1
|
Mortillo M, Kennedy EG, Hermetz KM, Burt AA, Marsit CJ. Epigenetic landscape of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and associations with gene expression in placenta. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2326869. [PMID: 38507502 PMCID: PMC10956631 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2326869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
5-hydroxymethylcystosine (5hmC), is an intermediate product in the DNA demethylation pathway, but may act as a functional epigenetic modification. We have conducted the largest study of site-specific 5hmC in placenta to date using parallel bisulphite and oxidative bisulphite modification with array-based assessment. Incorporating parallel RNA-sequencing data allowed us to assess associations between 5hmC and gene expression, using expression quantitative trait hydroxymethylation (eQTHM) analysis. We identified ~ 47,000 loci with consistently elevated (systematic) 5hmC proportions. Systematic 5hmC was significantly depleted (p < 0.0001) at CpG islands (CGI), and enriched (p < 0.0001) in 'open sea' regions (CpG >4 kb from CGI). 5hmC was most and least abundant at CpGs in enhancers and active transcription start sites (TSS), respectively (p < 0.05). We identified 499 significant (empirical-p <0.05) eQTHMs within 1 MB of the assayed gene. At most (75.4%) eQTHMs, the proportion of 5hmC was positively correlated with transcript abundance. eQTHMs were significantly enriched among enhancer CpGs and depleted among CpGs in active TSS (p < 0.05 for both). Finally, we identified 107 differentially hydroxymethylated regions (DHMRs, p < 0.05) across 100 genes. Our study provides insight into placental distribution of 5hmC, and sheds light on the functional capacity of this epigenetic modification in placenta.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mortillo
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth G. Kennedy
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Karen M. Hermetz
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amber A. Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang Y, Hermetz K, Burt A, Kennedy EM, Lesseur C, Panuwet P, Fiedler N, Prapamontol T, Suttiwan P, Naksen W, B Barr D, Hao K, Chen J, Marsit CJ. Placental transcriptome variation associated with season, location, and urinary prenatal pyrethroid metabolites of Thai farm-working women. Environ Pollut 2024; 349:123873. [PMID: 38554839 PMCID: PMC11070292 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to pyrethroids is linked to adverse health effects in early life and proper placental function is critical to fetal development. This study explores the impact of prenatal pyrethroid exposure, as well as factors impacting exposure and effect, on the placental transcriptome, to understand pyrethroid exposures' relationship to placental function. The study of Asian Women and their Offspring's Development and Environmental Exposures (SAWASDEE) recruited pregnant farm-working women from two agricultural districts in the Chiang Mai province of Thailand between 2017 and 2019. This cohort was predominantly exposed to cypermethrin (type II), alongside pyrethroids such as cyfluthrin (type II) and permethrin (type I). In 253 participants, maternal urinary pyrethroid metabolites, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (PBA), cis-3-(2,2-Dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid (CDCCA), and trans-3-(2,2-Dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid (TDCCA) were measured in early, middle, and late pregnancy and adjusted for urinary creatinine. The placental transcriptome was analyzed using RNA-Seq. Using generalized linear regression, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the sum of each metabolite across pregnancy, as well as those associated with location of residence and season of birth. Pathway and upstream transcription factor analyses were performed to examine potential mechanisms associated with DEGs. Notably, TDCCA and CDCCA levels peaked in late pregnancy, with significant regional differences, particularly higher levels in the Fang region. Placental gene expression analysis showed no DEGs associated with individual metabolites at FDR<0.05. However, 251 DEGs by location, implicating immune response and oxidative phosphorylation pathways, were identified, while season of birth was associated with 2585 DEGs, over-represented in fibrosis signaling and metabolism pathways. Finally, transcription factor analysis identified 226 and 282 transcription factors associated with location and season, respectively, related to cell proliferation, differentiation, and the immune system. These alterations may have significant implications for fetal development and other pathologic processes, highlighting the importance of monitoring environmental exposures during pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yewei Wang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Karen Hermetz
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amber Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Kennedy
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Corina Lesseur
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Parinya Panuwet
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nancy Fiedler
- Rutgers University School of Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Tippawan Prapamontol
- Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Panrapee Suttiwan
- Life Di Center, Faculty of Psychology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Warangkana Naksen
- Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Dana B Barr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, 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
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hannon ER, Marsit CJ, Dent AE, Embury P, Ogolla S, Midem D, Williams SM, Kazura JW. Transcriptome- and DNA methylation-based cell-type deconvolutions produce similar estimates of differential gene expression and differential methylation. Res Sq 2024:rs.3.rs-3992113. [PMID: 38645047 PMCID: PMC11030537 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3992113/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Background Changing cell-type proportions can confound studies of differential gene expression or DNA methylation (DNAm) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We examined how cell-type proportions derived from the transcriptome versus the methylome (DNAm) influence estimates of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially methylated positions (DMPs). Methods Transcriptome and DNAm data were obtained from PBMC RNA and DNA of Kenyan children (n = 8) before, during, and 6 weeks following uncomplicated malaria. DEGs and DMPs between time points were detected using cell-type adjusted modeling with Cibersortx or IDOL, respectively. Results Most major cell types and principal components had moderate to high correlation between the two deconvolution methods (r = 0.60-0.96). Estimates of cell-type proportions and DEGs or DMPs were largely unaffected by the method, with the greatest discrepancy in the estimation of neutrophils. Conclusion Variation in cell-type proportions is captured similarly by both transcriptomic and methylome deconvolution methods for most major cell types.
Collapse
|
4
|
Hodge KM, Zhabotynsky V, Burt AA, Carter BS, Fry RC, Helderman J, Hofheimer JA, McGowan EC, Neal CR, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, DellaGrotta SA, Dansereau LM, Lester BM, Marsit CJ, O'Shea TM, Everson TM. Epigenetic associations in HPA axis genes related to bronchopulmonary dysplasia and antenatal steroids. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03116-4. [PMID: 38480856 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03116-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a common morbidity among very preterm infants, is associated with chronic disease and neurodevelopmental impairments. A hypothesized mechanism for these outcomes lies in altered glucocorticoid (GC) activity. We hypothesized that BPD and its treatments may result in epigenetic differences in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is modulated by GC, and could be ascertained using an established GC risk score and DNA methylation (DNAm) of HPA axis genes. METHODS DNAm was quantified from buccal tissue (ECHO-NOVI) and from neonatal blood spots (ELGAN ECHO) via the EPIC microarray. Prenatal maternal characteristics, pregnancy complication, and neonatal medical complication data were collected from medical record review and maternal interviews. RESULTS The GC score was not associated with steroid exposure or BPD. However, six HPA genes involved in stress response regulation demonstrated differential methylation with antenatal steroid exposure; two CpGs within FKBP5 and POMC were differentially methylated with BPD severity. These findings were sex-specific in both cohorts; males had greater magnitude of differential methylation within these genes. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that BPD severity and antenatal steroids are associated with DNAm at some HPA genes in very preterm infants and the effects appear to be sex-, tissue-, and age-specific. IMPACT This study addresses bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), an important health outcome among preterm neonates, and interrogates a commonly studied pathway, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The combination of BPD, the HPA axis, and epigenetic markers has not been previously reported. In this study, we found that BPD itself was not associated with epigenetic responses in the HPA axis in infants born very preterm; however, antenatal treatment with steroids was associated with epigenetic responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenyaita M Hodge
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vasyl Zhabotynsky
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Amber A Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian S Carter
- Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer Helderman
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Julie A Hofheimer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elisabeth C McGowan
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Charles R Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Steven L Pastyrnak
- Department of Pediatrics, Spectrum Health-Helen Devos Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lynne M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Sheri A DellaGrotta
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lynne M Dansereau
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Barry M Lester
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - T Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Todd M Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Camerota M, Lester BM, Castellanos FX, Carter BS, Check J, Helderman J, Hofheimer JA, McGowan EC, Neal CR, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, O'Shea TM, Marsit CJ, Everson TM. Epigenome-wide association study identifies neonatal DNA methylation associated with two-year attention problems in children born very preterm. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:126. [PMID: 38418845 PMCID: PMC10902402 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02841-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Prior research has identified epigenetic predictors of attention problems in school-aged children but has not yet investigated these in young children, or children at elevated risk of attention problems due to preterm birth. The current study evaluated epigenome-wide associations between neonatal DNA methylation and attention problems at age 2 years in children born very preterm. Participants included 441 children from the Neonatal Neurobehavior and Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants (NOVI) Study, a multi-site study of infants born < 30 weeks gestational age. DNA methylation was measured from buccal swabs collected at NICU discharge using the Illumina MethylationEPIC Bead Array. Attention problems were assessed at 2 years of adjusted age using the attention problems subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). After adjustment for multiple testing, DNA methylation at 33 CpG sites was associated with child attention problems. Differentially methylated CpG sites were located in genes previously linked to physical and mental health, including several genes associated with ADHD in prior epigenome-wide and genome-wide association studies. Several CpG sites were located in genes previously linked to exposure to prenatal risk factors in the NOVI sample. Neonatal epigenetics measured at NICU discharge could be useful in identifying preterm children at risk for long-term attention problems and related psychiatric disorders, who could benefit from early prevention and intervention efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Camerota
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Barry M Lester
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Francisco Xavier Castellanos
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Brian S Carter
- Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Jennifer Check
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer Helderman
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Julie A Hofheimer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elisabeth C McGowan
- Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Charles R Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Steven L Pastyrnak
- Department of Pediatrics, Spectrum Health-Helen DeVos Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lynne M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Todd M Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Camerota M, Lester BM, McGowan EC, Carter BS, Check J, Dansereau LM, DellaGrotta SA, Helderman JB, Hofheimer JA, Loncar CM, Neal CR, O'Shea TM, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, Abrishamcar S, Hüls A, Marsit CJ, Everson TM. Contributions of prenatal risk factors and neonatal epigenetics to cognitive outcome in children born very preterm. Dev Psychol 2024:2024-53001-001. [PMID: 38358663 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Children born less than 30 weeks gestational age (GA) are at high risk for neurodevelopmental delay compared to term peers. Prenatal risk factors and neonatal epigenetics could help identify preterm children at highest risk for poor cognitive outcomes. We aimed to understand the associations among cumulative prenatal risk, neonatal DNA methylation, and child cognitive ability at age 3 years, including whether DNA methylation mediates the association between prenatal risk and cognitive ability. We studied 379 neonates (54% male) born less than 30 weeks GA who had DNA methylation measured at neonatal intensive care unit discharge along with 3-year follow-up data. Cumulative prenatal risk was calculated from 24 risk factors obtained from maternal report and medical record and epigenome-wide neonatal DNA methylation was assayed from buccal swabs. At 3-year follow-up, child cognitive ability was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (third edition). Cumulative prenatal risk and DNA methylation at two cytosine-phosphate-guanines (CpGs) were uniquely associated with child cognitive ability. Using high-dimensional mediation analysis, we also identified differential methylation of 309 CpGs that mediated the association between cumulative prenatal risk and child cognitive ability. Many of the associated CpGs were located in genes (TNS3, TRAPPC4, MAD1L1, APBB2, DIP2C, TRAPPC9, DRD2) that have previously been associated with prenatal exposures and/or neurodevelopmental phenotypes. Our findings suggest a role for both prenatal risk factors and DNA methylation in explaining outcomes for children born preterm and suggest we should further study DNA methylation as a potential mechanism underlying the association between prenatal risk and child neurodevelopment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Camerota
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University
| | - Barry M Lester
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University
| | - Elisabeth C McGowan
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Alpert Medical School, Brown University
| | - Brian S Carter
- Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Children's Mercy Hospital
| | - Jennifer Check
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine
| | | | | | | | - Julie A Hofheimer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
| | - Cynthia M Loncar
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University
| | - Charles R Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
| | - T Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
| | | | - Lynne M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
| | - Sarina Abrishamcar
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
| | - Anke Hüls
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
| | - Todd M Everson
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Shuster CL, Sheinkopf SJ, McGowan EC, Hofheimer JA, O’Shea TM, Carter BS, Helderman JB, Check J, Neal CR, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, Loncar C, Dansereau LM, DellaGrotta SA, Marsit CJ, Lester BM. Two-Year Autism Risk Screening and 3-Year Developmental Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants. JAMA Pediatr 2024; 178:168-175. [PMID: 38147347 PMCID: PMC10751654 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.5727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Importance Use of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised With Follow-Up, a 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool, has been questioned due to reports of poor sensitivity and specificity. How this measure captures developmental delays for very preterm infants may provide support for continued use in pediatric care settings. Objective To determine whether autism risk screening with the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool at age 2 years is associated with behavioral and developmental outcomes at age 3 in very preterm infants. Design, Setting, and Participants Neonatal Neurobehavior and Outcomes for Very Preterm Infants was a longitudinal, multisite cohort study. Enrollment occurred April 2014 to June 2016, and analyses were conducted from November 2022 to May 2023. Data were collected across 9 university-affiliated neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Inclusion criteria were infants born less than 30 weeks' gestational age, a parent who could read and speak English and/or Spanish, and residence within 3 hours of the NICU and follow-up clinic. Exposures Prematurity and use of the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool at age 2 years. Main Outcomes and Measures Outcomes include cognitive, language, motor composites on Bayley Scales for Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (Bayley-III) and internalizing, externalizing, total problems, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) subscale on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at age 3 years. Generalized estimating equations tested associations between the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool and outcomes, adjusting for covariates. Results A total of 467 children (mean [SD] gestational age, 27.1 [1.8] weeks; 243 male [52%]) were screened with the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool at age 2 years, and outcome data at age 3 years were included in analyses. Mean (SD) maternal age at birth was 29 (6) years. A total of 51 children (10.9%) screened positive on the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool at age 2 years. Children with positive screening results were more likely to have Bayley-III composites of 84 or less on cognitive (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.03; 95% CI, 1.65-9.81), language (aOR, 5.38; 95% CI, 2.43-11.93), and motor (aOR, 4.74; 95% CI, 2.19-10.25) composites and more likely to have CBCL scores of 64 or higher on internalizing (aOR, 4.83; 95% CI, 1.88-12.44), externalizing (aOR, 2.69; 95% CI, 1.09-6.61), and PDD (aOR, 3.77; 95% CI, 1.72-8.28) scales. Conclusions and Relevance Results suggest that the 2-stage parent-report autism risk screening tool administered at age 2 years was a meaningful screen for developmental delays in very preterm infants, with serious delays detected at age 3 years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Coral L. Shuster
- The Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Stephen J. Sheinkopf
- Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, University of Missouri, Columbia
| | - Elisabeth C. McGowan
- The Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
- Brown Alpert Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island
