S, Sayoldin B, Crandall KA, Tekola-Ayele F, Mallick H. Omics community detection using multi-resolution clustering. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:3588-3594. [PMID: 33974004 PMCID: PMC8545346 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION The discovery of biologically interpretable and clinically actionable communities in heterogeneous omics data is a necessary first step towards deriving mechanistic insights into complex biological phenomena. Here we present a novel clustering approach, omeClust, for community detection in omics profiles by simultaneously incorporating similarities among measurements and the overall complex structure of the data. RESULTS We show that omeClust outperforms published methods in inferring the true community structure as measured by both sensitivity and misclassification rate on simulated datasets. We further validated omeClust in diverse, multiple omics datasets, revealing new communities and functionally related groups in microbial strains, cell line gene expression patterns, and fetal genomic variation. We also derived enrichment scores attributable to putatively meaningful biological factors in these datasets that can serve as hypothesis generators facilitating new sets of testable hypotheses. AVAILABILITY omeClust is open-source software, and the implementation is available online at http://github.com/omicsEye/omeClust. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rahnavard
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Suvo Chatterjee
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Bahar Sayoldin
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Keith A Crandall
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Himel Mallick
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ 07065, USA
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25
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Dieckmann L, Lahti-Pulkkinen M, Kvist T, Lahti J, DeWitt PE, Cruceanu C, Laivuori H, Sammallahti S, Villa PM, Suomalainen-König S, Eriksson JG, Kajantie E, Raikkönen K, Binder EB, Czamara D. Characteristics of epigenetic aging across gestational and perinatal tissues. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:97. [PMID: 33926514 PMCID: PMC8082803 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01080-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Epigenetic clocks have been used to indicate differences in biological states between individuals of same chronological age. However, so far, only few studies have examined epigenetic aging in newborns—especially regarding different gestational or perinatal tissues. In this study, we investigated which birth- and pregnancy-related variables are most important in predicting gestational epigenetic age acceleration or deceleration (i.e., the deviation between gestational epigenetic age estimated from the DNA methylome and chronological gestational age) in chorionic villus, placenta and cord blood tissues from two independent study cohorts (ITU, n = 639 and PREDO, n = 966). We further characterized the correspondence of epigenetic age deviations between these tissues. Results Among the most predictive factors of epigenetic age deviations in single tissues were child sex, birth length, maternal smoking during pregnancy, maternal mental disorders until childbirth, delivery mode and parity. However, the specific factors related to epigenetic age deviation and the direction of association differed across tissues. In individuals with samples available from more than one tissue, relative epigenetic age deviations were not correlated across tissues. Conclusion Gestational epigenetic age acceleration or deceleration was not related to more favorable or unfavorable factors in one direction in the investigated tissues, and the relative epigenetic age differed between tissues of the same person. This indicates that epigenetic age deviations associate with distinct, tissue specific, factors during the gestational and perinatal period. Our findings suggest that the epigenetic age of the newborn should be seen as a characteristic of a specific tissue, and less as a general characteristic of the child itself. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-021-01080-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Dieckmann
- Department of Translational Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, München, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, München, Germany
| | - Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.,Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tuomas Kvist
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jari Lahti
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peter E DeWitt
- Section of Informatics and Data Science, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Cristiana Cruceanu
- Department of Translational Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, München, Germany
| | - Hannele Laivuori
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Human Genetics, Helsinki, Finland.,Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University Hospital and Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Sara Sammallahti
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.,Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pia M Villa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University Hospital and Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.,Hyvinkää Hospital, Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District, Hyvinkää, Finland
| | - Sanna Suomalainen-König
- Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johan G Eriksson
- Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.,Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Human Potential Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eero Kajantie
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.,Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Faculty of Medicine, PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Katri Raikkönen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, München, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department of Translational Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, München, Germany.
