Prenatal Environmental Stressors and DNA Methylation Levels in Placenta and Peripheral Tissues of Mothers and Neonates Evaluated by Applying Artificial Neural Networks

Maternal health disparities linked to stressful life events: a cross-sectional study of industrialized Italian cities

BACKGROUND

Understanding the impact of family life stressors on maternal health is crucial, particularly in highly industrialized areas. This study assessed the validity of an Italian-language version of the Crisis in Family Systems-Revised (CRISYS-R) survey in Northern and Southern Italian cohorts.

METHODS

Mothers (n = 252) completed an Italian version of CRISYS-R, translated from English using the forward-backward method. At least 14 days after initial survey completion, a random subset of mothers (n = 44) retook CRISYS-R. Information about family demographics, socioeconomic status, and maternal health were collected by self-report on structured surveys. Statistical analyses were performed in R.

RESULTS

Test-retest analysis yielded a Pearson coefficient of 0.714 (Brescia: 0.845, Taranto: 0.726). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was 0.765 (Brescia: 0.718, Taranto: 0.784). In multivariable regression, the total number of stressors reported on the initial CRISYS-R test was positively associated with: poor maternal mental health (p < 0.001), poor maternal physical health (p < 0.01), and residence in Southern rather than Northern Italy (p = 0.02). Univariate correlations yielded similar results, plus a negative correlation between annual family income and total life stressors (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Statistical analyses support the validity and reliability of an Italian-language CRISYS-R in industrialized areas, while highlighting relationships between family stress and maternal mental and physical health. This survey instrument has the potential to inform public health policies and interventions serving families in Italian-speaking areas with high burdens of industrial pollution.

Intercontinental insights into autism spectrum disorder: a synthesis of environmental influences and DNA methylation

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a broad range of symptoms. The etiology of ASD is thought to involve complex gene-environment interactions, which are crucial to understanding its various causes and symptoms. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that potentially links genetic predispositions to environmental factors in the development of ASD. This review provides a global perspective on ASD, focusing on how DNA methylation studies may reveal gene-environment interactions characteristic of specific geographical regions. It delves into the role of DNA methylation in influencing the causes and prevalence of ASD in regions where environmental influences vary significantly. We also address potential explanations for the high ASD prevalence in North America, considering lifestyle factors, environmental toxins, and diagnostic considerations. Asian and European studies offer insights into endocrine-disrupting compounds, persistent organic pollutants, maternal smoking, and their associations with DNA methylation alterations in ASD. In areas with limited data on DNA methylation and ASD, such as Africa, Oceania, and South America, we discuss prevalent environmental factors based on epidemiological studies. Additionally, the review integrates global and country-specific prevalence data from various studies, providing a comprehensive picture of the variables influencing ASD diagnoses over region and year of assessment. This prevalence data, coupled with regional environmental variables and DNA methylation studies, provides a perspective on the complexities of ASD research. Integrating global prevalence data, we underscore the need for a comprehensive global understanding of ASD's complex etiology. Expanded research into epigenetic mechanisms of ASD is needed, particularly in underrepresented populations and locations, to enhance biomarker development for diagnosis and intervention strategies for ASD that reflect the varied environmental and genetic landscapes worldwide.

Environmental exposures influence multigenerational epigenetic transmission

Epigenetic modifications control gene expression and are essential for turning genes on and off to regulate and maintain differentiated cell types. Epigenetics are also modified by a multitude of environmental exposures, including diet and pollutants, allowing an individual's environment to influence gene expression and resultant phenotypes and clinical outcomes. These epigenetic modifications due to gene-environment interactions can also be transmitted across generations, raising the possibility that environmental influences that occurred in one generation may be transmitted beyond the second generation, exerting a long-lasting effect. In this review, we cover the known mechanisms of epigenetic modification acquisition, reprogramming and persistence, animal models and human studies used to understand multigenerational epigenetic transmission, and examples of environmentally induced epigenetic change and its transmission across generations. We highlight the importance of environmental health not only on the current population but also on future generations that will experience health outcomes transmitted through epigenetic inheritance.