| | | | | | | | | | - Jennifer Check
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Charles R. Neal
- University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii
| | | | | | | | - Lynne M. Dansereau
- The Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Sheri A. DellaGrotta
- The Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
| | | | - Barry M. Lester
- The Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
- Brown Alpert Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Coe JL, Daniels T, Huffhines L, Seifer R, Marsit CJ, Kao HT, Porton B, Parade SH, Tyrka AR. Examining the Biological Impacts of Parent-Child Relationship Dynamics on Preschool-Aged Children who have Experienced Adversity. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22463. [PMID: 38601953 PMCID: PMC11003752 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Parent-child relationship dynamics have been shown to predict socioemotional and behavioral outcomes for children, but little is known about how they may affect biological development. The aim of this study was to test if observational assessments of parent-child relationship dynamics (cohesion, enmeshment, and disengagement) were associated with three biological indices of early life adversity and downstream health risk: (1) methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1), (2) telomere attrition, and (3) mitochondrial biogenesis, indexed by mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), all of which were measured in children's saliva. We tested hypotheses using a sample of 254 preschool-aged children (M age = 51.04 months) with and without child welfare-substantiated maltreatment (52% with documented case of moderate-severe maltreatment) who were racially and ethnically diverse (17% Black, 40% White, 23% biracial, and 20% other races; 45% Hispanic) and from primarily low-income backgrounds (91% qualified for public assistance). Results of path analyses revealed that: (1) higher parent-child cohesion was associated with lower levels of methylation of NR3C1 exon 1D and longer telomeres, and (2) higher parent-child disengagement was associated with higher levels of methylation of NR3C1 exon 1D and shorter telomeres. Results suggest that parent-child relationship dynamics may have distinct biological effects on children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse L. Coe
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Bradley/Hasbro Children’s Research Center, E.P. Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR Initiative), Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Teresa Daniels
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR Initiative), Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lindsay Huffhines
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Bradley/Hasbro Children’s Research Center, E.P. Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR Initiative), Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Ronald Seifer
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hung-Teh Kao
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Barbara Porton
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stephanie H. Parade
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Bradley/Hasbro Children’s Research Center, E.P. Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR Initiative), Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Audrey R. Tyrka
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR Initiative), Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Camerota M, McGowan EC, Aschner J, Stroustrup A, O'Shea TM, Hofheimer JA, Joseph RM, Musci R, Taylor G, Carter BS, Check J, Dansereau LM, Gogcu S, Helderman JB, Neal CR, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, Marsit CJ, Lester BM. Neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes of very preterm infants: latent profile analysis in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. Pediatr Res 2024; 95:377-385. [PMID: 37700161 PMCID: PMC10885008 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-023-02814-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Very preterm infants are at high risk for neurodevelopmental impairments. We used a child-centered approach (latent profile analysis [LPA]) to describe 2-year neurobehavioral profiles for very preterm infants based on cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes. We hypothesized that distinct outcome profiles would differ in the severity and co-occurrence of neurodevelopmental and behavioral impairment. METHODS We studied children born <33 weeks' gestation from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program with at least one neurobehavioral assessment at age 2 (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Child Behavior Checklist, Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, cerebral palsy diagnosis). We applied LPA to identify subgroups of children with different patterns of outcomes. RESULTS In 2036 children (52% male; 48% female), we found four distinct neurobehavioral profiles. Most children (~85%) were categorized into one of two profiles characterized by no/mild neurodevelopmental delay and a low prevalence of behavioral problems. Fewer children (~15%) fell into one of two profiles characterized by severe neurodevelopmental impairments. One profile consisted of children (5%) with co-occurring neurodevelopmental impairment and behavioral problems. CONCLUSION Child-centered approaches provide a comprehensive, parsimonious description of neurodevelopment following preterm birth and can be useful for clinical and research purposes. IMPACT Most research on outcomes for children born very preterm have reported rates of impairment in single domains. Child-centered approaches describe profiles of children with unique combinations of cognitive, motor, and behavioral strengths and weaknesses. We capitalized on data from the nationwide Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program to examine these profiles in a large sample of children born <33 weeks gestational age. We found four distinct neurobehavioral profiles consisting of different combinations of cognitive, motor, and behavioral characteristics. This information could aid in the development of clinical interventions that target different profiles of children with unique developmental needs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Camerota
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Elisabeth C McGowan
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Judy Aschner
- Department of Pediatrics, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ, USA
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Annemarie Stroustrup
- Division of Neonatology, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, USA
| | - T Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Julie A Hofheimer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Robert M Joseph
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rashelle Musci
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Genevieve Taylor
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Brian S Carter
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Jennifer Check
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Lynne M Dansereau
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Semsa Gogcu
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer B Helderman
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Charles R Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Steven L Pastyrnak
- Department of Pediatrics, Spectrum Health-Helen DeVos Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lynne M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Barry M Lester
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Stroud LR, Jao NC, Ward LG, Lee SY, Marsit CJ. Differential impact of prenatal PTSD symptoms and preconception trauma exposure on placental NR3C1 and FKBP5 methylation. Stress 2024; 27:2321595. [PMID: 38676353 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2321595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Perinatal stress is associated with altered placental methylation, which plays a critical role in fetal development and infant outcomes. This proof-of-concept pilot study investigated the impact of lifetime trauma exposure and perinatal PTSD symptoms on epigenetic regulation of placenta glucocorticoid signaling genes (NR3C1 and FKBP5). Lifetime trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms during pregnancy were assessed in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women (N = 198). Participants were categorized into three groups: (1) No Trauma (-T); (2) Trauma, No Symptoms (T - S); and (3) Trauma and Symptoms (T + S). Placental tissue was analyzed via bisulfite pyrosequencing for degree of methylation at the NR3C1 promoter and FKBP5 regulatory regions. Analyses of covariance were used to test group differences in percentages of NR3C1 and FKBP5 methylation overall and at each CpG site. We found a significant impact of PTSD symptoms on placental NR3C1 methylation. Compared to the -T group, the T + S group had greater NR3C1 methylation overall and at CpG6, CpG8, CpG9, and CpG13, but lower methylation at CpG5. The T + S group had significantly higher NR3C1 methylation overall and at CpG8 compared to the T - S group. There were no differences between the T - S group and - T group. Additionally, no group differences emerged for FKBP5 methylation. Pregnant trauma survivors with PTSD symptoms exhibited differential patterns of placental NR3C1 methylation compared to trauma survivors without PTSD symptoms and pregnant women unexposed to trauma. Results highlight the critical importance of interventions to address the mental health of pregnant trauma survivors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura R Stroud
- COBRE Center for Stress, Trauma, and Resilience*, Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nancy C Jao
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - L G Ward
- COBRE Center for Stress, Trauma, and Resilience*, Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Sharon Y Lee
- COBRE Center for Stress, Trauma, and Resilience*, Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Song AY, Bulka CM, Niemiec SS, Kechris K, Boyle KE, Marsit CJ, O’Shea TM, Fry RC, Lyall K, Fallin MD, Volk HE, Ladd-Acosta C. Accelerated epigenetic age at birth and child emotional and behavioura development in early childhood: a meta-analysis of four prospective cohort studies in ECHO. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2254971. [PMID: 37691382 PMCID: PMC10496525 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2254971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: 'Epigenetic clocks' have been developed to accurately predict chronologic gestational age and have been associated with child health outcomes in prior work.Methods: We meta-analysed results from four prospective U.S cohorts investigating the association between epigenetic age acceleration estimated using blood DNA methylation collected at birth and preschool age Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores.Results: Epigenetic ageing was not significantly associated with CBCL total problem scores (β = 0.33, 95% CI: -0.95, 0.28) and DSM-oriented pervasive development problem scores (β = -0.23, 95% CI: -0.61, 0.15). No associations were observed for other DSM-oriented subscales.Conclusions: The meta-analysis results suggest that epigenetic gestational age acceleration is not associated with child emotional and behavioural functioning for preschool age group. These findings may relate to our study population, which includes two cohorts enriched for ASD and one preterm birth cohort.; future work should address the role of epigenetic age in child health in other study populations.Abbreviations: DNAm: DNA methylation; CBCL: Child Behavioral Checklist; ECHO: Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes; EARLI: Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation; MARBLES: Markers of Autism Risk in Babies - Learning Early Signs; ELGAN: Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns; ASD: autism spectrum disorder; BMI: body mass index; DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Y. Song
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Sierra S. Niemiec
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Katerina Kechris
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kristen E. Boyle
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - T. Michael O’Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kristen Lyall
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Heather E. Volk
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bulka CM, Everson TM, Burt AA, Marsit CJ, Karagas MR, Boyle KE, Niemiec S, Kechris K, Davidson EJ, Yang IV, Feinberg JI, Volk HE, Ladd-Acosta C, Breton CV, O’Shea TM, Fry RC. Sex-based differences in placental DNA methylation profiles related to gestational age: an NIH ECHO meta-analysis. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2179726. [PMID: 36840948 PMCID: PMC9980626 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2179726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The placenta undergoes many changes throughout gestation to support the evolving needs of the foetus. There is also a growing appreciation that male and female foetuses develop differently in utero, with unique epigenetic changes in placental tissue. Here, we report meta-analysed sex-specific associations between gestational age and placental DNA methylation from four cohorts in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Programme (355 females/419 males, gestational ages 23-42 weeks). We identified 407 cytosine-guanine dinucleotides (CpGs) in females and 794 in males where placental methylation levels were associated with gestational age. After cell-type adjustment, 55 CpGs in females and 826 in males were significant. These were enriched for biological processes critical to the immune system in females and transmembrane transport in males. Our findings are distinct between the sexes: in females, associations with gestational age are largely explained by differences in placental cellular composition, whereas in males, gestational age is directly associated with numerous alterations in methylation levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M. Bulka
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Todd M. Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amber A. Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Kristen E. Boyle
- Section of Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Colorado School of Public Health, The Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Sierra Niemiec
- Colorado School of Public Health, The Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Katerina Kechris
- Colorado School of Public Health, The Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Biostatistics & Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Ivana V. Yang
- Colorado School of Public Health, The Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jason I. Feinberg
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, ML, USA
| | - Heather E. Volk
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, ML, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, ML, USA
| | - Carrie V. Breton
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T. Michael O’Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Paniagua U, Lester BM, Marsit CJ, Camerota M, Carter BS, Check JF, Helderman J, Hofheimer JA, McGowan EC, Neal CR, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, DellaGrotta SA, Dansereau LM, O’Shea TM, Everson TM. Epigenetic age acceleration, neonatal morbidities, and neurobehavioral profiles in infants born very preterm. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2280738. [PMID: 37983304 PMCID: PMC10732637 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2280738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic age acceleration is a risk factor for chronic diseases of ageing and may reflect aspects of biological ageing. However, few studies have examined epigenetic ageing during the early neonatal period in preterm infants, who are at heightened risk of developmental problems. We examined relationships between neonatal age acceleration, neonatal morbidities, and neurobehavioral domains among very preterm (<30 weeks gestation) infants to characterize whether infants with early morbidities or different neurobehavioral characteristics had accelerated or decelerated epigenetic ageing. This study uses data from the Neonatal Neurobehavior and Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants (NOVI) study, restricted to infants with data on variables assessed (n = 519). We used generalized estimating equations to test for differences in age acceleration associated with severe neonatal medical morbidities and neurobehavioral characteristics. We found that infants with neonatal morbidities, in particular, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), had accelerated epigenetic age - and some evidence that infants with hypertonicity and asymmetric reflexes had increased and decreased age acceleration, respectively. Adjustment for gestational age attenuated some associations, suggesting that the relationships observed may be driven by the duration of gestation. Our most robust finding shows that very preterm infants with neonatal morbidities (BPD in particular) exhibit age acceleration, but most neonatal neurobehavioral characteristics and morbidities are not associated with early life age acceleration. Lower gestational age at birth may be an upstream factor driving these associations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Uriel Paniagua
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Barry M. Lester
- Department of Pediatrics, Brown Alpert Medical School and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Brown Alpert Medical School and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Marie Camerota
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Brown Alpert Medical School and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Brian S. Carter
- Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Jennifer F. Check
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer Helderman
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Julie A. Hofheimer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elisabeth C. McGowan
- Department of Pediatrics, Brown Alpert Medical School and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Charles R. Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Steven L. Pastyrnak
- Department of Pediatrics, Corewell Health, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lynne M. Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Sheri A. DellaGrotta
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Brown Alpert Medical School and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lynne M. Dansereau
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Brown Alpert Medical School and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - T. Michael O’Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Todd M. Everson
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Fang F, Zhou L, Perng W, Marsit CJ, Knight AK, Cardenas A, Aung MT, Hivert MF, Aris IM, Goodrich JM, Smith AK, Gaylord A, Fry RC, Oken E, O'Connor G, Ruden DM, Trasande L, Herbstman JB, Camargo CA, Bush NR, Dunlop AL, Dabelea DM, Karagas MR, Breton CV, Ober C, Everson TM, Page GP, Ladd-Acosta C. Evaluation of pediatric epigenetic clocks across multiple tissues. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:142. [PMID: 37660147 PMCID: PMC10475199 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01552-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic clocks are promising tools for assessing biological age. We assessed the accuracy of pediatric epigenetic clocks in gestational and chronological age determination. RESULTS Our study used data from seven tissue types on three DNA methylation profiling microarrays and found that the Knight and Bohlin clocks performed similarly for blood cells, while the Lee clock was superior for placental samples. The pediatric-buccal-epigenetic clock performed the best for pediatric buccal samples, while the Horvath clock is recommended for children's blood cell samples. The NeoAge clock stands out for its unique ability to predict post-menstrual age with high correlation with the observed age in infant buccal cell samples. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide valuable guidance for future research and development of epigenetic clocks in pediatric samples, enabling more accurate assessments of biological age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Fang
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Durham, NC, 27709-2194, USA.