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26
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Adibi JJ, Xun X, Zhao Y, Yin Q, LeWinn K, Bush NR, Panigrahy A, Peddada S, Alfthan H, Stenman UH, Tylavsky F, Koistinen H. Second-Trimester Placental and Thyroid Hormones Are Associated With Cognitive Development From Ages 1 to 3 Years. J Endocr Soc 2021; 5:bvab027. [PMID: 33928202 PMCID: PMC8064052 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Adequate maternal thyroid hormone (TH) is necessary for fetal brain development. The role of placental human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in ensuring the production of TH is less well understood. The objective of the study was to evaluate 1) associations of placental hCG and its subunits, and maternal TH in the second trimester, and 2) the single and joint effects of TH and placental hormones on cognitive development and communication at ages 1 and 3 years. Fifty individuals (5%) were selected from the CANDLE (Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Early Learning) pregnancy cohort in Memphis, Tennessee, with recruitment from 2006 to 2011, to equally represent male and female fetuses. Participants were 68% Black and 32% White. Hormones measured were maternal thyroid (thyrotropin [TSH] and free thyroxine [FT4]) and placental hormones (hCG, its hyperglycosylated form [hCG-h], and free - [hCG] and -subunits [hCG]) in maternal serum (17-28 weeks). The primary outcome measurement was the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. All forms of hCG were negatively associated with FT4 and not associated with TSH. hCG was associated with cognitive development at age 1 year and jointly interacted with TSH to predict cognitive development at age 3 years. This pilot study added insight into the thyrotropic actions of hCG in the second trimester, and into the significance of this mechanism for brain development. More research is warranted to elucidate differences between hCG, hCG, and hCG-h in relation to TH regulation and child brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Adibi
- University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Xiaoshuang Xun
- University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Yaqi Zhao
- University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Qing Yin
- University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Kaja LeWinn
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Ashok Panigrahy
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15224, USA
| | - Shyamal Peddada
- University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Henrik Alfthan
- HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulf-Håkan Stenman
- University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Hannu Koistinen
- University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
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27
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Allegra A, Giarratana RM, Scola L, Balistreri CR. The close link between the fetal programming imprinting and neurodegeneration in adulthood: The key role of "hemogenic endothelium" programming. Mech Ageing Dev 2021; 195:111461. [PMID: 33600833 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2021.111461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The research on neurodegenerative diseases (NeuroDegD) has been traditionally focused on later life stages. There is now an increasing evidence, that they may be programmed during early development. Here, we propose that NeuroDegD are the result of the complex process of imprinting on fetal hemogenic endothelium, from which the microglial cells make to origin. The central role of placenta and epigenetic mechanisms (methylation of DNA, histone modifications and regulation by non-coding RNAs) in mediating the short and long-term effects has been also described. Precisely, it reports their role in impacting plasticity and memory of microglial cells. In addition, we also underline the necessity of further studies for clearing all mechanisms involved and developing epigenetic methods for identifying potential targets as biomarkers, and for developing preventive measures. Such biomarkers might be used to identify individuals at risk to NeuroDegD. Finally, the sex dependence of fetal programming process has been discussed. It might justify the sex differences in the epidemiologic, imaging, biomarkers, and pathology studies of these pathologies. The discovery of related mechanisms might have important clinical implications in both the etiology of disorders and the management of pregnant women for encouraging healthy long-term outcomes for their children, and future generations. Impending research on the mechanisms related to transgenerational transmission of prenatal stress might consent the development and application of therapies and/or intervention strategies for these disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosa Maria Giarratana
- Department of BioMedicine, Neuroscience, and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Letizia Scola
- Department of BioMedicine, Neuroscience, and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Carmela Rita Balistreri
- Department of BioMedicine, Neuroscience, and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
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28
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Impact of Maternal Food Restriction on Heart Proteome in Appropriately Grown and Growth-Restricted Wistar-Rat Offspring. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13020466. [PMID: 33573223 PMCID: PMC7912475 DOI: 10.3390/nu13020466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Fetal growth restriction is associated with increased postnatal cardiovascular morbidity. The alterations in heart physiology and structure caused by in utero nutrient deprivation have not been extensively studied. We aim to investigate the impact of maternal food restriction on the cardiac proteome of newborn rats with normal (non-fetal growth-restricted (FGR)) and reduced (FGR) birth weight. Methods: On day 14 of gestation, 10 timed pregnant rats were randomized into two nutritional groups: (a) Standard laboratory diet and (b) 50% global food restriction. Pups born to food-restricted mothers were subdivided, based on birthweight, into fetal growth-restricted (FGR) and non-FGR, while pups born from normally nourished mothers were considered controls. Rat neonates were euthanized immediately after birth and the hearts of 11 randomly selected male offspring (n = 4 FGR, n = 4 non-FGR, n = 3 control group) were analyzed using quantitative proteomics. Results: In total, 7422 proteins were quantified (q < 0.05). Of these, 1175 were differentially expressed in FGR and 231 in non-FGR offspring vs. control with 151 common differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between the two groups. Bioinformatics analysis of DEPs in FGR vs. control showed decreased integrin and apelin cardiac fibroblast signaling, decreased muscle contraction and glycolysis, and over-representation of a protein network related to embryonic development, and cell death and survival. Conclusion: Our study illustrates the distinct proteomic profile of FGR and non-FGR offspring of food-restricted dams underlying the importance of both prenatal adversities and birth weight in cardiac physiology and development.