Air pollution-linked epigenetic modifications in placental DNA: Prognostic potential for identifying future foetal anomalies

Prenatal exposure to air pollution is a significant risk factor for the mother and the developing foetus. The accumulation of pollutants in the placenta can cause a self-cascade loop of pro-inflammatory cytokine responses and DNA double-strand breaks. Previous research has shown that airborne particulate matter can damage the epigenome and disturb mitochondrial machinery, ultimately impairing placental function. Mitochondria are essential for preserving cellular homeostasis, energy metabolism, redox equilibrium, and epigenetic reprogramming. As these organelles are subtle targets of environmental exposures, any disruption in the signaling pathways can result in epigenomic instability, which can impact gene expression and mitochondrial function. This, in turn, can lead to changes in DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications, and aberrant expression of microRNAs in proliferating trophoblast cells. The placenta has two distinct layers, cytotrophoblasts, and syncytiotrophoblasts, each with its mitochondria, which play important roles in preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and overall health. Foetal nucleic acids enter maternal circulation during placental development because of necrotic, apoptotic, and inflammatory mechanisms. These nucleic acids reflect normal or abnormal ongoing cellular changes during prenatal foetal development. Detecting cell-free DNA in the bloodstream can be a biomarker for predicting negative pregnancy-related outcomes and recognizing abnormalities in foetal growth. Hence, a thorough understanding of how air pollution induces epigenetic variations within the placenta could offer crucial insights into underlying mechanisms and prolonged repercussions on foetal development and susceptibility in later stages of life.

Current perspectives on perinatal mental health and neurobehavioral development: focus on regulation, coregulation and self-regulation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Perinatal mental health research provides an important perspective on neurobehavioral development. Here, we aim to review the association of maternal perinatal health with offspring neurodevelopment, providing an update on (self-)regulation problems, hypothesized mechanistic pathways, progress and challenges, and implications for mental health.

RECENT FINDINGS

(1) Meta-analyses confirm that maternal perinatal mental distress is associated with (self-)regulation problems which constitute cognitive, behavioral, and affective social-emotional problems, while exposure to positive parental mental health has a positive impact. However, effect sizes are small. (2) Hypothesized mechanistic pathways underlying this association are complex. Interactive and compensatory mechanisms across developmental time are neglected topics. (3) Progress has been made in multiexposure studies. However, challenges remain and these are shared by clinical, translational and public health sciences. (4) From a mental healthcare perspective, a multidisciplinary and system level approach employing developmentally-sensitive measures and timely treatment of (self-)regulation and coregulation problems in a dyadic caregiver-child and family level approach seems needed. The existing evidence-base is sparse.

SUMMARY

During the perinatal period, addressing vulnerable contexts and building resilient systems may promote neurobehavioral development. A pluralistic approach to research, taking a multidisciplinary approach to theoretical models and empirical investigation needs to be fostered.

Effect of night shift work on metabolic syndrome in adults who suffered from earthquake stress in early life

Objective

To examine the role of night shift work on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults suffered from earthquakes prenatally or as infants and to analyse the effect of stress on factors that influence MetS in this population.

Methods

We included 870 subjects from 2014 to 2015. All subjects work as miners for the Kailuan Mining Group and were born were living in Tangshan. Participants were classified into two groups on basis of their work schedules: day shift and night shift. They were further classified into the prenatal exposure group, the infancy exposure group, and the control group based on their age during the Tangshan earthquake. This study was conducted 38 years after the earthquake. Participants' general demographic data, smoking and drinking habits, as well as work schedules were collected. All participants' sleep status was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The measurement of all subjects' waist circumference and blood pressure was made, and triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, high-density lipoproteins, and low-density lipoproteins were measured by collecting blood samples. The definition of MetS was made after the guidelines for preventing and controlling type 2 diabetes in China (2017 Edition).

Results

A total of 187 (21.5%) workers were determined to have MetS. The incidence of MetS was greatly higher in night shift workers who were exposed to an earthquake during infancy than in day shift workers (χ2 = 8.053, p = 0.005). A multivariate logistic regression analysis displayed male participants had a higher risk develop MetS than female participants (p = 0.042, OR = 0.368, 95% CI = 0.140, 0.965). Current smokers (p = 0.030, OR = 1.520, 95%CI = 1.042, 2.218) and participants who sleep fewer than 7 h per night (p = 0.015, OR = 1.638, 95%CI = 1.101, 2.437) had a higher risk of MetS. Prenatal earthquake stress was also a risk element for MetS (p = 0.012, OR = 1.644, 95%CI = 1.115, 2.423).

Conclusion

The risk of MetS is significantly higher in night shift workers exposed to earthquake stress during infancy than day shift workers. Earthquake exposure during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for MetS. Smoking and sleeping less than 7 h have a higher risk of MetS than the control group.