| | - Linran Zhou
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Durham, NC, 27709-2194, USA
| | - Wei Perng
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anna K Knight
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Max T Aung
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population and Populace Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marie-France Hivert
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Diabetes Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Izzuddin M Aris
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jaclyn M Goodrich
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Abigail Gaylord
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George O'Connor
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA
| | - Douglas M Ruden
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julie B Herbstman
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carlos A Camargo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anne L Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dana M Dabelea
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Carrie V Breton
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population and Populace Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Todd M Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Grier P Page
- GenOmics and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Durham, NC, 27709-2194, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Santos HP, Enggasser AE, Clark J, Roell K, Zhabotynsky V, Gower WA, Yanni D, Yang NG, Washburn L, Gogcu S, Marsit CJ, Kuban K, O'Shea TM, Fry RC. Sexually dimorphic methylation patterns characterize the placenta and blood from extremely preterm newborns. BMC Biol 2023; 21:173. [PMID: 37608375 PMCID: PMC10464100 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01662-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health outcomes among children born prematurely are known to be sexually dimorphic, with male infants often more affected, yet the mechanism behind this observation is not clear. CpG methylation levels in the placenta and blood also differ by sex and are associated with adverse health outcomes. We contrasted CpG methylation levels in the placenta and neonatal blood (n = 358) from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn (ELGAN) cohort based on the EPIC array, which assays over 850,000 CpG sites across the epigenome. Sex-specific epigenome-wide association analyses were conducted for the placenta and neonatal blood samples independently, and the results were compared to determine tissue-specific differences between the methylation patterns in males and females. All models were adjusted for cell type heterogeneity. Enrichment pathway analysis was performed to identify the biological functions of genes related to the sexually dimorphic CpG sites. RESULTS Approximately 11,500 CpG sites were differentially methylated in relation to sex. Of these, 5949 were placenta-specific and 5361 were blood-specific, with only 233 CpG sites overlapping in both tissues. For placenta-specific CpG sites, 90% were hypermethylated in males. For blood-specific CpG sites, 95% were hypermethylated in females. In the placenta, keratinocyte differentiation biological pathways were enriched among the differentially methylated genes. No enrichment pathways were observed for blood. CONCLUSIONS Distinct methylation patterns were observed between male and female children born extremely premature, and keratinocyte differentiation pathways were enriched in the placenta. These findings provide new insights into the epigenetic mechanisms underlying sexually dimorphic health outcomes among extremely premature infants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hudson P Santos
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
| | - Adam E Enggasser
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jeliyah Clark
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kyle Roell
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Vasyl Zhabotynsky
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - William Adam Gower
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Diana Yanni
- Department of Neonatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nou Gao Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Lisa Washburn
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Semsa Gogcu
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Karl Kuban
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Boston. University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - T Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Camerota M, McGowan EC, Aschner J, Stroustrup A, Karagas MR, Conradt E, Crowell SE, Brennan PA, Carter BS, Check J, Dansereau LM, DellaGrotta SA, Everson TM, Helderman JB, Hofheimer JA, Kuiper JR, Loncar CM, Marsit CJ, Neal CR, O'Shea TM, Pastyrnak SL, Sheinkopf SJ, Smith LM, Zhang X, Lester BM. Prenatal and perinatal factors associated with neonatal neurobehavioral profiles in the ECHO Program. Pediatr Res 2023; 94:762-770. [PMID: 36841884 PMCID: PMC10440230 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-023-02540-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Single-cohort studies have identified distinct neurobehavioral profiles that are associated with prenatal and neonatal factors based on the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS). We examined socioeconomic, medical, and substance use variables as predictors of NNNS profiles in a multi-cohort study of preterm and term-born infants with different perinatal exposures. METHODS We studied 1112 infants with a neonatal NNNS exam from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium. We used latent profile analysis to characterize infant neurobehavioral profiles and generalized estimating equations to determine predictors of NNNS profiles. RESULTS Six distinct neonatal neurobehavioral profiles were identified, including two dysregulated profiles: a hypo-aroused profile (16%) characterized by lethargy, hypotonicity, and nonoptimal reflexes; and a hyper-aroused profile (6%) characterized by high arousal, excitability, and stress, with low regulation and poor movement quality. Infants in the hypo-aroused profile were more likely to be male, have younger mothers, and have mothers who were depressed prenatally. Infants in the hyper-aroused profile were more likely to be Hispanic/Latino and have mothers who were depressed or used tobacco prenatally. CONCLUSIONS We identified two dysregulated neurobehavioral profiles with distinct perinatal antecedents. Further understanding of their etiology could inform targeted interventions to promote positive developmental outcomes. IMPACT Prior research on predictors of neonatal neurobehavior have included single-cohort studies, which limits generalizability of findings. In a multi-cohort study of preterm and term-born infants, we found six distinct neonatal neurobehavioral profiles, with two profiles being identified as dysregulated. Hypo- and hyper-aroused neurobehavioral profiles had distinct perinatal antecedents. Understanding perinatal factors associated with dysregulated neurobehavior could help promote positive developmental outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Camerota
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Elisabeth C McGowan
- Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Judy Aschner
- Departments of Pediatrics, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ, USA
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Annemarie Stroustrup
- Division of Neonatology, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, USA
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Elisabeth Conradt
- Department of Psychiatry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sheila E Crowell
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Brian S Carter
- Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Jennifer Check
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Lynne M Dansereau
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | - Todd M Everson
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jennifer B Helderman
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Julie A Hofheimer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina and Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jordan R Kuiper
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cynthia M Loncar
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Charles R Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Thomas Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina and Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Steven L Pastyrnak
- Department of Pediatrics, Spectrum Health-Helen DeVos Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Stephen J Sheinkopf
- Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Lynne M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Xueying Zhang
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barry M Lester
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kennedy EM, Hermetz K, Burt A, Pei D, Koestler DC, Hao K, Chen J, Gilbert-Diamond D, Ramakrishnan U, Karagas MR, Marsit CJ. Placental microRNAs relate to early childhood growth trajectories. Pediatr Res 2023; 94:341-348. [PMID: 36380070 PMCID: PMC10183479 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02386-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor placental function is a common cause of intrauterine growth restriction, which in turn is associated with increased risks of adverse health outcomes. Our prior work suggests that birthweight and childhood obesity-associated genetic variants functionally impact placental function and that placental microRNA are associated with birthweight. To address the influence of the placenta beyond birth, we assessed the relationship between placental microRNAs and early childhood growth. METHODS Using the SITAR package, we generated two parameters that describe individual weight trajectories of children (0-5 years) in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS, n = 238). Using negative binomial generalized linear models, we identified placental microRNAs that relate to growth parameters (FDR < 0.1), while accounting for sex, gestational age at birth, and maternal parity. RESULTS Genes targeted by the six growth trajectory-associated microRNAs are enriched (FDR < 0.05) in growth factor signaling (TGF/beta: miR-876; EGF/R: miR-155, Let-7c; FGF/R: miR-155; IGF/R: Let-7c, miR-155), calmodulin signaling (miR-216a), and NOTCH signaling (miR-629). CONCLUSIONS Growth-trajectory microRNAs target pathways affecting placental proliferation, differentiation and function. Our results suggest a role for microRNAs in regulating placental cellular dynamics and supports the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis that fetal environment can have impacts beyond birth. IMPACT We found that growth trajectory associated placenta microRNAs target genes involved in signaling pathways central to the formation, maintenance and function of placenta; suggesting that placental cellular dynamics remain critical to infant growth to term and are under the control of microRNAs. Our results contribute to the existing body of research suggesting that the placenta plays a key role in programming health in the offspring. This is the first study to relate molecular patterns in placenta, specifically microRNAs, to early childhood growth trajectory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Kennedy
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Karen Hermetz
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Amber Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Dong Pei
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Devin C Koestler
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genome 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
| | - Diane Gilbert-Diamond
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Usha Ramakrishnan
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, Hanover, NH, USA
- Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Reid BM, Aubuchon-Endsley NL, Tyrka AR, Marsit CJ, Stroud LR. Placenta DNA methylation levels of the promoter region of the leptin receptor gene are associated with infant cortisol. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 153:106119. [PMID: 37100007 PMCID: PMC10225356 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The intrauterine environment and early life stress regulation are widely recognized as an early foundation for lifelong physical and mental health. Methylation of CpG sites in the placenta represents an epigenetic modification that can potentially affect placental function, influence fetal development, and ultimately impact the health of offspring by programming the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress response during prenatal development. Leptin, an adipokine produced by the placenta, is essential for energy homeostasis. It is also epigenetically regulated by promoter DNA methylation. Mounting evidence suggests that leptin also affects the stress response system. Though heterogeneity in the early stress response system may influence life-long mental and physical health, few studies explicitly examine the heterogeneity in the newborn stress response system. Less is known about leptin's association with the human hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis early in life. This study sought to serve as a proof of concept study investigating the relationship between newborn cortisol output trajectories and placental leptin DNA methylation in 117 healthy newborns from socioeconomically and racially- and ethnically-diverse families. We characterized heterogeneity in newborn cortisol output during the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scales exam in the first week of life with latent growth mixture models. We then evaluated whether leptin promoter (LEP) methylation in placental samples was associated with newborn cortisol trajectories. Our findings suggest that increased placental LEP methylation, which corresponds to decreased leptin production, is associated with infant cortisol trajectories marked by increased cortisol output in the NNNS exam. These results provide important insights into the role of placental leptin DNA methylation in human newborn HPA axis development and subsequent developmental origins of health and disease processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brie M Reid
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, United States; Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, United States
| | | | - Audrey R Tyrka
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, United States; Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, United States
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, United States
| | - Laura R Stroud
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, United States; Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Miller RL, Schuh H, Chandran A, Aris IM, Bendixsen C, Blossom J, Breton C, Camargo CA, Canino G, Carroll KN, Commodore S, Cordero JF, Dabelea DM, Ferrara A, Fry RC, Ganiban JM, Gern JE, Gilliland FD, Gold DR, Habre R, Hare ME, Harte RN, Hartert T, Hasegawa K, Khurana Hershey GK, Jackson DJ, Joseph C, Kerver JM, Kim H, Litonjua AA, Marsit CJ, McEvoy C, Mendonça EA, Moore PE, Nkoy FL, O'Connor TG, Oken E, Ownby D, Perzanowski M, Rivera-Spoljaric K, Ryan PH, Singh AM, Stanford JB, Wright RJ, Wright RO, Zanobetti A, Zoratti E, Johnson CC. Incidence rates of childhood asthma with recurrent exacerbations in the US Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 152:84-93. [PMID: 36972767 PMCID: PMC10330473 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Descriptive epidemiological data on incidence rates (IRs) of asthma with recurrent exacerbations (ARE) are sparse. OBJECTIVES This study hypothesized that IRs for ARE would vary by time, geography, age, and race and ethnicity, irrespective of parental asthma history. METHODS The investigators leveraged data from 17,246 children born after 1990 enrolled in 59 US with 1 Puerto Rican cohort in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium to estimate IRs for ARE. RESULTS The overall crude IR for ARE was 6.07 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 5.63-6.51) and was highest for children aged 2-4 years, for Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic Black children, and for those with a parental history of asthma. ARE IRs were higher for 2- to 4-year-olds in each race and ethnicity category and for both sexes. Multivariable analysis confirmed higher adjusted ARE IRs (aIRRs) for children born 2000-2009 compared with those born 1990-1999 and 2010-2017, 2-4 versus 10-19 years old (aIRR = 15.36; 95% CI: 12.09-19.52), and for males versus females (aIRR = 1.34; 95% CI 1.16-1.55). Black children (non-Hispanic and Hispanic) had higher rates than non-Hispanic White children (aIRR = 2.51; 95% CI 2.10-2.99; and aIRR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.22-3.39, respectively). Children born in the Midwest, Northeast and South had higher rates than those born in the West (P < .01 for each comparison). Children with a parental history of asthma had rates nearly 3 times higher than those without such history (aIRR = 2.90; 95% CI: 2.43-3.46). CONCLUSIONS Factors associated with time, geography, age, race and ethnicity, sex, and parental history appear to influence the inception of ARE among children and adolescents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Holly Schuh
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md
| | - Aruna Chandran
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md
| | - Izzuddin M Aris
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inc, Boston, Mass
| | | | - Jeffrey Blossom
- Harvard University Center for Geographic Analysis, Cambridge, Mass
| | - Carrie Breton
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif
| | - Carlos A Camargo
- Department of Epidemiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Glorisa Canino
- University of Puerto Rico Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | | | | | - José F Cordero
- University of Georgia College of Public Health, Athens, Ga
| | - Dana M Dabelea
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colo
| | - Assiamira Ferrara
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, Calif
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | | | - James E Gern
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Heath, Madison, Wis
| | - Frank D Gilliland
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif
| | - Diane R Gold
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Mass
| | - Rima Habre
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif
| | - Marion E Hare
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tenn
| | | | - Tina Hartert
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn
| | - Kohei Hasegawa
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Gurjit K Khurana Hershey
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Daniel J Jackson
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Heath, Madison, Wis
| | | | - Jean M Kerver
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich
| | | | - Augusto A Litonjua
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Golisano Children's Hospital, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga
| | - Cindy McEvoy
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Ore
| | - Eneida A Mendonça
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Paul E Moore
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn
| | | | - Thomas G O'Connor
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Emily Oken
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inc, Boston, Mass
| | | | | | | | - Patrick H Ryan
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Anne Marie Singh
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Heath, Madison, Wis
| | | | | | | | - Antonella Zanobetti
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Mass
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Taibl KR, Dunlop AL, Barr DB, Li YY, Eick SM, Kannan K, Ryan PB, Schroder M, Rushing B, Fennell T, Chang CJ, Tan Y, Marsit CJ, Jones DP, Liang D. Newborn metabolomic signatures of maternal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure and reduced length of gestation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3120. [PMID: 37253729 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38710-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Marginalized populations experience disproportionate rates of preterm birth and early term birth. Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been reported to reduce length of gestation, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In the present study, we characterized the molecular signatures of prenatal PFAS exposure and gestational age at birth outcomes in the newborn dried blood spot metabolome among 267 African American dyads in Atlanta, Georgia between 2016 and 2020. Pregnant people with higher serum perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid concentrations had increased odds of an early birth. After false discovery rate correction, the effect of prenatal PFAS exposure on reduced length of gestation was associated with 8 metabolomic pathways and 52 metabolites in newborn dried blood spots, which suggested perturbed tissue neogenesis, neuroendocrine function, and redox homeostasis. These mechanisms explain how prenatal PFAS exposure gives rise to the leading cause of infant death in the United States.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin R Taibl
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anne L Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yuan-Yuan Li
- Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory, Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Stephanie M Eick
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - P Barry Ryan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Madison Schroder
- Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory, Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Blake Rushing
- Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory, Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Timothy Fennell