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29
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Gonete AT, Kassahun B, Mekonnen EG, Takele WW. Stunting at birth and associated factors among newborns delivered at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245528. [PMID: 33471862 PMCID: PMC7817059 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Stunting at birth is a chronic form of undernutrition majorly attributable to poor prenatal nutrition, which could persist in children’s later life and impact their physical and cognitive health. Although multiple studies have been conducted in Ethiopia to show the magnitude of stunting and factors, all are concentrated on children aged between 6 to 59 months. Therefore, this study was done to determine the prevalence and associated factors of stunting at birth among newborns delivered at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital, Northwest, Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 26th to April 25th/2020. A systematic random sampling technique was used, to select a total of 422 newborn-mother pairs. The binary logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with stunting and all independent variables were entered into the multivariable logistic regression model to adjust for confounders. Variables that had significant association were identified based on p-value < 0.05 and the adjusted odds ratio with its respective 95% confidence interval was applied to determine the strength as well as the direction of the association. Results About 30.5% (95% CI: 26.3%, 35.1%) of newborns were stunted at birth. Being male [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.9(1.62, 5.21)], newborns conceived in Kiremt(rainy season) [AOR = 2.7(1.49, 4.97)], being low birth weight [AOR = 3.1(1.64, 6.06)] were factors associated with stunting at birth. Likewise, newborns born to short stature mothers [AOR = 2.8(1.21, 6.62)] and chronically malnourished mothers [AOR = 15.3(8.12, 29.1)] were at greater risk of being stunted. Conclusion Just under a third of newborns are stunted at birth, implying a pressing public health problem. Newborns born to chronically malnourished and short stature mothers were more stunted. Besides, stunting was prevalently observed among male neonates, newborns conceived in Kiremet, and being low birth weight. Thus, policymakers and nutrition programmers should work on preventing maternal undernutrition through nutrition education to reduce the burden of low birth weight and stunting. Further, paying due attention to newborns conceived in Kiremet season to improve nutritional status is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almaz Tefera Gonete
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, School of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
- * E-mail:
| | - Bogale Kassahun
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, School of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Eskedar Getie Mekonnen
- Department of Reproductive and Child Health, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Wubet Worku Takele
- Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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30
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Bartho LA, Fisher JJ, Cuffe JSM, Perkins AV. Mitochondrial transformations in the aging human placenta. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2020; 319:E981-E994. [PMID: 32954826 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00354.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria play a key role in homeostasis and are central to one of the leading hypotheses of aging, the free radical theory. Mitochondria function as a reticulated network, constantly adapting to the cellular environment through fusion (joining), biogenesis (formation of new mitochondria), and fission (separation). This adaptive response is particularly important in response to oxidative stress, cellular damage, and aging, when mitochondria are selectively removed through mitophagy, a mitochondrial equivalent of autophagy. During this complex process, mitochondria influence surrounding cell biology and organelles through the release of signaling molecules. Given that the human placenta is a unique organ having a transient and somewhat defined life span of ∼280 days, any adaption or dysfunction associated with mitochondrial physiology as a result of aging will have a dramatic impact on the health and function of both the placenta and the fetus. Additionally, a defective placenta during gestation, resulting in reduced fetal growth, has been shown to influence the development of chronic disease in later life. In this review we focus on the mitochondrial adaptions and transformations that accompany gestational length and share similarities with age-related diseases. In addition, we discuss the role of such changes in regulating placental function throughout gestation, the etiology of gestational complications, and the development of chronic diseases later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Bartho
- School of Medical Science, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Joshua J Fisher
- Hunter Medical Research Institute and School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - James S M Cuffe
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anthony V Perkins
- School of Medical Science, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia
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31
