Argentato PP, Guerra JVDS, Luzia LA, Ramos ES, Maschietto M, Rondó PHDC. Excessive Gestational Weight Gain Alters DNA Methylation and Influences Foetal and Neonatal Body Composition.
EPIGENOMES 2023;
7:18. [PMID:
37606455 PMCID:
PMC10443290 DOI:
10.3390/epigenomes7030018]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Changes in body weight are associated with the regulation of DNA methylation (DNAm). In this study, we investigated the associations between maternal gestational weight gain-related DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition.
METHODS
Brazilian pregnant women from the Araraquara Cohort Study were followed up during pregnancy, delivery, and after hospital discharge. Women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI were allocated into two groups: adequate gestational weight gain (AGWG, n = 45) and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG, n = 30). Foetal and neonatal body composition was evaluated via ultrasound and plethysmography, respectively. DNAm was assessed in maternal blood using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip arrays. Linear regression models were used to explore the associations between DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition.
RESULTS
Maternal weight, GWG, neonatal weight, and fat mass were higher in the EGWG group. Analysis of DNAm identified 46 differentially methylated positions and 11 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the EGWG and AGWG groups. Nine human phenotypes were enriched for these 11 DMRs located in 13 genes (EMILIN1, HOXA5, CPT1B, CLDN9, ZFP57, BRCA1, POU5F1, ANKRD33, HLA-B, RANBP17, ZMYND11, DIP2C, TMEM232), highlighting the terms insulin resistance, and hyperglycaemia. Maternal DNAm was associated with foetal total thigh and arm tissues and subcutaneous thigh and arm fat, as well as with neonatal fat mass percentage and fat mass.
CONCLUSION
The methylation pattern in the EGWG group indicated a risk for developing chronic diseases and involvement of maternal DNAm in foetal lean and fat mass and in neonatal fat mass.
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