- Analytical Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Che-Jung Chang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Youran Tan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dean P Jones
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Donghai Liang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ursini G, Di Carlo P, Mukherjee S, Chen Q, Han S, Kim J, Deyssenroth M, Marsit CJ, Chen J, Hao K, Punzi G, Weinberger DR. Prioritization of potential causative genes for schizophrenia in placenta. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2613. [PMID: 37188697 PMCID: PMC10185564 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38140-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Our earlier work has shown that genomic risk for schizophrenia converges with early life complications in affecting risk for the disorder and sex-biased neurodevelopmental trajectories. Here, we identify specific genes and potential mechanisms that, in placenta, may mediate such outcomes. We performed TWAS in healthy term placentae (N = 147) to derive candidate placental causal genes that we confirmed with SMR; to search for placenta and schizophrenia-specific associations, we performed an analogous analysis in fetal brain (N = 166) and additional placenta TWAS for other disorders/traits. The analyses in the whole sample and stratifying by sex ultimately highlight 139 placenta and schizophrenia-specific risk genes, many being sex-biased; the candidate molecular mechanisms converge on the nutrient-sensing capabilities of placenta and trophoblast invasiveness. These genes also implicate the Coronavirus-pathogenesis pathway and showed increased expression in placentae from a small sample of SARS-CoV-2-positive pregnancies. Investigating placental risk genes for schizophrenia and candidate mechanisms may lead to opportunities for prevention that would not be suggested by study of the brain alone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Ursini
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Pasquale Di Carlo
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Sreya Mukherjee
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qiang Chen
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shizhong Han
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiyoung Kim
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Departments of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Public Health at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Departments of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Public Health 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
| | - Giovanna Punzi
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel R Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- McKusick-Nathans Institute, Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Lesseur C, Kaur K, Kelly SD, Hermetz K, Williams R, Hao K, Marsit CJ, Caudle WM, Chen J. Effects of prenatal pesticide exposure on the fetal brain and placenta transcriptomes in a rodent model. Toxicology 2023; 490:153498. [PMID: 37019170 PMCID: PMC10152924 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides are among the most extensively used insecticides worldwide. Prenatal exposures to both classes of pesticides have been linked to a wide range of neurobehavioral deficits in the offspring. The placenta is a neuroendocrine organ and the crucial regulator of the intrauterine environment; early-life toxicant exposures could impact neurobehavior by disrupting placental processes. Female C57BL/6 J mice were exposed via oral gavage to an organophosphate, chlorpyrifos (CPF) at 5 mg/kg, a pyrethroid, deltamethrin (DM), at 3 mg/kg, or vehicle only control (CTL). Exposure began two weeks before breeding and continued every three days until euthanasia at gestational day 17. The transcriptomes of fetal brain (CTL n = 18, CPF n = 6, DM n = 8) and placenta (CTL n = 19, CPF n = 16, DM n = 12) were obtained through RNA sequencing, and resulting data was evaluated using weighted gene co-expression networks, differential expression, and pathway analyses. Fourteen brain gene co-expression modules were identified; CPF exposure disrupted the module related to ribosome and oxidative phosphorylation, whereas DM disrupted the modules related to extracellular matrix and calcium signaling. In the placenta, network analyses revealed 12 gene co-expression modules. While CPF exposure disrupted modules related to endocytosis, Notch and Mapk signaling, DM exposure dysregulated modules linked to spliceosome, lysosome and Mapk signaling pathways. Overall, in both tissues, CPF exposure impacted oxidative phosphorylation, while DM was linked to genes involved in spliceosome and cell cycle. The transcription factor Max involved in cell proliferation was overexpressed by both pesticides in both tissues. In summary, gestational exposure to two different classes of pesticide can induce similar pathway-level transcriptome changes in the placenta and the brain; further studies should investigate if these changes are linked to neurobehavioral impairments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Corina Lesseur
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kirtan Kaur
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sean D Kelly
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Karen Hermetz
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Randy Williams
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - W Michael Caudle
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Hussey MR, Enquobahrie DA, Loftus CT, MacDonald JW, Bammler TK, Paquette AG, Marsit CJ, Szpiro AA, Kaufman JD, LeWinn KZ, Bush NR, Tylavsky F, Zhao Q, Karr CJ, Sathyanarayana S. Associations of prenatal exposure to NO 2 and near roadway residence with placental gene expression. Placenta 2023; 138:75-82. [PMID: 37216796 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), a common exposure, potentially impacts pregnancy through altered placental function. We investigated associations between prenatal TRAP exposure and placental gene expression. METHODS Whole transcriptome sequencing was performed on placental samples from CANDLE (Memphis, TN) (n = 776) and GAPPS (Seattle and Yakima, WA) (n = 205), cohorts of the ECHO-PATHWAYS Consortium. Residential NO2 exposures were computed via spatiotemporal models for full-pregnancy, each trimester, and the first/last months of pregnancy. Individual cohort-specific, covariate-adjusted linear models were fit for 10,855 genes and respective exposures (NO2 or roadway proximity [≤150 m]). Infant-sex/exposure interactions on placental gene expression were tested with interaction terms in separate models. Significance was based on false discovery rate (FDR<0.10). RESULTS In GAPPS, final-month NO2 exposure was positively associated with MAP1LC3C expression (FDR p-value = 0.094). Infant-sex interacted with second-trimester NO2 on STRIP2 expression (FDR interaction p-value = 0.011, inverse and positive associations among male and female infants, respectively) and roadway proximity on CEBPA expression (FDR interaction p-value = 0.045, inverse among females). In CANDLE, infant-sex interacted with first-trimester and full-pregnancy NO2 on RASSF7 expression (FDR interaction p-values = 0.067 and 0.013, respectively, positive among male infants and inverse among female infants). DISCUSSION Overall, pregnancy NO2 exposure and placental gene expression associations were primarily null, with exception of final month NO2 exposure and placental MAP1LC3C association. We found several interactions of infant sex and TRAP exposures on placental expression of STRIP2, CEBPA, and RASSF7. These highlighted genes suggest influence of TRAP on placental cell proliferation, autophagy, and growth, though additional replication and functional studies are required for validation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Hussey
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Daniel A Enquobahrie
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christine T Loftus
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James W MacDonald
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Theo K Bammler
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison G Paquette
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Adam A Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joel D Kaufman
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San, Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Frances Tylavsky
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Catherine J Karr
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Li Q, Lesseur C, Srirangam P, Kaur K, Hermetz K, Caudle WM, Fiedler N, Panuwet P, Prapamontol T, Naksen W, Suttiwan P, Baumert BO, Hao K, Barr DB, Marsit CJ, Chen J. Associations between prenatal organophosphate pesticide exposure and placental gene networks. Environ Res 2023; 224:115490. [PMID: 36828252 PMCID: PMC10054353 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides during pregnancy has been linked to deficiencies of neurobehavioral development in childhood; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this association remain elusive. The placenta plays a crucial role in protecting the fetus from environmental insults and safeguarding proper fetal development including neurodevelopment. The aim of our study is to evaluate changes in the placental transcriptome associated with prenatal OP exposure. METHODS Pregnant farm workers from two agricultural districts in northern Thailand were recruited for the Study of Asian Women and Offspring's Development and Environmental Exposures (SAWASDEE) from 2017 to 2019. For 254 participants, we measured maternal urinary concentrations of six nonspecific dialkyl phosphates (DAP) metabolites in early, middle, and late pregnancy. In parallel, we profiled the term placental transcriptome from the same participants using RNA-Sequencing and performed Weighted Gene co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). Generalized linear regression modeling was used to examine associations of urinary OP metabolites and placental co-expression module eigenvalues. RESULTS We identified 21 gene co-expression modules in the placenta. From the six DAP metabolites assayed, diethylphosphate (DEP) and diethylthiophosphate (DETP) were detected in more than 70% of the urine samples. Significant associations between DEP at multiple time points and two specific placental gene modules were observed. The 'black' module, enriched in genes involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxia, was negatively associated with DEP in early (p = 0.034), and late pregnancies (p = 0.016). The 'lightgreen' module, enriched in genes involved in myogenesis and EMT, was negatively associated with DEP in late pregnancy (p = 0.010). We observed 2 hub genes (CELSR1 and PYCR1) of the 'black' module to be negatively associated with DEP in early and late pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that prenatal OP exposure may disrupt placental gene networks in a time-dependent manner. Such transcriptomic effects may lead to down-stream changes in placental function that ultimately affect the developing fetus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qian Li
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Corina Lesseur
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pranathi Srirangam
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Barnard College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kirtan Kaur
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Karen Hermetz
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - W Michael Caudle
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nancy Fiedler
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Parinya Panuwet
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tippawan Prapamontol
- Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Warangkana Naksen
- Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Panrapee Suttiwan
- Psychology Center of Life-span Development and Intergeneration (LIFE Di), Faculty of Psychology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Brittney O Baumert
- Department of Population and Public Health Science, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Freedman AN, Clark J, Eaves LA, Roell K, Oran A, Koval L, Rager J, Santos HP, Kuban K, Joseph RM, Frazier J, Marsit CJ, Burt AA, O’Shea TM, Fry RC. A multi-omic approach identifies an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) regulatory complex of functional epimutations in placentas from children born preterm. Autism Res 2023; 16:918-934. [PMID: 36938998 PMCID: PMC10192070 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Children born preterm are at heightened risk of neurodevelopmental impairments, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The placenta is a key regulator of neurodevelopmental processes, though the precise underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we employed a multi-omic approach to identify placental transcriptomic and epigenetic modifications related to ASD diagnosis at age 10, among children born preterm. Working with the extremely low gestational age (ELGAN) cohort, we hypothesized that a pro-inflammatory placental environment would be predictive of ASD diagnosis at age 10. Placental messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, CpG methylation, and microRNA (miRNA) expression were compared among 368 ELGANs (28 children diagnosed with ASD and 340 children without ASD). A total of 111 genes displayed expression levels in the placenta that were associated with ASD. Within these ASD-associated genes is an ASD regulatory complex comprising key genes that predicted ASD case status. Genes with expression that predicted ASD case status included Ewing Sarcoma Breakpoint Region 1 (EWSR1) (OR: 6.57 (95% CI: 2.34, 23.58)) and Bromodomain Adjacent To Zinc Finger Domain 2A (BAZ2A) (OR: 0.12 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.35)). Moreover, of the 111 ASD-associated genes, nine (8.1%) displayed associations with CpG methylation levels, while 14 (12.6%) displayed associations with miRNA expression levels. Among these, LRR Binding FLII Interacting Protein 1 (LRRFIP1) was identified as being under the control of both CpG methylation and miRNAs, displaying an OR of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.95). This gene, as well as others identified as having functional epimutations, plays a critical role in immune system regulation and inflammatory response. In summary, a multi-omic approach was used to identify functional epimutations in the placenta that are associated with the development of ASD in children born preterm, highlighting future avenues for intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia N. Freedman
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeliyah Clark
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren A. Eaves
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kyle Roell
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ali Oran
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Koval
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Julia Rager
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hudson P Santos
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Karl Kuban
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert M. Joseph
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jean Frazier
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School/University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Amber A. Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - T. Michael O’Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Taibl KR, Liang D, Dunlop AL, Barr DB, Smith MR, Steenland K, Tan Y, Ryan PB, Panuwet P, Everson T, Marsit CJ, Kannan K, Jones DP, Eick SM. Pregnancy-related hemodynamic biomarkers in relation to trimester-specific maternal per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposures and adverse birth outcomes. Environ Pollut 2023; 323:121331. [PMID: 36813097 PMCID: PMC10023492 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The fate of environmental chemicals in maternal and fetal tissues might be affected by pregnancy-related hemodynamic changes that occur across gestation. Specifically, hemodilution and renal function are hypothesized to confound associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure measures in late pregnancy with gestational length and fetal growth. We sought to analyze two pregnancy-related hemodynamic biomarkers, creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), as confounders of the trimester-specific relationships between maternal serum PFAS concentrations and adverse birth outcomes. Participants were enrolled in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort between 2014 and 2020. Biospecimens were collected at up to two timepoints, which were categorized into the 1st trimester (N = 278; 11 mean weeks gestation), 2nd trimester (N = 162; 24 mean weeks gestation), and 3rd trimester (N = 110; 29 mean weeks gestation). We quantified six PFAS in serum, creatinine in serum and urine, and eGFR using the Cockroft-Gault equation. Multivariable regression models estimated the associations between single PFAS and their sum with gestational age at delivery (weeks), preterm birth (PTB, <37 gestational weeks), birthweight z-scores, and small for gestational age (SGA). Primary models were adjusted for sociodemographics. We additionally adjusted for serum creatinine, urinary creatinine, or eGFR in the confounding assessments. An interquartile range increase in perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) produced a non-significant reduction in birthweight z-score during the 1st and 2nd trimesters (β = -0.01 g [95% CI = -0.14, 0.12] and β = -0.07 g [95% CI = -0.19, 0.06], respectively) whereas the relationship was significant and positive during the 3rd trimester (β = 0.15 g; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.29). Trimester-specific effects were similar for the other PFAS and adverse birth outcomes, which persisted after adjusting for creatinine or eGFR. The relationships between prenatal PFAS exposure and adverse birth outcomes were not strongly confounded by renal function or hemodilution. However, 3rd trimester samples consistently exhibited different effects than those collected during the 1st and 2nd trimesters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin R Taibl
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Donghai Liang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anne L Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - M Ryan Smith
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kyle Steenland
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Youran Tan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - P Barry Ryan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Parinya Panuwet
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Todd Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dean P Jones
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stephanie M Eick
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Grieshober L, Graw S, Barnett MJ, Goodman GE, Chen C, Koestler DC, Marsit CJ, Doherty JA. Abstract 3005: Pre-diagnostic methylation-based leukocyte profiles and non-small cell lung cancer risk in heavy smokers. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-3005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Pre-diagnosis circulating leukocyte profiles, including higher white blood cell (WBC) counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR), have been reported to be associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) risk. Higher neutrophil levels were recently reported to drive NSCLC-WBC count associations, implicating the innate immune response in NSCLC risk and etiology. Though not directly measurable in bio-banked blood, leukocyte subtype proportions can be estimated using established deconvolution algorithms applied to genome-wide DNA methylation data. We previously reported that NSCLC risk was elevated in heavy smokers with greater pre-diagnosis methylation-derived NLR (mdNLR). Here, we examine the influence of each pre-diagnosis mdNLR leukocyte subtype (neutrophils, and lymphocytes: B, Natural Killer, CD8+T, and CD4+T cells), separately on NSCLC risk. In our nested case-control study from the Beta Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial of heavy smokers (≥20 pack years), 243 NSCLC cases were 1:1 matched to controls on age (±5 years), sex, race and ethnicity, enrollment (±2 years), smoking status (ever/never), asbestos exposure, and follow-up time. Methylation was assayed on the Illumina EPIC array in whole blood collected on average 4.4 years (range 0.1-10.1) before diagnosis in NSCLC cases. We assessed conditional logistic regression models for each mdNLR-related leukocyte subtype, dichotomized at the median in controls, and further adjusted for continuous age and smoking pack years at blood draw. We evaluated NSCLC risk overall, and in subgroup strata: histotype, sex, smoking status, asbestos exposure, stage at diagnosis, age at blood draw, age at diagnosis, and time between blood draw and diagnosis. A greater than median level of neutrophils was suggestively associated with NSCLC risk (OR=1.40, 95% CI: 0.93-2.12); this association was restricted to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC n=103 pairs; 2.00, 1.03-3.86), with no association for adenocarcinoma (n=132 pairs; 0.99, 0.57-1.73). SCC-neutrophil associations were strongest among former smokers (n=26 pairs; 6.81, 1.48-31.3), cases with ≤ 4.4 years between blood draw and diagnosis (n=48 pairs; 3.00, 1.10-8.14), cases aged > 64.8 years at blood draw (n=56 pairs; 2.66, 1.05-6.73), and cases diagnosed at stage III or IV (n=61 pairs; 2.21, 0.92-5.30). Greater than median lymphocyte levels were suggestively associated with reduced NSCLC (0.71, 0.47-1.08) and SCC risk (0.62, 0.32-1.21), but less so for adenocarcinoma (0.85, 0.48-1.50). Though statistically imprecise, SCC-lymphocyte associations were strongest for CD4+T cells (0.56, 0.28-1.12). Our results indicate that greater pre-diagnosis neutrophil levels may be a biomarker for SCC, but not adenocarcinoma, in heavy smokers. Given the descriptive nature of this analysis, small sample size, and multiple testing, additional research is needed to replicate these findings.