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Ross KM, Carroll JE, Horvath S, Hobel CJ, Coussons-Read ME, Dunkel Schetter C. Epigenetic age and pregnancy outcomes: GrimAge acceleration is associated with shorter gestational length and lower birthweight. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:120. [PMID: 32762768 PMCID: PMC7409637 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00909-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advanced biological aging, as measured by epigenetic aging indices, is associated with early mortality and morbidity. Associations between maternal epigenetic aging indices in pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, namely gestational length and birthweight, have not been assessed. The purpose of this study was to examine whether epigenetic age during pregnancy was associated with gestational length and birthweight. RESULTS The sample consisted of 77 women from the Los Angeles, CA, area enrolled in the Healthy Babies Before Birth study. Whole blood samples for DNA methylation assay were obtained during the second trimester (15.6 ± 2.15 weeks gestation). Epigenetic age indices GrimAge acceleration (GrimAgeAccel), DNAm PAI-1, DNAm ADM, and DNAm cystatin C were calculated. Gestational length and birthweight were obtained from medical chart review. Covariates were maternal sociodemographic variables, gestational age at blood sample collection, and pre-pregnancy body mass index. In separate covariate-adjusted linear regression models, higher early second trimester GrimAgeAccel, b(SE) = - .171 (.056), p = .004; DNAm PAI-1, b(SE) = - 1.95 × 10-4 (8.5 × 10-5), p = .004; DNAm ADM, b(SE) = - .033 (.011), p = .003; and DNAm cystatin C, b(SE) = 2.10 × 10-5 (8.0 × 10-5), p = .012, were each associated with shorter gestational length. Higher GrimAgeAccel, b(SE) = - 75.2 (19.7), p < .001; DNAm PAI-1, b(SE) = - .079(.031), p = .013; DNAm ADM, b(SE) = - 13.8 (3.87), p = .001; and DNAm cystatin C, b(SE) = - .010 (.003), p = .001, were also associated with lower birthweight, independent of gestational length. DISCUSSION Higher maternal prenatal GrimAgeAccel, DNAm PAI-1, DNAm ADM, and DNAm cystatin C were associated with shorter gestational length and lower birthweight. These findings suggest that biological age, as measured by these epigenetic indices, could indicate risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kharah M. Ross
- Centre for Social Sciences, Athabasca University, 1 University Drive, Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3 Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Judith E. Carroll
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California – Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California – Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Calvin J. Hobel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Mary E. Coussons-Read
- Psychology Department, University of Colorado – Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO USA
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Ouidir M, Mendola P, Buck Louis GM, Kannan K, Zhang C, Tekola-Ayele F. Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in maternal plasma and epigenome-wide placental DNA methylation. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:103. [PMID: 32653021 PMCID: PMC7371466 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00894-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prenatal maternal plasma persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations have been associated with neonatal outcomes. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Placental epigenetic mechanisms may be involved, but no prior epigenome-wide studies have investigated the impact of maternal POPs on placental DNA methylation. We studied the association between maternal plasma POP concentration in early pregnancy and epigenome-wide placental DNA methylation among 260 pregnant women from the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies. Results Our analysis focused on POPs with more than 80% plasma concentrations above the limit of quantification, including 3 organochlorine pesticides (hexachlorobenzene, trans-nonachlor, p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene), 1 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE 47), 3 polychlorinated biphenyls (138/158, 153, 180), and 6 poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) (perfluorodecanoic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA)). Using 5% false discovery rate, POPs were associated with a total of 214 differentially methylated CpG sites (nominal p values ranging from 2.61 × 10−21 to 2.11 × 10−7). Out of the 214 CpG sites, 24 (11%) were significantly correlated with placental expression of 21 genes. Notably, higher PFUnDA was associated with increased methylation at 3 CpG sites (cg13996963, cg12089439, cg18145877) annotated to TUSC3, and increased methylation at those 3 CpG sites was correlated with decreased expression of TUSC3 in the placenta. Increased methylation at cg18145877 (TUSC3) and decreased expression of TUSC3 were correlated with shorter birth length. Out of the 214 CpG sites, methylation at 44 CpG sites was correlated (p value < 0.10) with at least one neonatal anthropometry measure (i.e., birth weight, birth length, and head circumference). Seven CpG sites mediated (p value < 0.05) the association between PBDE 47 and neonatal anthropometry measures. Genes annotating the top differentially methylated CpG sites were enriched in pathways related to differentiation of embryonic cells (PBDE 47) and in pathways related to brain size and brain morphology (PFASs). Conclusions DNA methylation changes in the placenta were significantly associated with maternal plasma POPs concentration. The findings suggest that placental DNA methylation and gene expression mechanism may be involved in the prenatal toxicity of POPs and their association with neonatal anthropometry measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Ouidir
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7004, USA
| | - Pauline Mendola
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7004, USA
| | - Germaine M Buck Louis
- Office of the Dean, College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cuilin Zhang
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7004, USA
| | - Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7004, USA.
