Epigenetic signature of very low birth weight in young adult life.


Journal

Pediatric research
ISSN: 1530-0447
Titre abrégé: Pediatr Res
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0100714

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
19 Jun 2024
Historique:
received: 14 07 2023
accepted: 04 06 2024
revised: 01 05 2024
medline: 20 6 2024
pubmed: 20 6 2024
entrez: 19 6 2024
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Globally, one in ten babies is born preterm (<37 weeks), and 1-2% preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g). As adults, they are at increased risk for a plethora of health conditions, e.g., cardiometabolic disease, which may partly be mediated by epigenetic regulation. We compared blood DNA methylation between young adults born at VLBW and controls. 157 subjects born at VLBW and 161 controls born at term, from the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults, were assessed for peripheral venous blood DNA methylation levels at mean age of 22 years. Significant CpG-sites (5'-C-phosphate-G-3') were meta-analyzed against continuous birth weight in four independent cohorts (pooled n = 2235) with cohort mean ages varying from 0 to 31 years. In the discovery cohort, 66 CpG-sites were differentially methylated between VLBW adults and controls. Top hits were located in HIF3A, EBF4, and an intergenic region nearest to GLI2 (distance 57,533 bp). Five CpG-sites, all in proximity to GLI2, were hypermethylated in VLBW and associated with lower birth weight in the meta-analysis. We identified differentially methylated CpG-sites suggesting an epigenetic signature of preterm birth at VLBW present in adult life. Being born preterm at very low birth weight has major implications for later health and chronic disease risk factors. The mechanism linking preterm birth to later outcomes remains unknown. Our cohort study of 157 very low birth weight adults and 161 controls found 66 differentially methylated sites at mean age of 22 years. Our findings suggest an epigenetic mark of preterm birth present in adulthood, which opens up opportunities for mechanistic studies.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Globally, one in ten babies is born preterm (<37 weeks), and 1-2% preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g). As adults, they are at increased risk for a plethora of health conditions, e.g., cardiometabolic disease, which may partly be mediated by epigenetic regulation. We compared blood DNA methylation between young adults born at VLBW and controls.
METHODS METHODS
157 subjects born at VLBW and 161 controls born at term, from the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults, were assessed for peripheral venous blood DNA methylation levels at mean age of 22 years. Significant CpG-sites (5'-C-phosphate-G-3') were meta-analyzed against continuous birth weight in four independent cohorts (pooled n = 2235) with cohort mean ages varying from 0 to 31 years.
RESULTS RESULTS
In the discovery cohort, 66 CpG-sites were differentially methylated between VLBW adults and controls. Top hits were located in HIF3A, EBF4, and an intergenic region nearest to GLI2 (distance 57,533 bp). Five CpG-sites, all in proximity to GLI2, were hypermethylated in VLBW and associated with lower birth weight in the meta-analysis.
CONCLUSION CONCLUSIONS
We identified differentially methylated CpG-sites suggesting an epigenetic signature of preterm birth at VLBW present in adult life.
IMPACT CONCLUSIONS
Being born preterm at very low birth weight has major implications for later health and chronic disease risk factors. The mechanism linking preterm birth to later outcomes remains unknown. Our cohort study of 157 very low birth weight adults and 161 controls found 66 differentially methylated sites at mean age of 22 years. Our findings suggest an epigenetic mark of preterm birth present in adulthood, which opens up opportunities for mechanistic studies.

Identifiants

pubmed: 38898107
doi: 10.1038/s41390-024-03354-6
pii: 10.1038/s41390-024-03354-6
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Informations de copyright

© 2024. The Author(s).

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Auteurs

Juho Kuula (J)

Population Health Research, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. juho.kuula@helsinki.fi.
HUS Medical Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. juho.kuula@helsinki.fi.

Darina Czamara (D)

Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.

Helena Hauta-Alus (H)

Population Health Research, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Jari Lahti (J)

Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Petteri Hovi (P)

Population Health Research, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.

Maija E Miettinen (ME)

Population Health Research, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.

Justiina Ronkainen (J)

Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.

Johan G Eriksson (JG)

Folkhälsan Research Centre, Topeliusgatan 20, 00250, Helsinki, Finland.
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore.
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Human Potential Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.

Sture Andersson (S)

Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

Marjo-Riitta Järvelin (MR)

Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Katri Räikkönen (K)

Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Elisabeth B Binder (EB)

Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.

Eero Kajantie (E)

Population Health Research, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Clinical Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Classifications MeSH