Citation Format: Laurie Grieshober, Stefan Graw, Matt J. Barnett, Gary E. Goodman, Chu Chen, Devin C. Koestler, Carmen J. Marsit, Jennifer A. Doherty. Pre-diagnostic methylation-based leukocyte profiles and non-small cell lung cancer risk in heavy smokers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3005.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefan Graw
- 2Everest Clinical Research Corporation, Markham, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Chu Chen
- 3Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Tehrani JM, Kennedy E, Tung PW, Burt A, Hermetz K, Punshon T, Jackson BP, Hao K, Chen J, Karagas MR, Koestler DC, Lester B, Marsit CJ. Human placental microRNAs dysregulated by cadmium exposure predict neurobehavioral outcomes at birth. Pediatr Res 2023; 93:1410-1418. [PMID: 35906307 PMCID: PMC9884320 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02201-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal cadmium (Cd) exposure has been implicated in both placental toxicity and adverse neurobehavioral outcomes. Placental microRNAs (miRNAs) may function to developmentally program adverse pregnancy and newborn health outcomes in response to gestational Cd exposure. METHODS In a subset of the Rhode Island Child Health Study (RICHS, n = 115) and the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS, = 281), we used small RNA sequencing and trace metal analysis to identify Cd-associated expression of placental miRNAs using negative binomial generalized linear models. We predicted mRNAs targeted by Cd-associated miRNAs and relate them to neurobehavioral outcomes at birth through the integration of transcriptomic data and summary scores from the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS). RESULTS Placental Cd concentrations are significantly associated with the expression level of five placental miRNAs in NHBCS, with similar effect sizes in RICHS. These miRNA target genes overrepresented in nervous system development, and their expression is correlated with NNNS metrics suggestive of atypical neurobehavioral outcomes at birth. CONCLUSIONS Gestational Cd exposure is associated with the expression of placental miRNAs. Predicted targets of these miRNAs are involved in nervous system development and may also regulate placental physiology, allowing their dysregulation to modify developmental programming of early life health outcomes. IMPACT This research aims to address the poor understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing adverse pregnancy and newborn health outcomes in response to Gestational cadmium (Cd) exposure. Our results outline a robust relationship between Cd-associated placental microRNA expression and NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scales (NNNS) at birth indicative of atypical neurobehavior. This study utilized healthy mother-infant cohorts to describe the role of Cd-associated dysregulation of placental microRNAs as a potential mechanism by which adverse neurobehavioral outcomes are developmentally programmed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse M Tehrani
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Kennedy
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Pei Wen Tung
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amber Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Karen Hermetz
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tracy Punshon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genome 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
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Devin C Koestler
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Barry Lester
- Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, USA
- The Brown Center of the Study of Children at Risk, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Mortillo M, Marsit CJ. Select Early-Life Environmental Exposures and DNA Methylation in the Placenta. Curr Environ Health Rep 2023; 10:22-34. [PMID: 36469294 PMCID: PMC10152976 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00385-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To summarize recent literature relating early-life environmental exposures on DNA methylation in the placenta, to identify how variation in placental methylation is regulated in an exposure-specific manner, and to encourage additional work in this area. RECENT FINDINGS Multiple studies have evaluated associations between prenatal environmental exposures and placental methylation in both gene-specific and epigenome-wide frameworks. Specific exposures lead to unique variability in methylation, and cross-exposure assessments have uncovered certain genes that demonstrate consistency in differential placental methylation. Exposure studies that assess methylation effects in a trimester-specific approach tend to find larger effects during the 1st trimester exposure. Earlier studies have more targeted gene-specific approaches to methylation, while later studies have shifted towards epigenome-wide, array-based approaches. Studies focusing on exposures such as air pollution, maternal smoking, environmental contaminants, and trace metals appear to be more abundant, while studies of socioeconomic adversity and circadian disruption are scarce but demonstrate remarkable effects. Understanding the impacts of early-life environmental exposures on placental methylation is critical to establishing the link between the maternal environment, epigenetic variation, and long-term health. Future studies into this field should incorporate repeated measures of exposure throughout pregnancy, in order to determine the critical windows in which placental methylation is most heavily affected. Additionally, the use of methylation-based scores and sequencing technology could provide important insights into epigenetic gestational age and uncovering more genomic regions where methylation is affected. Studies examining the impact of other exposures on methylation, including pesticides, alcohol, and other chemicals are also warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mortillo
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Eaves LA, Enggasser AE, Camerota M, Gogcu S, Gower WA, Hartwell H, Jackson WM, Jensen E, Joseph RM, Marsit CJ, Roell K, Santos HP, Shenberger JS, Smeester L, Yanni D, Kuban KCK, O'Shea TM, Fry RC. CpG methylation patterns in placenta and neonatal blood are differentially associated with neonatal inflammation. Pediatr Res 2023; 93:1072-1084. [PMID: 35764815 PMCID: PMC10289042 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02150-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infants born extremely premature are at increased risk for health complications later in life for which neonatal inflammation may be a contributing biological driver. Placental CpG methylation provides mechanistic information regarding the relationship between prenatal epigenetic programming, prematurity, neonatal inflammation, and later-in-life health. METHODS We contrasted CpG methylation in the placenta and neonatal blood spots in relation to neonatal inflammation in the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn (ELGAN) cohort. Neonatal inflammation status was based on the expression of six inflammation-related proteins, assessed as (1) day-one inflammation (DOI) or (2) intermittent or sustained systemic inflammation (ISSI, inflammation on ≥2 days in the first 2 postnatal weeks). Epigenome-wide CpG methylation was assessed in 354 placental samples and 318 neonatal blood samples. RESULTS Placental CpG methylation displayed the strongest association with ISSI (48 CpG sites) but was not associated with DOI. This was in contrast to CpG methylation in blood spots, which was associated with DOI (111 CpG sites) and not with ISSI (one CpG site). CONCLUSIONS Placental CpG methylation was strongly associated with ISSI, a measure of inflammation previously linked to later-in-life cognitive impairment, while day-one neonatal blood methylation was associated with DOI. IMPACT Neonatal inflammation increases the risk of adverse later-life outcomes, especially in infants born extremely preterm. CpG methylation in the placenta and neonatal blood spots were evaluated in relation to neonatal inflammation assessed via circulating proteins as either (i) day-one inflammation (DOI) or (ii) intermittent or sustained systemic inflammation (ISSI, inflammation on ≥2 days in the first 2 weeks). Tissue specificity was observed in epigenetic-inflammatory relationships: placental CpG methylation was associated with ISSI, neonatal blood CpG methylation was associated with DOI. Supporting the placental origins of disease framework, placental epigenetic patterns are associated with a propensity for ISSI in neonates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Eaves
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Adam E Enggasser
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Marie Camerota
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Semsa Gogcu
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - William A Gower
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hadley Hartwell
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Wesley M Jackson
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth Jensen
- Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Robert M Joseph
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kyle Roell
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hudson P Santos
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Shenberger
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Lisa Smeester
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Diana Yanni
- Department of Neonatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karl C K Kuban
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - T Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Tehrani JM, Kennedy EM, Tian FY, Everson TM, Deyssenroth M, Burt A, Hermetz K, Hao K, Chen J, Koestler DC, Marsit CJ. Variation in placental microRNA expression associates with maternal family history of cardiovascular disease. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2023; 14:132-139. [PMID: 35815737 PMCID: PMC9832176 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174422000319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In the United States, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and the rate of maternal mortality remains among the highest of any industrialized nation. Maternal cardiometabolic health throughout gestation and postpartum is representative of placental health and physiology. Both proper placental functionality and placental microRNA expression are essential to successful pregnancy outcomes, and both are highly sensitive to genetic and environmental sources of variation. Placental pathologies, such as preeclampsia, are associated with maternal cardiovascular health but may also contribute to the developmental programming of chronic disease in offspring. However, the role of more subtle alterations to placental function and microRNA expression in this developmental programming remains poorly understood. We performed small RNA sequencing to investigate microRNA in placentae from the Rhode Island Child Health Study (n = 230). MicroRNA counts were modeled on maternal family history of cardiovascular disease using negative binomial generalized linear models. MicroRNAs were considered to be differentially expressed at a false discovery rate (FDR) less than 0.10. Parallel mRNA sequencing data and bioinformatic target prediction software were then used to identify potential mRNA targets of differentially expressed microRNAs. Nine differentially expressed microRNAs were identified (FDR < 0.1). Bioinformatic target prediction revealed 66 potential mRNA targets of these microRNAs, many of which are implicated in TGFβ signaling pathway but also in pathways involving cellular metabolism and immunomodulation. A robust association exists between familial cardiovascular disease and placental microRNA expression which may be implicated in both placental insufficiencies and the developmental programming of chronic disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse M. Tehrani
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Kennedy
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Fu-Ying Tian
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Todd M. Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amber Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Karen Hermetz
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genome 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
| | - Devin C. Koestler
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Manigault AW, Sheinkopf SJ, Carter BS, Check J, Helderman J, Hofheimer JA, McGowan EC, Neal CR, O’Shea M, Pastyrnak S, Smith LM, Everson TM, Marsit CJ, Dansereau LM, DellaGrotta SA, Lester BM. Acoustic Cry Characteristics in Preterm Infants and Developmental and Behavioral Outcomes at 2 Years of Age. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2254151. [PMID: 36723941 PMCID: PMC9892956 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.54151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Acoustic cry characteristics have been associated with severe medical problems in newborns. However, little is known about the utility of neonatal acoustic cry characteristics in the prediction of long-term outcomes of very preterm infants. OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether acoustic characteristics of infant cry at neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge are associated with behavioral and developmental outcomes at age 2 years in infants born very preterm. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Infants born less than 30 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) were enrolled from April 2014 through June 2016 as part of a multicenter (9 US university affiliated NICUs) cohort study and followed to adjusted age 2 years. Reported analyses began on September 2021. Data were analyzed from September 2021 to September 2022. EXPOSURES The primary exposure was premature birth (<30 weeks PMA). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Cries were recorded during a neurobehavioral examination administered during the week of NICU discharge. Cry episodes were analyzed using a previously published computerized system to characterize cry acoustics. Year-2 outcomes included the Bayley-III Composite scores, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT R/F), dichotomized using clinically significant cutoffs (<85 on Bayley Language, Cognitive and/or Motor Composite scores, T-score >63 on the CBCL Internalizing, Externalizing and/or Total Problem Scales and total M-CHAT R/F score >2). RESULTS Analyzed infants (363 participants) were primarily male (202 participants [55.65%]) and had a mean [SD] gestational age of 27.08 [1.95] weeks). Cross-validated random forest models revealed that cry acoustics were associated with 2-year outcomes. Tests of diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) revealed that infants who exhibited total problem behavior CBCL scores greater than 63 at age 2 years were 3.3 times more likely (95% CI, 1.44-7.49) to be identified as so by random forest model estimates relative to other infants (scores ≤63); this association was robust to adjustment for family-wise type-I error rates and covariate measures. Similar associations were observed for internalizing (DOR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.04-5.47) and externalizing (DOR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.12-4.54) scores on the CBCL, clinically significant language (DOR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.10-2.67) and cognitive (DOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.00-2.88) scores on the Bayley-III, and a positive autism screen on the M-CHAT (DOR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.05-3.44). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study of preterm infants, findings pointed to the potential use of acoustic cry characteristics in the early identification of risk for long-term developmental and behavioral deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W. Manigault
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence
| | - Stephen J. Sheinkopf
- Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia
| | | | - Jennifer Check
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | | | - Julie A. Hofheimer
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill
| | - Elisabeth C. McGowan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Charles R. Neal
- University of Hawaii John A Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii
| | - Michael O’Shea
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill
| | | | - Lynne M. Smith
- Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance
| | - Todd M. Everson
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lynne M. Dansereau
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence
| | - Sheri A. DellaGrotta
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence
| | - Barry M. Lester
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Inkster AM, Konwar C, Peñaherrera MS, Brain U, Khan A, Price EM, Schuetz JM, Portales-Casamar É, Burt A, Marsit CJ, Vaillancourt C, Oberlander TF, Robinson WP. Profiling placental DNA methylation associated with maternal SSRI treatment during pregnancy. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22576. [PMID: 36585414 PMCID: PMC9803674 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26071-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for treatment of prenatal maternal depression have been associated with neonatal neurobehavioral disturbances, though the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In utero exposure to SSRIs may affect DNA methylation (DNAme) in the human placenta, an epigenetic mark that is established during development and is associated with gene expression. Chorionic villus samples from 64 human placentas were profiled with the Illumina MethylationEPIC BeadChip; clinical assessments of maternal mood and SSRI treatment records were collected at multiple time points during pregnancy. Case distribution was 20 SSRI-exposed cases and 44 SSRI non-exposed cases. Maternal depression was defined using a mean maternal Hamilton Depression score > 8 to indicate symptomatic depressed mood ("maternally-depressed"), and we further classified cases into SSRI-exposed, maternally-depressed (n = 14); SSRI-exposed, not maternally-depressed (n = 6); SSRI non-exposed, maternally-depressed (n = 20); and SSRI non-exposed, not maternally-depressed (n = 24). For replication, Illumina 450K DNAme profiles were obtained from 34 additional cases from an independent cohort (n = 17 SSRI-exposed, n = 17 SSRI non-exposed). No CpGs were differentially methylated at FDR < 0.05 comparing SSRI-exposed to non-exposed placentas, in a model adjusted for mean maternal Hamilton Depression score, or in a model restricted to maternally-depressed cases with and without SSRI exposure. However, at a relaxed threshold of FDR < 0.25, five CpGs were differentially methylated (|Δβ| > 0.03) by SSRI exposure status. Four were covered by the replication cohort measured by the 450K array, but none replicated. No CpGs were differentially methylated (FDR < 0.25) comparing maternally depressed to not depressed cases. In sex-stratified analyses for SSRI-exposed versus non-exposed cases (females n = 31; males n = 33), three additional CpGs in females, but none in males, were differentially methylated at the relaxed FDR < 0.25 cut-off. We did not observe large-scale alterations of DNAme in placentas exposed to maternal SSRI treatment, as compared to placentas with no SSRI exposure. We also found no evidence for altered DNAme in maternal depression-exposed versus depression non-exposed placentas. This novel work in a prospectively-recruited cohort with clinician-ascertained SSRI exposure and mood assessments would benefit from future replication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Inkster