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Tekola-Ayele F, Zeng X, Ouidir M, Workalemahu T, Zhang C, Delahaye F, Wapner R. DNA methylation loci in placenta associated with birthweight and expression of genes relevant for early development and adult diseases. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:78. [PMID: 32493484 PMCID: PMC7268466 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00873-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Birthweight marks an important milestone of health across the lifespan, including cardiometabolic disease risk in later life. The placenta, a transient organ at the maternal-fetal interface, regulates fetal growth. Identifying genetic loci where DNA methylation in placenta is associated with birthweight can unravel genomic pathways that are dysregulated in aberrant fetal growth and cardiometabolic diseases in later life. Results We performed placental epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of birthweight in an ethnic diverse cohort of pregnant women (n = 301). Methylation at 15 cytosine-(phosphate)-guanine sites (CpGs) was associated with birthweight (false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05). Methylation at four (26.7%) CpG sites was associated with placental transcript levels of 15 genes (FDR < 0.05), including genes known to be associated with adult lipid traits, inflammation and oxidative stress. Increased methylation at cg06155341 was associated with higher birthweight and lower FOSL1 expression, and lower FOSL1 expression was correlated with higher birthweight. Given the role of the FOSL1 transcription factor in regulating developmental processes at the maternal-fetal interface, epigenetic mechanisms at this locus may regulate fetal development. We demonstrated trans-tissue portability of methylation at four genes (MLLT1, PDE9A, ASAP2, and SLC20A2) implicated in birthweight by a previous study in cord blood. We also found that methylation changes known to be related to maternal underweight, preeclampsia and adult type 2 diabetes were associated with lower birthweight in placenta. Conclusion We identified novel placental DNA methylation changes associated with birthweight. Placental epigenetic mechanisms may underlie dysregulated fetal development and early origins of adult cardiometabolic diseases. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00912132
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Affiliation(s)
- Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Dr, room 3204, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Xuehuo Zeng
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marion Ouidir
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Dr, room 3204, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Tsegaselassie Workalemahu
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Dr, room 3204, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Cuilin Zhang
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Dr, room 3204, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Fabien Delahaye
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.,UMR 1283, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Ronald Wapner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Shrestha D, Ouidir M, Workalemahu T, Zeng X, Tekola-Ayele F. Placental DNA methylation changes associated with maternal prepregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain. Int J Obes (Lond) 2020; 44:1406-1416. [PMID: 32071425 PMCID: PMC7261634 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-020-0546-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal obesity prior to or during pregnancy influences fetal growth, predisposing the offspring to increased risk for obesity across the life course. Placental epigenetic mechanisms may underlie these associations. We conducted an epigenome-wide association study to identify placental DNA methylation changes associated with maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and rate of gestational weight gain at first (GWG1), second (GWG2), and third trimester (GWG3). METHOD Participants of the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies with genome-wide placental DNA methylation (n = 301) and gene expression (n = 75) data were included. Multivariable-adjusted regression models were used to test the associations of 1 kg/m2 increase in prepregnancy BMI or 1 kg/week increase in GWG with DNA methylation levels. Genes harboring top differentially methylated CpGs (FDR P < 0.05) were evaluated for placental gene expression. We assessed whether DNA methylation sites known to be associated with BMI in child or adult tissues, were also associated with maternal prepregnancy BMI in placenta. RESULTS Prepregnancy BMI was associated with DNA methylation at cg14568196[EGFL7], cg15339142[VETZ], and cg02301019[AC092377.1] (FDR P < 0.05, P ranging from 1.4 × 10-10 to 1.7 × 10-9). GWG1 or GWG2 was associated with DNA methylation at cg17918270[MYT1L], cg20735365[DLX5], and cg17451688[SLC35F3] (FDR P < 0.05, P ranging from 6.4 × 10-10 to 1.2 × 10-8). Both prepregnancy BMI and DNA methylation at cg1456819 [EGFL7] were negatively correlated with EGFL7 expression in placenta (P < 0.05). Several CpGs previously implicated in obesity traits in children and adults were associated with prepregnancy BMI in placenta. Functional annotations revealed that EGFL7 is highly expressed in placenta and the differentially methylated CpG sites near EGFL7 and VEZT were cis-meQTL targets in blood. CONCLUSIONS We identified placental DNA methylation changes at novel loci associated with prepregnancy BMI and GWG. The overlap between CpGs associated with obesity traits in placenta and other tissues in children and adults suggests that epigenetic mechanisms in placenta may give insights to early origins of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Shrestha
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marion Ouidir
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tsegaselassie Workalemahu
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xuehuo Zeng
