DNA methylation profiles in adults born at extremely low birth weight Journal Articles

abstract

• AbstractEffects of stresses associated with extremely preterm birth may be biologically “recorded” in the genomes of individuals born preterm via changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns. Genome-wide DNAm profiles were examined in buccal epithelial cells from 45 adults born at extremely low birth weight (ELBW; ≤1000 g) in the oldest known cohort of prospectively followed ELBW survivors (Mage = 32.35 years, 17 male), and 47 normal birth weight (NBW; ≥2500 g) control adults (Mage = 32.43 years, 20 male). Sex differences in DNAm profiles were found in both birth weight groups, but they were greatly enhanced in the ELBW group (77,895 loci) versus the NBW group (3,424 loci), suggesting synergistic effects of extreme prenatal adversity and sex on adult DNAm profiles. In men, DNAm profiles differed by birth weight group at 1,354 loci on 694 unique genes. Only two loci on two genes distinguished between ELBW and NBW women. Gene ontology (GO) and network analyses indicated that loci differentiating between ELBW and NBW men were abundant in genes within biological pathways related to neuronal development, synaptic transportation, metabolic regulation, and cellular regulation. Findings suggest increased sensitivity of males to long-term epigenetic effects of extremely preterm birth. Group differences are discussed in relation to particular gene functions.

authors

• Mathewson, Karen J
• McGowan, Patrick O
• de Vega, Wilfred C
• Van Lieshout, Ryan
• Morrison, Katherine
• Saigal, Saroj
• Schmidt, Louis

status

• published 

publication date

• February 2022

has subject area

• 1701 Psychology (FoR)
• 1702 Cognitive Sciences (FoR)
• Birth Weight (MeSH)
• Cohort Studies (MeSH)
• DNA Methylation (MeSH)
• Developmental & Child Psychology (Science Metrix)
• Female (MeSH)
• Humans (MeSH)
• Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight (MeSH)
• Infant, Newborn (MeSH)
• Male (MeSH)
• Pregnancy (MeSH)
• Premature Birth (MeSH)

published in

• Development and Psychopathology  Journal

keywords

• Birth Weight
• Cohort Studies
• DNA Methylation
• DNA methylation profiling
• Female
• Humans
• Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight
• Infant, Newborn
• Male
• Pregnancy
• Premature Birth
• epigenetic modification
• extremely low birth weight (ELBW)
• sex differences
• stress reactivity and vulnerability

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1017/s0954579420000899

PubMed ID

• 33070807

start page

• 19

end page

• 36

volume

• 34

issue

• 1