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Chaini Konwar
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V6H 0B3 Canada
| | - Maria S. Peñaherrera
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Ursula Brain
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Almas Khan
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - E. Magda Price
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada ,grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 5B2 Canada
| | - Johanna M. Schuetz
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Élodie Portales-Casamar
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Amber Burt
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Cathy Vaillancourt
- grid.418084.10000 0000 9582 2314INRS-Centre Armand Frappier and Réseau intersectoriel de recherche en santé de l’Université du Québec, Laval, QC H7V 1B7 Canada
| | - Tim F. Oberlander
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Wendy P. Robinson
- grid.414137.40000 0001 0684 7788BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), 950 W 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Moroishi Y, Salas LA, Zhou J, Baker ER, Hoen AG, Everson TM, Marsit CJ, Madan J, Gui J, Karagas MR. Umbilical cord blood immune cell profiles in relation to the infant gut microbiome. iScience 2022; 26:105833. [PMID: 36632065 PMCID: PMC9826880 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During infancy, the interplay between the developing immune system and the microbiome is critical. We examined whether blood immune cell composition at birth in the umbilical cord (inferred by DNA methylation profiling) related to the early infant gut microbiome (assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing) among 73 infants in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. We used generalized estimating equations and controlled for false discovery rate to select microbial taxa associated with immune cells. We found associations between the infant gut microbiome and immune cells, including a positive association between B cells and Enterobacter, a negative association between natural killer cells and Bifidobacterium, and a positive association between granulocytes and Bifidobacterium. Our findings give clues that immune profiles at the time of birth as measured in umbilical cord blood are associated with the development of the gut microbiome in early life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Moroishi
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA,Department of Biomedical Data Science, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA
| | - Lucas A. Salas
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA
| | - Jie Zhou
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA,Department of Biomedical Data Science, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA
| | - Emily R. Baker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
| | - Anne G. Hoen
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA,Department of Biomedical Data Science, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA
| | - Todd M. Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Juliette Madan
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
| | - Jiang Gui
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03756, USA,Corresponding author
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Tung PW, Kennedy EM, Burt A, Hermetz K, Karagas M, Marsit CJ. Prenatal lead (Pb) exposure is associated with differential placental DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation in a human population. Epigenetics 2022; 17:2404-2420. [PMID: 36148884 PMCID: PMC9665158 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2022.2126087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal lead (Pb) exposure is associated with adverse developmental outcomes and to epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation in animal models and in newborn blood. Given the importance of the placenta in foetal development, we sought to examine how prenatal Pb exposure was associated with differential placental DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation and to identify affected biological pathways linked to developmental outcomes. Maternal (n = 167) and infant (n = 172) toenail and placenta (n = 115) samples for prenatal Pb exposure were obtained from participants in a US birth cohort, and methylation and hydroxymethylation data were quantified using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip. An epigenome-wide association study was applied to identify differential methylation and hydroxymethylation associated with Pb exposure. Biological functions of the Pb-associated genes were determined by overrepresentation analysis through ConsensusPathDB. Prenatal Pb quantified from maternal toenail, infant toenail, and placenta was associated with 480, 27, and 2 differentially methylated sites (q < 0.05), respectively, with both increases and decreases associated with exposure. Alternatively, we identified 2, 1, and 14 differentially hydroxymethylated site(s) associated with maternal toenail, infant toenail, and placental Pb, respectively, with most showing increases in hydroxymethylation with exposure. Significantly overrepresented pathways amongst genes associated with differential methylation and hydroxymethylation (q < 0.10) included mechanisms pertaining to nervous system and organ development, calcium transport and regulation, and signalling activities. Our results suggest that both methylation and hydroxymethylation in the placenta can be variable based on Pb exposure and that the pathways impacted could affect placental function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pei Wen Tung
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Kennedy
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amber Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Karen Hermetz
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Margaret Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, Lebanon
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Fernandez-Jimenez N, Fore R, Cilleros-Portet A, Lepeule J, Perron P, Kvist T, Tian FY, Lesseur C, Binder AM, Lozano M, Martorell-Marugán J, Loke YJ, Bakulski KM, Zhu Y, Forhan A, Sammallahti S, Everson TM, Chen J, Michels KB, Belmonte T, Carmona-Sáez P, Halliday J, Daniele Fallin M, LaSalle JM, Tost J, Czamara D, Fernández MF, Gómez-Martín A, Craig JM, Gonzalez-Alzaga B, Schmidt RJ, Dou JF, Muggli E, Lacasaña M, Vrijheid M, Marsit CJ, Karagas MR, Räikkönen K, Bouchard L, Heude B, Santa-Marina L, Bustamante M, Hivert MF, Bilbao JR. A meta-analysis of pre-pregnancy maternal body mass index and placental DNA methylation identifies 27 CpG sites with implications for mother-child health. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1313. [PMID: 36446949 PMCID: PMC9709064 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04267-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (ppBMI) is associated with increased neonatal morbidity, as well as with pregnancy complications and metabolic outcomes in offspring later in life. The placenta is a key organ in fetal development and has been proposed to act as a mediator between the mother and different health outcomes in children. The overall aim of the present work is to investigate the association of ppBMI with epigenome-wide placental DNA methylation (DNAm) in 10 studies from the PACE consortium, amounting to 2631 mother-child pairs. We identify 27 CpG sites at which we observe placental DNAm variations of up to 2.0% per 10 ppBMI-unit. The CpGs that are differentially methylated in placenta do not overlap with CpGs identified in previous studies in cord blood DNAm related to ppBMI. Many of the identified CpGs are located in open sea regions, are often close to obesity-related genes such as GPX1 and LGR4 and altogether, are enriched in cancer and oxidative stress pathways. Our findings suggest that placental DNAm could be one of the mechanisms by which maternal obesity is associated with metabolic health outcomes in newborns and children, although further studies will be needed in order to corroborate these findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nora Fernandez-Jimenez
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Biocruces-Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Leioa, Basque Country Spain
| | - Ruby Fore
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Ariadna Cilleros-Portet
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Biocruces-Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Leioa, Basque Country Spain
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- grid.418110.d0000 0004 0642 0153University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, IAB, Grenoble, France
| | - Patrice Perron
- grid.411172.00000 0001 0081 2808Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS), Sherbrooke, QC Canada
| | - Tuomas Kvist
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Fu-Ying Tian
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Corina Lesseur
- grid.59734.3c0000 0001 0670 2351Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Alexandra M. Binder
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Cancer Epidemiology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Manuel Lozano
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XEpidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain ,grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XPreventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine Department, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jordi Martorell-Marugán
- grid.4489.10000000121678994Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain ,grid.4489.10000000121678994Bioinformatics Unit. GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Yuk J. Loke
- grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XMurdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Kelly M. Bakulski
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Yihui Zhu
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, MIND Institute, Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA USA
| | - Anne Forhan
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602Université de Paris, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), INSERM, INRAE, Paris, France
| | - Sara Sammallahti
- grid.5645.2000000040459992XDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Todd M. Everson
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA ,grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Jia Chen
- grid.59734.3c0000 0001 0670 2351Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Karin B. Michels
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.5963.9Institute for Prevention and Cancer Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thalia Belmonte
- grid.411342.10000 0004 1771 1175Health Research Institute of Asturias, ISPA and Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Research Unit, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, Cadiz, Spain
| | - Pedro Carmona-Sáez
- grid.4489.10000000121678994Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain ,grid.4489.10000000121678994Bioinformatics Unit. GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jane Halliday
- grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XMurdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - M. Daniele Fallin
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Janine M. LaSalle
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, MIND Institute, Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA USA
| | - Jorg Tost
- grid.418135.a0000 0004 0641 3404Laboratory for Epigenetics & Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA-Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Evry, France
| | - Darina Czamara
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Mariana F. Fernández
- grid.4489.10000000121678994University of Granada, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), Granada, Spain ,grid.507088.2Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain ,grid.466571.70000 0004 1756 6246CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Gómez-Martín
- grid.507088.2Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain ,grid.413740.50000 0001 2186 2871Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP), Granada, Spain
| | - Jeffrey M. Craig
- grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XMurdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC Australia ,grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Deakin University, IMPACT – the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Beatriz Gonzalez-Alzaga
- grid.507088.2Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain ,grid.413740.50000 0001 2186 2871Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP), Granada, Spain
| | - Rebecca J. Schmidt
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Public Health Sciences and the MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA USA
| | - John F. Dou
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Evelyne Muggli
- grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XMurdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Marina Lacasaña
- grid.507088.2Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain ,grid.466571.70000 0004 1756 6246CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain ,grid.413740.50000 0001 2186 2871Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP), Granada, Spain
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- grid.466571.70000 0004 1756 6246CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain ,grid.434607.20000 0004 1763 3517ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain ,grid.5612.00000 0001 2172 2676Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA ,grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- grid.86715.3d0000 0000 9064 6198Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC Canada
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luigi Bouchard
- grid.86715.3d0000 0000 9064 6198Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC Canada ,grid.459278.50000 0004 4910 4652Department of Laboratory Medicine, CIUSSS du Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean – Hôpital Universitaire de Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC Canada
| | - Barbara Heude
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602Université de Paris, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), INSERM, INRAE, Paris, France
| | - Loreto Santa-Marina
- grid.466571.70000 0004 1756 6246CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain ,grid.432380.eBiodonostia, Epidemiology and Public Health Area, Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, 20014 San Sebastian, Basque Country Spain ,Health Department of Basque Government, Sub-directorate of Public Health of Gipuzkoa, San Sebastian, Basque Country Spain
| | - Mariona Bustamante
- grid.466571.70000 0004 1756 6246CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain ,grid.434607.20000 0004 1763 3517ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain ,grid.5612.00000 0001 2172 2676Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marie-France Hivert
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.411172.00000 0001 0081 2808Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS), Sherbrooke, QC Canada ,grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Diabetes Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Jose Ramon Bilbao
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Biocruces-Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Leioa, Basque Country Spain ,grid.512890.7CIBER of diabetes and associated metabolic disorders (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Choi G, Kuiper JR, Bennett DH, Barrett ES, Bastain TM, Breton CV, Chinthakindi S, Dunlop AL, Farzan SF, Herbstman JB, Karagas MR, Marsit CJ, Meeker JD, Morello-Frosch R, O'Connor TG, Pellizzari ED, Romano ME, Sathyanarayana S, Schantz S, Schmidt RJ, Watkins DJ, Zhu H, Kannan K, Buckley JP, Woodruff TJ. Exposure to melamine and its derivatives and aromatic amines among pregnant women in the United States: The ECHO Program. Chemosphere 2022; 307:135599. [PMID: 36055588 PMCID: PMC9748524 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melamine, melamine derivatives, and aromatic amines are nitrogen-containing compounds with known toxicity and widespread commercial uses. Nevertheless, biomonitoring of these chemicals is lacking, particularly during pregnancy, a period of increased susceptibility to adverse health effects. OBJECTIVES We aimed to measure melamine, melamine derivatives, and aromatic amine exposure in pregnant women across the United States (U.S.) and evaluate associations with participant and urine sample collection characteristics. METHODS We measured 43 analytes, representing 45 chemicals (i.e., melamine, three melamine derivatives, and 41 aromatic amines), in urine from pregnant women in nine diverse ECHO cohorts during 2008-2020 (N = 171). To assess relations with participant and urine sample collection characteristics, we used generalized estimating equations to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) for analytes dichotomized at the detection limit, % differences (%Δ) for continuous analytes, and 95% confidence intervals. Multivariable models included age, race/ethnicity, marital status, urinary cotinine, and year of sample collection. RESULTS Twelve chemicals were detected in >60% of samples, with near ubiquitous detection of cyanuric acid, melamine, aniline, 4,4'-methylenedianiline, and a composite of o-toluidine and m-toluidine (99-100%). In multivariable adjusted models, most chemicals were associated with higher exposures among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black participants. For example, concentrations of 3,4-dichloroaniline were higher among Hispanic (%Δ: +149, 95% CI: +17, +431) and non-Hispanic Black (%Δ: +136, 95% CI: +35, +311) women compared with non-Hispanic White women. We observed similar results for ammelide, o-/m-toluidine, 4,4'-methylenedianiline, and 4-chloroaniline. Most chemicals were positively associated with urinary cotinine, with strongest associations observed for o-/m-toluidine (%Δ: +23; 95% CI: +16, +31) and 3,4-dichloroaniline (%Δ: +25; 95% CI: +17, +33). Some chemicals exhibited annual trends (e.g., %Δ in melamine per year: -11; 95% CI: -19, -1) or time of day, seasonal, and geographic variability. DISCUSSION Exposure to melamine, cyanuric acid, and some aromatic amines was ubiquitous in this first investigation of these analytes in pregnant women. Future research should expand biomonitoring, identify sources of exposure disparities by race/ethnicity, and evaluate potential adverse health effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giehae Choi