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Ouidir M, Zeng X, Workalemahu T, Shrestha D, Grantz KL, Mendola P, Zhang C, Tekola-Ayele F. Early pregnancy dyslipidemia is associated with placental DNA methylation at loci relevant for cardiometabolic diseases. Epigenomics 2020; 12:921-934. [PMID: 32677467 PMCID: PMC7466909 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: To identify placental DNA methylation changes that are associated with early pregnancy maternal dyslipidemia. Materials & methods: We analyzed placental genome-wide DNA methylation (n = 262). Genes annotating differentially methylated CpGs were evaluated for gene expression in placenta (n = 64). Results: We found 11 novel significant differentially methylated CpGs associated with high total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. High triglycerides were associated with decreased methylation of cg02785814 (ALX4) and decreased expression of ALX4 in placenta. Genes annotating the differentially methylated CpGs play key roles in lipid metabolism and were enriched in dyslipidemia pathways. Functional annotation found cis-methylation quantitative trait loci for genetic loci in ALX4 and EXT2. Conclusion: Our findings lend novel insights into potential placental epigenetic mechanisms linked with maternal dyslipidemia. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00912132.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Ouidir
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7004, USA
| | - Xuehuo Zeng
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7004, USA
| | - Tsegaselassie Workalemahu
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7004, USA
| | - Deepika Shrestha
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7004, USA
| | - Katherine L. Grantz
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7004, USA
| | - Pauline Mendola
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7004, USA
| | - Cuilin Zhang
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7004, USA
| | - Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7004, USA
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Tekola-Ayele F, Zhang C, Wu J, Grantz KL, Rahman ML, Shrestha D, Ouidir M, Workalemahu T, Tsai MY. Trans-ethnic meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies maternal ITPR1 as a novel locus influencing fetal growth during sensitive periods in pregnancy. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008747. [PMID: 32407400 PMCID: PMC7252673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal fetal growth is a risk factor for infant morbidity and mortality and is associated with cardiometabolic diseases in adults. Genetic influences on fetal growth can vary at different gestation times, but genome-wide association studies have been limited to birthweight. We performed trans-ethnic genome-wide meta-analyses and fine mapping to identify maternal genetic loci associated with fetal weight estimates obtained from ultrasound measures taken during pregnancy. Data included 1,849 pregnant women from four race/ethnic groups recruited through the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies. We identified a novel genome-wide significant association of rs746039 [G] (ITPR1) with reduced fetal weight from 24 to 33 weeks gestation (P<5x10-8; log10BF>6). Additional tests revealed that the SNP was associated with head circumference (P = 4.85x10-8), but not with abdominal circumference or humerus/femur lengths. Conditional analysis in an independent sample of mother-offspring pairs replicated the findings and showed that the effect was more likely maternal but not fetal. Trans-ethnic approaches successfully narrowed down the haplotype block that contained the 99% credible set of SNPs associated with head circumference. We further demonstrated that decreased placental expression of ITPR1 was correlated with increased placental epigenetic age acceleration, a risk factor for reduced fetal growth, among male fetuses (r = -0.4, P = 0.01). Finally, genetic risk score composed of known maternal SNPs implicated in birthweight among Europeans was associated with fetal weight from mid-gestation onwards among Whites only. The present study sheds new light on the role of common maternal genetic variants in the inositol receptor signaling pathway on fetal growth from late second trimester to early third trimester. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00912132. Abnormal fetal growth is a risk factor for infant morbidity and mortality, and adult cardiometabolic diseases. Genetic influences on fetal growth can vary at different gestation times. We performed trans-ethnic genome-wide meta-analyses of 1,849 pregnant women from four race/ethnic groups to identify maternal genetic loci associated with ultrasound-based fetal weight estimates at three gestational periods. We identified and validated a novel genome-wide significant association of rs746039 [G] in the ITPR1 gene with reduced fetal weight at end of second trimester. We further demonstrated that decreased placental expression of ITPR1 was correlated with increased placental epigenetic age acceleration, a risk factor for reduced fetal growth, among male fetuses. We evaluated known birthweight loci and identified gestation time-specific associations of six maternal loci with fetal weight. A maternal genetic risk score of birthweight was associated with fetal weight from mid-gestation onwards among Whites. Our study sheds new light on the genetic regulation of gestation time-specific fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Cuilin Zhang
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jing Wu
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Katherine L. Grantz
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mohammad L. Rahman
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Population Medicine and Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Deepika Shrestha
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Marion Ouidir
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tsegaselassie Workalemahu
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael Y. Tsai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