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jordan R Kuiper
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Deborah H Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Emily S Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Theresa M Bastain
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carrie V Breton
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sridhar Chinthakindi
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne L Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shohreh F Farzan
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julie B Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - John D Meeker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Thomas G O'Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Megan E Romano
- Department of Epidemiology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susan Schantz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Deborah J Watkins
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hongkai Zhu
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jessie P Buckley
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tracey J Woodruff
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Kaur K, Lesseur C, Deyssenroth MA, Kloog I, Schwartz JD, Marsit CJ, Chen J. PM 2.5 exposure during pregnancy is associated with altered placental expression of lipid metabolic genes in a US birth cohort. Environ Res 2022; 211:113066. [PMID: 35248564 PMCID: PMC9177798 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Inhalation of ambient PM2.5, shown to be able to cross the placenta, has been linked to adverse obstetric and postnatal metabolic health outcomes. The placenta regulates fetal growth and influences postnatal development via fetal programming. Placental gene expression may be influenced by intrauterine exposures to PM2.5. Herein, we explore whether maternal PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy alters placental gene expression related to lipid and glucose metabolism in a U.S. birth cohort, the Rhode Island Child Health Study (RICHS). Average PM2.5 exposure level was estimated linking residential addresses and satellite data across the three trimesters using spatio-temporal models. Based on Gene Ontology annotations, we curated a list of 657 lipid and glucose metabolism genes. We conducted a two-staged analysis by leveraging placental RNA-Seq data from 148 subjects to identify top dysregulated metabolic genes associated with PM2.5 (Phase I) and then validated the results in placental samples from 415 participants of the cohort using RT-qPCR (Phase II). Associations between PM2.5 and placental gene expression were explored using multivariable linear regression models in the overall population and in sex-stratified analyses. The average level of PM2.5 exposure across pregnancy was 8.0μg/m3, which is below the national standard of 12μg/m3. Phase I revealed that expression levels of 32 out of the curated list of 657 genes were significantly associated with PM2.5 exposure (FDR P<0.01), 28 genes showed differential expression modified by sex of the infant. Five of these genes (ABHD3, ATP11A, CLTCL1, ST6GALNAC4 and PSCA) were validated using RT-qPCR. Associations were stronger in placentas from male births compared to females, indicating a sex-dependent effect. These genes are involved in inflammation, lipid transport, cell-cell communication or cell invasion. Our results suggest that gestational PM2.5 exposure may alter placental metabolic function. However, whether it confers long-term programming effects postnatally, especially in a sex-specific matter, warrants further studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirtan Kaur
- Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Corina Lesseur
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maya A Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Itai Kloog
- Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beersheba, 8410501, Israel
| | - Joel D Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, GA, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Berg CJ, Sturua L, Marsit CJ, Baramidze L, Kiladze N, Caudle WM. Research Capacity Training on Environmental Health and Noncommunicable Diseases in the Country of Georgia: Challenges and Lessons Learned during the COVID-19 Pandemic. IJERPH 2022; 19:ijerph19138154. [PMID: 35805812 PMCID: PMC9266433 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19138154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 presented challenges for global health research training programs. The Clean Air Research and Education (CARE) program, which aims to enhance research capacity related to noncommunicable diseases and environmental health in the country of Georgia, was launched in 2020—as the COVID-19 pandemic began. At its foundation is mentorship and mentored research, alongside formal didactic training, informal training/meetings, and other supports. Current analyses examined CARE’s initial 1.5 years (e.g., program benefits, mentorship relationships) using data from an evaluation survey among trainees and faculty in January 2022. Trainees (100% response rate: n = 12/12; 4 MPH, 8 PhD) and faculty (86.7% response rate: n = 13/15; 7 Georgia-based, 6 United States-based) rated factors related to mentor-mentee relationships highly, particularly mutual consideration of each other’s thoughts, opinions, and perspectives; one major challenge was completing goals planned. Trainees and faculty identified several growth experiences and program benefits (e.g., skills development, expanding professional network) but also identified challenges (e.g., meeting program demands, communication gaps, unclear expectations)—exacerbated by the pandemic. Findings underscore the importance of strong mentorship relationships and that the pandemic negatively impacted communication and clarity of expectations. Given the likely ongoing impact of the pandemic on such programs, program leaders must identify ways to address these challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carla J. Berg
- Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-404-558-5395 or +1-202-994-0168; Fax: +1-202-912-8475
| | - Lela Sturua
- Non-Communicable Diseases Department, National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, 0198 Tbilisi, Georgia;
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (C.J.M.); (W.M.C.)
| | - Levan Baramidze
- International School of Public Health, Tbilisi State Medical University, 0177 Tbilisi, Georgia; (L.B.); (N.K.)
| | - Nino Kiladze
- International School of Public Health, Tbilisi State Medical University, 0177 Tbilisi, Georgia; (L.B.); (N.K.)
| | - William Michael Caudle
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (C.J.M.); (W.M.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Enquobahrie DA, MacDonald J, Hussey M, Bammler TK, Loftus CT, Paquette AG, Byington N, Marsit CJ, Szpiro A, Kaufman JD, LeWinn KZ, Bush NR, Tylavsky F, Karr CJ, Sathyanarayana S. Prenatal exposure to particulate matter and placental gene expression. Environ Int 2022; 165:107310. [PMID: 35653832 PMCID: PMC9235522 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While strong evidence supports adverse maternal and offspring consequences of air pollution, mechanisms that involve the placenta, a key part of the intrauterine environment, are largely unknown. Previous studies of air pollution and placental gene expression were small candidate gene studies that rarely considered prenatal windows of exposure or the potential role of offspring sex. We examined overall and sex-specific associations of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with genome-wide placental gene expression. METHODS Participants with placenta samples, collected at birth, and childhood health outcomes from CANDLE (Memphis, TN) (n = 776) and GAPPS (Seattle, WA) (n = 205) cohorts of the ECHO-PATHWAYS Consortium were included in this study. PM2.5 exposures during trimesters 1, 2, 3, and the first and last months of pregnancy, were estimated using a spatiotemporal model. Cohort-specific linear adjusted models were fit for each exposure window and expression of >11,000 protein coding genes from paired end RNA sequencing data. Models with interaction terms were used to examine PM2.5-offspring sex interactions. False discovery rate (FDR < 0.10) was used to correct for multiple testing. RESULTS Mean PM2.5 estimate was 10.5-10.7 μg/m3 for CANDLE and 6.0-6.3 μg/m3 for GAPPS participants. In CANDLE, expression of 13 (11 upregulated and 2 downregulated), 20 (11 upregulated and 9 downregulated) and 3 (2 upregulated and 1 downregulated) genes was associated with PM2.5 in the first trimester, second trimester, and first month, respectively. While we did not find any statistically significant association, overall, between PM2.5 and gene expression in GAPPS, we found offspring sex and first month PM2.5 interaction for DDHD1 expression (positive association among males and inverse association among females). We did not observe PM2.5 and offspring sex interactions in CANDLE. CONCLUSION In CANDLE, but not GAPPS, we found that prenatal PM2.5 exposure during the first half of pregnancy is associated with placental gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Enquobahrie
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
| | - James MacDonald
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Michael Hussey
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Theo K Bammler
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Christine T Loftus
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Alison G Paquette
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Nora Byington
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Adam Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Joel D Kaufman
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Frances Tylavsky
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Catherine J Karr
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Buckley J, Kuiper JR, Bennett DH, Barrett ES, Bastain T, Breton CV, Chinthakindi S, Dunlop AL, Farzan SF, Herbstman JB, Karagas MR, Marsit CJ, Meeker JD, Morello-Frosch R, O’Connor TG, Romano ME, Schantz S, Schmidt RJ, Watkins DJ, Zhu H, Pellizzari ED, Kannan K, Woodruff TJ. Exposure to Contemporary and Emerging Chemicals in Commerce among Pregnant Women in the United States: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcome (ECHO) Program. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:6560-6573. [PMID: 35536918 PMCID: PMC9118548 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal chemical exposures can influence maternal and child health; however, few industrial chemicals are routinely biomonitored. We assessed an extensive panel of contemporary and emerging chemicals in 171 pregnant women across the United States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. We simultaneously measured urinary concentrations of 89 analytes (103 total chemicals representing 73 parent compounds) in nine chemical groups: bactericides, benzophenones, bisphenols, fungicides and herbicides, insecticides, organophosphate esters (OPEs), parabens, phthalates/alternative plasticizers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We estimated associations of creatinine-adjusted concentrations with sociodemographic and specimen characteristics. Among our diverse prenatal population (60% non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic), we detected 73 of 89 analytes in ≥1 participant and 36 in >50% of participants. Five analytes not currently included in the U.S. biomonitoring were detected in ≥90% of samples: benzophenone-1, thiamethoxam, mono-2-(propyl-6-carboxy-hexyl) phthalate, monocarboxy isooctyl phthalate, and monohydroxy-iso-decyl phthalate. Many analyte concentrations were higher among women of Hispanic ethnicity compared to those of non-Hispanic White women. Concentrations of certain chemicals decreased with the calendar year, whereas concentrations of their replacements increased. Our largest study to date identified widespread exposures to prevalent and understudied chemicals in a diverse sample of pregnant women in the U.S.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessie
P. Buckley
- Department
of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Jordan R. Kuiper
- Department
of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Deborah H. Bennett
- Department
of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Emily S. Barrett
- Department
of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers
School of Public Health, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Tracy Bastain
- Department
of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90032, United States
| | - Carrie V. Breton
- Department
of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90032, United States
| | - Sridhar Chinthakindi
- Department
of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Anne L. Dunlop
- Department
of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University
School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Shohreh F. Farzan
- Department
of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90032, United States
| | - Julie B. Herbstman
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department
of Epidemiology, Dartmouth Geisel School
of Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, United States
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Department
of Environmental Health, Rollins School
of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - John D. Meeker
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, University
of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department
of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and School of Public
Health, University of California, Berkeley California 94720, United States
| | - Thomas G. O’Connor
- Department
of Psychiatry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Megan E. Romano
- Department
of Epidemiology, Dartmouth Geisel School
of Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, United States
| | - Susan Schantz
- Beckman
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Rebecca J. Schmidt
- Department
of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Deborah J. Watkins
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, University
of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Hongkai Zhu
- Department
of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Edo D. Pellizzari
- RTI International, Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Department
of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Tracey J. Woodruff
- Department
of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and the Philip
R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Deyssenroth MA, Peng S, Hao K, Marsit CJ, Chen J. Placental Gene Transcript Proportions are Altered in the Presence of In Utero Arsenic and Cadmium Exposures, Genetic Variants, and Birth Weight Differences. Front Genet 2022; 13:865449. [PMID: 35646058 PMCID: PMC9136297 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.865449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background:In utero arsenic and cadmium exposures are linked with reduced birth weight as well as alterations in placental molecular features. However, studies thus far have focused on summarizing transcriptional activity at the gene level and do not capture transcript specification, an important resource during fetal development to enable adaptive responses to the rapidly changing in utero physiological conditions. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of the placental transcriptome to evaluate the role of differential transcript usage (DTU) as a potential marker of in utero arsenic and cadmium exposure and fetal growth restriction. Methods: Transcriptome-wide RNA sequencing was performed in placenta samples from the Rhode Island Child Health Study (RICHS, n = 199). Arsenic and cadmium levels were measured in maternal toenails using ICP-MS. Differential transcript usage (DTU) contrasting small (SGA) and appropriate (AGA) for gestational age infants as well as above vs. below median exposure to arsenic and cadmium were assessed using the DRIMSeq R package. Genetic variants that influence transcript usage were determined using the sQTLseeker R package. Results: We identified 82 genes demonstrating DTU in association with SGA status at an FDR <0.05. Among these, one gene, ORMDL1, also demonstrated DTU in association with arsenic exposure, and fifteen genes (CSNK1E, GBA, LAMTOR4, MORF4L1, PIGO, PSG1, PSG3, PTMA, RBMS1, SLC38A2, SMAD4, SPCS2, TUBA1B, UBE2A, YIPF5) demonstrated DTU in association with cadmium exposure. In addition to cadmium exposure and SGA status, proportions of the LAMTOR4 transcript ENST00000474141.5 also differed by genetic variants (rs10231604, rs12878, and rs3736591), suggesting a pathway by which an in utero exposure and genetic variants converge to impact fetal growth through perturbations of placental processes. Discussion: We report the first genome-wide characterization of placental transcript usage and associations with intrauterine metal exposure and fetal growth restriction. These results highlight the utility of interrogating the transcriptome at finer-scale transcript-level resolution to identify novel placental biomarkers of exposure-induced outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maya A. Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Maya A. Deyssenroth,
| | - Shouneng Peng
- Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
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: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Tung PW, Burt A, Karagas M, Jackson BP, Punshon T, Lester B, Marsit CJ. Association between placental toxic metal exposure and NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scales (NNNS) profiles in the Rhode Island Child Health Study (RICHS). Environ Res 2022; 204:111939. [PMID: 34461121 PMCID: PMC8639656 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to heavy metals has been linked to a variety of adverse outcomes in newborn health and later life. Toxic metals such as cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn) and lead (Pb) have been implicated to negatively affect newborn neurobehavior. Placental levels of these metals may provide additional understandings on the link between prenatal toxic metal exposures and neurobehavioral performances in newborns. OBJECTIVE To evaluate associations between placental concentrations of toxic metals and newborn neurobehavioral performance indicated through the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scales (NNNS) latent profiles. METHOD In the Rhode Island Child Health Study cohort (n = 625), newborn neurobehavioral performance was assessed with NNNS, and a latent profile analysis was used to define five discrete neurobehavioral profiles based on summary scales. Using multinomial logistic regression, we determined whether increased levels of placental toxic metals Cd, Mn and Pb associated with newborns assigned to the profile demonstrating atypical neurobehavioral performances. RESULTS Every doubling in placenta Cd concentration was associated with increased odds of newborns belonging to the atypical neurobehavior profile (OR: 2.72, 95% CI [1.09, 6.79]). Detectable placental Pb also demonstrated an increased odds of newborns assignment to the atypical profile (OR: 3.71, 95% CI [0.97, 13.96]) compared to being in the typical neurobehavioral profile. CONCLUSIONS Toxic metals Cd and Pb measured in placental tissue may adversely impact newborn neurobehavior. Utilizing the placenta as a prenatal toxic metal exposure biomarker is useful in elucidating the associated impacts of toxic metals on newborn health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pei Wen Tung
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amber Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Margaret Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Tracy Punshon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Barry Lester
- Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, USA; The Brown Center of the Study of Children at Risk, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Eysenbach G, Fiedler N, Prapamontol T, Suttiwan P, Naksen W, Panuwet P, Sittiwang S, Dokjunyam C, Smarr MM, Marsit CJ, Ryan PB, Siriwong W, Robson MG, Barr DB. Investigation of Prenatal Pesticide Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Deficits in Northern Thailand: Protocol for a Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study. JMIR Res Protoc 2022; 11:e31696. [PMID: 35129451 PMCID: PMC8861866 DOI: 10.2196/31696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to pesticides has been linked to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Gaps exist in the current literature about the timing and magnitude of exposures that result in these adverse outcomes. OBJECTIVE The Study of Asian Women and their Offspring's Development and Environmental Exposures (SAWASDEE) cohort was established to investigate the impact of prenatal exposure to pesticides on early indicators of cognitive and motor skills, inhibitory control, emotion regulation, and memory that have been found to be important in the development of subsequent neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental diseases. The overarching goal is to find earlier predictors of potential adverse neurologic outcomes in order to enable earlier interventions that could result in better outcome prognoses. METHODS Recruitment of this prospective, longitudinal birth cohort began in July 2017 and was completed in June 2019 in Chom Thong and Fang, 2 farming districts in Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand. Follow-up of the study participants is ongoing. During pregnancy, 7 questionnaires were administered. Time-resolved biospecimen samples were collected monthly (for urine) and during each trimester (for blood) during antenatal care visits. Medical records were abstracted. Infants were administered the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) test at 1 month of age. A total of 322 mother-child pairs completed the NNNS test. All children will be followed until 3 years of age and undergo a series of neurodevelopmental tests. We will complete several additional exposure related analyses. RESULTS A total of 1298 women were screened, and of those, 394 (30.35%) women were enrolled. The mean gestational age at enrollment was 9.9 weeks (SD 2.6). Differences in literacy were observed between Chom Thong and Fang participants. In Fang, about 54 of 105 (51.4%) participants reported being able to read in Thai compared to about 206 of 217 (94.9%) participants in Chom Thong. The percentages were comparable for reporting to be able to write in Thai. CONCLUSIONS This longitudinal birth cohort study will inform risk assessment standards for pregnant women in Thailand and other countries. Building awareness of how insecticide exposure during specific windows of pregnancy affects the neurodevelopmental trajectories of children in developing countries is a specific need recognized by the World Health Organization. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/31696.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nancy Fiedler
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Tippawan Prapamontol
- Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | | | - Warangkana Naksen
- Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Parinya Panuwet
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Chayada Dokjunyam
- Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Melissa M Smarr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - P Barry Ryan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Wattasit Siriwong
- College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mark G Robson
- School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Bhattacharya A, Freedman AN, Avula V, Harris R, Liu W, Pan C, Lusis AJ, Joseph RM, Smeester L, Hartwell HJ, Kuban KCK, Marsit CJ, Li Y, O’Shea TM, Fry RC, Santos HP. Placental genomics mediates genetic associations with complex health traits and disease. Nat Commun 2022; 13:706. [PMID: 35121757 PMCID: PMC8817049 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28365-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractAs the master regulator in utero, the placenta is core to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis but is historically understudied. To identify placental gene-trait associations (GTAs) across the life course, we perform distal mediator-enriched transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) for 40 traits, integrating placental multi-omics from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn Study. At $$P \; < \; 2.5\times {10}^{-6}$$
P
<
2.5
×
10
−
6
, we detect 248 GTAs, mostly for neonatal and metabolic traits, across 176 genes, enriched for cell growth and immunological pathways. In aggregate, genetic effects mediated by placental expression significantly explain 4 early-life traits but no later-in-life traits. 89 GTAs show significant mediation through distal genetic variants, identifying hypotheses for distal regulation of GTAs. Investigation of one hypothesis in human placenta-derived choriocarcinoma cells reveal that knockdown of mediator gene EPS15 upregulates predicted targets SPATA13 and FAM214A, both associated with waist-hip ratio in TWAS, and multiple genes involved in metabolic pathways. These results suggest profound health impacts of placental genomic regulation in developmental programming across the life course.
Collapse
|
47
|
Chang CJ, Barr DB, Ryan PB, Panuwet P, Smarr MM, Liu K, Kannan K, Yakimavets V, Tan Y, Ly V, Marsit CJ, Jones DP, Corwin EJ, Dunlop AL, Liang D. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure, maternal metabolomic perturbation, and fetal growth in African American women: A meet-in-the-middle approach. Environ Int 2022; 158:106964. [PMID: 34735953 PMCID: PMC8688254 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to reduced fetal growth. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study aims to investigate biological pathways and intermediate biomarkers underlying the association between serum PFAS and fetal growth using high-resolution metabolomics in a cohort of pregnant African American women in the Atlanta area, Georgia. METHODS Serum perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) measurements and untargeted serum metabolomics profiling were conducted in 313 pregnant African American women at 8-14 weeks gestation. Multiple linear regression models were applied to assess the associations of PFAS with birth weight and small-for-gestational age (SGA) birth. A high-resolution metabolomics workflow including metabolome-wide association study, pathway enrichment analysis, and chemical annotation and confirmation with a meet-in-the-middle approach was performed to characterize the biological pathways and intermediate biomarkers of the PFAS-fetal growth relationship. RESULTS Each log2-unit increase in serum PFNA concentration was significantly associated with higher odds of SGA birth (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.07, 1.63); similar but borderline significant associations were found in PFOA (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 0.94, 1.49) with SGA. Among 25,516 metabolic features extracted from the serum samples, we successfully annotated and confirmed 10 overlapping metabolites associated with both PFAS and fetal growth endpoints, including glycine, taurine, uric acid, ferulic acid, 2-hexyl-3-phenyl-2-propenal, unsaturated fatty acid C18:1, androgenic hormone conjugate, parent bile acid, and bile acid-glycine conjugate. Also, we identified 21 overlapping metabolic pathways from pathway enrichment analyses. These overlapping metabolites and pathways were closely related to amino acid, lipid and fatty acid, bile acid, and androgenic hormone metabolism perturbations. CONCLUSION In this cohort of pregnant African American women, higher serum concentrations of PFOA and PFNA were associated with reduced fetal growth. Perturbations of biological pathways involved in amino acid, lipid and fatty acid, bile acid, and androgenic hormone metabolism were associated with PFAS exposures and reduced fetal growth, and uric acid was shown to be a potential intermediate biomarker. Our results provide opportunities for future studies to develop early detection and intervention for PFAS-induced fetal growth restriction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Che-Jung Chang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - P Barry Ryan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Parinya Panuwet
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Melissa M Smarr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ken Liu
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Volha Yakimavets
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Youran Tan
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - ViLinh Ly
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dean P Jones
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Anne L Dunlop
- Woodruff Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine and Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Donghai Liang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Tan Y, Barr DB, Ryan PB, Fedirko V, Sarnat JA, Gaskins AJ, Chang CJ, Tang Z, Marsit CJ, Corwin EJ, Jones DP, Dunlop AL, Liang D. High-resolution metabolomics of exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes in the Atlanta African American maternal-child cohort. Environ Pollut 2022; 292:118361. [PMID: 34655695 PMCID: PMC8616856 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy has been associated with a series of adverse reproductive outcomes; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well-established. We conducted an untargeted metabolome-wide association study to identify the metabolic perturbations and molecular mechanisms underlying the association between cotinine, a widely used biomarker of tobacco exposure, and adverse birth outcomes. We collected early and late pregnancy urine samples for cotinine measurement and serum samples for high-resolution metabolomics (HRM) profiling from 105 pregnant women from the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child cohort (2014-2016). Maternal metabolome perturbations mediating prenatal tobacco smoke exposure and adverse birth outcomes were assessed by an untargeted HRM workflow using generalized linear models, followed by pathway enrichment analysis and chemical annotation, with a meet-in-the-middle approach. The median maternal urinary cotinine concentrations were 5.93 μg/g creatinine and 3.69 μg/g creatinine in early and late pregnancy, respectively. In total, 16,481 and 13,043 metabolic features were identified in serum samples at each visit from positive and negative electrospray ionization modes, respectively. Twelve metabolic pathways were found to be associated with both cotinine concentrations and adverse birth outcomes during early and late pregnancy, including tryptophan, histidine, urea cycle, arginine, and proline metabolism. We confirmed 47 metabolites associated with cotinine levels, preterm birth, and shorter gestational age, including glutamate, serine, choline, and taurine, which are closely involved in endogenous inflammation, vascular reactivity, and lipid peroxidation processes. The metabolic perturbations associated with cotinine levels were related to inflammation, oxidative stress, placental vascularization, and insulin action, which could contribute to shorter gestations. The findings will support the further understanding of potential internal responses in association with tobacco smoke exposures, especially among African American women who are disproportionately exposed to high tobacco smoke and experience higher rates of adverse birth outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Youran Tan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - P Barry Ryan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Veronika Fedirko
- Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeremy A Sarnat
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Audrey J Gaskins
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Che-Jung Chang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ziyin Tang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Dean P Jones
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anne L Dunlop
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Donghai Liang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Howe CG, Foley HB, Farzan SF, Chavez TA, Johnson M, Meeker JD, Bastain TM, Marsit CJ, Breton CV. Urinary metals and maternal circulating extracellular vesicle microRNA in the MADRES pregnancy cohort. Epigenetics 2021; 17:1128-1142. [PMID: 34696694 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2021.1994189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to metals increases risk for pregnancy complications. Extracellular vesicle (EV) miRNA contribute to maternal-foetal communication and are dysregulated in pregnancy complications. However, metal impacts on maternal circulating EV miRNA during pregnancy are unknown. Our objective was to investigate the impact of multiple metal exposures on EV miRNA in maternal circulation during pregnancy in the MADRES Study. Associations between urinary concentrations of nine metals and 106 EV miRNA in maternal plasma during pregnancy were investigated using robust linear regression (N = 231). Primary analyses focused on metal-miRNA associations in early pregnancy (median: 12.3 weeks gestation). In secondary analyses, we investigated associations with late pregnancy miRNA counts (median: 31.8 weeks gestation) in a subset of participants (N = 184) with paired measures. MiRNA associated with three or more metals (PFDR<0.05) were further investigated using Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR), an environmental mixture method. Thirty-five miRNA were associated (PFDR<0.05) with at least one metal in early pregnancy. One association (an inverse association between cobalt and miR-150-5p) remained statistically significant when evaluating late pregnancy miRNA counts. Eight miRNA (miR-302b-3p, miR-199a-5p, miR-188-5p, miR-138-5p, miR-212-3p, miR-608, miR-1272, miR-19b-3p) were associated with three metals (barium, mercury, and thallium) in early pregnancy, and their predicted target genes were enriched in pathways important for placental development. Results were consistent when using BKMR. Early pregnancy exposure to barium, mercury, and thallium may have short-term impacts on a common set of EV miRNA which target pathways important for placental development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin G Howe
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, 1 Medical Center Dr, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Helen B Foley
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shohreh F Farzan
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas A Chavez
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mark Johnson
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John D Meeker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Theresa M Bastain
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Emory Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Ga, USA
| | - Carrie V Breton
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Hu X, Walker DI, Liang Y, Smith MR, Orr ML, Juran BD, Ma C, Uppal K, Koval M, Martin GS, Neujahr DC, Marsit CJ, Go YM, Pennell KD, Miller GW, Lazaridis KN, Jones DP. A scalable workflow to characterize the human exposome. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5575. [PMID: 34552080 PMCID: PMC8458492 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25840-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Complementing the genome with an understanding of the human exposome is an important challenge for contemporary science and technology. Tens of thousands of chemicals are used in commerce, yet cost for targeted environmental chemical analysis limits surveillance to a few hundred known hazards. To overcome limitations which prevent scaling to thousands of chemicals, we develop a single-step express liquid extraction and gas chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis to operationalize the human exposome. We show that the workflow supports quantification of environmental chemicals in human plasma (200 µL) and tissue (≤100 mg) samples. The method also provides high resolution, sensitivity and selectivity for exposome epidemiology of mass spectral features without a priori knowledge of chemical identity. The simplicity of the method can facilitate harmonization of environmental biomonitoring between laboratories and enable population level human exposome research with limited sample volume.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Hu
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Douglas I Walker
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yongliang Liang
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew Ryan Smith
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael L Orr
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian D Juran
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Chunyu Ma
- Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Karan Uppal
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael Koval
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Greg S Martin
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David C Neujahr
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Young-Mi Go
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kurt D Pennell
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Gary W Miller
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Dean P Jones
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|