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Tamayev L, Schreiber L, Marciano A, Bar J, Kovo M. Are there gender-specific differences in pregnancy outcome and placental abnormalities of pregnancies complicated with small for gestational age? Arch Gynecol Obstet 2020; 301:1147-1151. [PMID: 32239281 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-020-05514-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adaptations to pathological intrauterine environment might differ in relation to fetal gender. We aimed to study sex-specific differences in placental pathology of pregnancies complicated by small for gestational age (SGA). METHODS The medical records and placental histology reports of all neonates with a birth-weight ≤ 10th percentile, born between 24 and 42 weeks of gestation, during 2010-2018, were reviewed. Composite neonatal outcome was defined as one or more of early following complications: neonatal sepsis, blood transfusion, phototherapy, respiratory morbidity, cerebral morbidity, necrotizing enterocolitis, or death. Results were compared between the male and female groups of neonates. Placental lesions were classified into maternal and fetal vascular malperfusion (MVM and FVM) lesions, maternal and fetal inflammatory responses (MIR and FIR), and villitis of unknown etiology (VUE). RESULTS The male SGA group (n = 380) and the female SGA group (n = 363) did not differ in regard to maternal age, BMI, smoking, associated pregnancy complications, gestational age, and mode of delivery. Neonates in the SGA male group had increased birth-weight and increased respiratory morbidity as compared to the female SGA group (p = 0.007, p = 0.005, respectively). There was no between-group differences in the rate of placental lesions. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, male gender (aOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.05-2.30, p = 0.025), FIR (aOR 4.83, 95% CI 1.07-13.66, p = 0.003), and VUE (aOR 1.89, 95% CI 1.03-3.47, p = 0.04), were found to be independently associated with adverse composite neonatal outcome. DISCUSSION Male gender as well as placental FIR and VUE are independently associated with adverse neonatal outcome in SGA neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliya Tamayev
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 5, 58100, Holon, Israel.
| | - Letizia Schreiber
- Departments of Pathology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Adi Marciano
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 5, 58100, Holon, Israel
| | - Jacob Bar
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 5, 58100, Holon, Israel
| | - Michal Kovo
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 5, 58100, Holon, Israel
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Workalemahu T, Ouidir M, Shrestha D, Wu J, Grantz KL, Tekola-Ayele F. Differential DNA Methylation in Placenta Associated With Maternal Blood Pressure During Pregnancy. Hypertension 2020; 75:1117-1124. [PMID: 32078381 PMCID: PMC7122078 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.119.14509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal blood pressure during pregnancy is associated with impaired fetal growth, predisposing the offspring to cardiometabolic abnormalities over the life-course. Placental DNA methylation may be the regulatory pathway through which maternal blood pressure influences fetal and adult health outcomes. Epigenome-wide association study of 301 participants with placenta sample examined associations between DNA methylation and millimetre of mercury increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in each trimester. Findings were further examined using gene expression, gene pathway, and functional annotation analyses. Cytosine-(phosphate)-guanine (CpGs) known to be associated with cardiometabolic traits were evaluated. Increased maternal systolic and diastolic blood pressure were associated with methylation of 3 CpGs in the first, 6 CpGs in the second, and 15 CpGs in the third trimester at 5% false discovery rate (P values ranging from 6.6×10-15 to 2.3×10-7). Several CpGs were enriched in pathways including cardiovascular-metabolic development (P=1.0×10-45). Increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure were associated with increased CpG methylation and gene expression at COL12A1, a collagen family gene known for regulatory functions in the heart. Out of 304 previously reported CpGs known to be associated with cardiometabolic traits, 36 placental CpGs were associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure in our data. The present study provides the first evidence for associations between placental DNA methylation and increased maternal blood pressure during pregnancy at genes implicated in cardiometabolic diseases. Identification of blood pressure-associated methylated sites in the placenta may provide clues to early origins of cardiometabolic dysfunction and inform guidelines for early prevention. Registration- URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00912132.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsegaselassie Workalemahu
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marion Ouidir
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Deepika Shrestha
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jing Wu
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Katherine L. Grantz
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Matsumoto M, Tsuchiya KJ, Yaguchi C, Horikoshi Y, Furuta-Isomura N, Oda T, Kohmura-Kobayashi Y, Tamura N, Uchida T, Itoh H. The fetal/placental weight ratio is associated with the incidence of atopic dermatitis in female infants during the first 14 months: The Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children (HBC Study). Int J Womens Dermatol 2020; 6:176-181. [PMID: 32637540 PMCID: PMC7330435 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Among atopic diseases, atopic dermatitis is the most common allergic disease in children and influences both infantile and parental quality of life. Objective The present study investigated the sex-specific relationship between the fetal/placental weight ratio and The incidence of atopic dermatitis in infants during the first 14 months of life. Methods Study participants were 922 infants (462 female and 460 male) from singleton pregnancies enrolled in the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children (HBC Study) after the exclusion of 298 with missing data on atopic dermatitis. The enrollment of infants with atopic dermatitis was based on a positive response from parents regarding whether a physician had ever diagnosed their child with atopic dermatitis by 14 months of age. The two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test or χ2 test was adopted for descriptive analyses where appropriate. Unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the infantile incidence of atopic dermatitis were compared using logistic regression analyses. Results Maternal and perinatal factors did not correlate with the incidence of infantile atopic dermatitis. Fetal/placental weight ratio, but not birth or placental weight, correlated with the incidence of atopic dermatitis in female, but not male, infants. A correlation was still observed after adjustments for maternal allergies, gestational age at birth, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and household income at birth (odds ratio: 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.33). Conclusion We speculated that the intrauterine fetal environment, represented by a relatively small placenta, programs a predisposition in only female infants to atopic dermatitis during the first 14 months of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masako Matsumoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Kenji J Tsuchiya
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Chizuko Yaguchi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Horikoshi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Naomi Furuta-Isomura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Oda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Yukiko Kohmura-Kobayashi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Naoaki Tamura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Uchida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Itoh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
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40
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Rosenfeld CS. The placenta-brain-axis. J Neurosci Res 2020; 99:271-283. [PMID: 32108381 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
All mammalian species depend on the placenta, a transient organ, for exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste between the mother and conceptus. Besides serving as a conduit for such exchanges, the placenta produces hormones and other factors that influence maternal physiology and fetal development. To meet all of these adaptations, the placenta has evolved to become the most structurally diverse organ within all mammalian taxa. However, commonalities exist as to how placental responses promote survival against in utero threats and can alter the trajectory of fetal development, in particular the brain. Increasing evidence suggests that reactions of the placenta to various in utero stressors may lead to long-standing health outcomes, otherwise considered developmental origin of health and disease effects. Besides transferring nutrients and gases, the placenta produces neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine/epinephrine, that may circulate and influence brain development. Neurobehavioral disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders, likely trace their origins back to placental disturbances. This intimate relationship between the placenta and brain has led to coinage of the term, the placenta-brain-axis. This axis will be the focus herein, including how conceptus sex might influence it, and technologies employed to parse out the effects of placental-specific transcript expression changes on later neurobehavioral disorders. Ultimately, the placenta might provide a historical record of in utero threats the fetus confronted and a roadmap to understand how placenta responses to such encounters impacts the placental-brain-axis. Improved early diagnostic and preventative approaches may thereby be designed to mitigate such placental disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,MU Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Genetics Area Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Maternal cardiometabolic factors and genetic ancestry influence epigenetic aging of the placenta. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2020; 12:34-41. [PMID: 31948495 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174419000801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Disruption of physiological aging of the placenta can lead to pregnancy complications and increased risk for cardiometabolic diseases during childhood and adulthood. Maternal metabolic and genetic factors need to operate in concert with placental development for optimal pregnancy outcome. However, it is unknown whether maternal cardiometabolic status and genetic ancestry contribute to differences in placental epigenetic age acceleration (PAA). We investigated whether maternal prepregnancy obesity, gestational weight gain (GWG), blood pressure, and genetic ancestry influence PAA. Among 301 pregnant women from 4 race/ethnic groups who provided placenta samples at delivery as part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies, placental DNA methylation age was estimated using 62 CpGs known to predict placental aging. PAA was defined to be the difference between placental DNA methylation age and gestational age at birth. Percentage of genetic ancestries was estimated using genotype data. We found that a 1 kg/week increase in GWG was associated with up to 1.71 (95% CI: -3.11, -0.32) week lower PAA. Offspring Native American ancestry and African ancestry were associated, respectively, with higher and lower PAA among Hispanics, and maternal East Asian ancestry was associated with lower PAA among Asians (p < 0.05). Among mothers with a male offspring, blood pressure was associated with lower PAA across all three trimesters (p < 0.05), prepregnancy obesity compared to normal weight was associated with 1.24 (95% CI: -2.24, -0.25) week lower PAA. In summary, we observed that maternal cardiometabolic factors and genetic ancestry influence placental epigenetic aging and some of these influences may be male offspring-specific.
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