{"title":"产前接触常见感染与新生儿 DNA 甲基化:一项基于人群的前瞻性研究","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.bbi.2024.07.046","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Infections during pregnancy have been robustly associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes in offspring, yet the underlying molecular pathways remain largely unknown. Here, we examined whether exposure to common infections <em>in utero</em> associates with DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns at birth and whether this in turn relates to offspring health outcomes in the general population.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Using data from 2,367 children from the Dutch population-based Generation R Study, we first performed an epigenome-wide association study to identify differentially methylated sites and regions at birth associated with prenatal infection exposure. We also examined the influence of infection timing by using self-reported cumulative infection scores for each trimester. Second, we sought to develop an aggregate methylation profile score (MPS) based on cord blood DNAm as an epigenetic proxy of prenatal infection exposure and tested whether this MPS prospectively associates with offspring health outcomes, including psychiatric symptoms, BMI, and asthma at ages 13–16 years. Third, we investigated whether prenatal infection exposure associates with offspring epigenetic age acceleration – a marker of biological aging. Across all analysis steps, we tested whether our findings replicate in 864 participants from an independent population-based cohort (ALSPAC, UK).</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>We observed no differentially methylated sites or regions in cord blood in relation to prenatal infection exposure, after multiple testing correction. 33 DNAm sites showed suggestive associations (p < 5e10 − 5; of which one was also nominally associated in ALSPAC), indicating potential links to genes associated with immune, neurodevelopmental, and cardiovascular pathways. While the MPS of prenatal infections associated with maternal reports of infections in the internal hold out sample in the Generation R Study (R<sup>2</sup><sub>incremental</sub> = 0.049), it did not replicate in ALSPAC (R<sup>2</sup><sub>incremental</sub> = 0.001), and it did not prospectively associate with offspring health outcomes in either cohort. Moreover, we observed no association between prenatal exposure to infections and epigenetic age acceleration across cohorts and clocks.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>In contrast to prior studies, which reported DNAm differences in offspring exposed to severe infections <em>in utero</em>, we do not find evidence for associations between self-reported clinically evident common infections during pregnancy and DNAm or epigenetic aging in cord blood within the general pediatric population. Future studies are needed to establish whether associations exist but are too subtle to be statistically meaningful with present sample sizes, whether they replicate in a cohort with a more similar infection score as our discovery cohort, whether they occur in different tissues than cord blood, and whether other biological pathways may be more relevant for mediating the effect of prenatal common infection exposure on downstream offspring health outcomes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":9199,"journal":{"name":"Brain, Behavior, and Immunity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159124005221/pdfft?md5=3bbc447537de5012a08302a977a8ce8f&pid=1-s2.0-S0889159124005221-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Prenatal exposure to common infections and newborn DNA methylation: A prospective, population-based study\",\"authors\":\"\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.bbi.2024.07.046\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Infections during pregnancy have been robustly associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes in offspring, yet the underlying molecular pathways remain largely unknown. Here, we examined whether exposure to common infections <em>in utero</em> associates with DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns at birth and whether this in turn relates to offspring health outcomes in the general population.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Using data from 2,367 children from the Dutch population-based Generation R Study, we first performed an epigenome-wide association study to identify differentially methylated sites and regions at birth associated with prenatal infection exposure. We also examined the influence of infection timing by using self-reported cumulative infection scores for each trimester. Second, we sought to develop an aggregate methylation profile score (MPS) based on cord blood DNAm as an epigenetic proxy of prenatal infection exposure and tested whether this MPS prospectively associates with offspring health outcomes, including psychiatric symptoms, BMI, and asthma at ages 13–16 years. Third, we investigated whether prenatal infection exposure associates with offspring epigenetic age acceleration – a marker of biological aging. Across all analysis steps, we tested whether our findings replicate in 864 participants from an independent population-based cohort (ALSPAC, UK).</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>We observed no differentially methylated sites or regions in cord blood in relation to prenatal infection exposure, after multiple testing correction. 33 DNAm sites showed suggestive associations (p < 5e10 − 5; of which one was also nominally associated in ALSPAC), indicating potential links to genes associated with immune, neurodevelopmental, and cardiovascular pathways. While the MPS of prenatal infections associated with maternal reports of infections in the internal hold out sample in the Generation R Study (R<sup>2</sup><sub>incremental</sub> = 0.049), it did not replicate in ALSPAC (R<sup>2</sup><sub>incremental</sub> = 0.001), and it did not prospectively associate with offspring health outcomes in either cohort. Moreover, we observed no association between prenatal exposure to infections and epigenetic age acceleration across cohorts and clocks.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>In contrast to prior studies, which reported DNAm differences in offspring exposed to severe infections <em>in utero</em>, we do not find evidence for associations between self-reported clinically evident common infections during pregnancy and DNAm or epigenetic aging in cord blood within the general pediatric population. Future studies are needed to establish whether associations exist but are too subtle to be statistically meaningful with present sample sizes, whether they replicate in a cohort with a more similar infection score as our discovery cohort, whether they occur in different tissues than cord blood, and whether other biological pathways may be more relevant for mediating the effect of prenatal common infection exposure on downstream offspring health outcomes.</p></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":9199,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Brain, Behavior, and Immunity\",\"volume\":null,\"pages\":null},\"PeriodicalIF\":8.8000,\"publicationDate\":\"2024-07-29\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159124005221/pdfft?md5=3bbc447537de5012a08302a977a8ce8f&pid=1-s2.0-S0889159124005221-main.pdf\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Brain, Behavior, and Immunity\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159124005221\",\"RegionNum\":2,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"IMMUNOLOGY\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Brain, Behavior, and Immunity","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159124005221","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"IMMUNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Prenatal exposure to common infections and newborn DNA methylation: A prospective, population-based study
Background
Infections during pregnancy have been robustly associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes in offspring, yet the underlying molecular pathways remain largely unknown. Here, we examined whether exposure to common infections in utero associates with DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns at birth and whether this in turn relates to offspring health outcomes in the general population.
Methods
Using data from 2,367 children from the Dutch population-based Generation R Study, we first performed an epigenome-wide association study to identify differentially methylated sites and regions at birth associated with prenatal infection exposure. We also examined the influence of infection timing by using self-reported cumulative infection scores for each trimester. Second, we sought to develop an aggregate methylation profile score (MPS) based on cord blood DNAm as an epigenetic proxy of prenatal infection exposure and tested whether this MPS prospectively associates with offspring health outcomes, including psychiatric symptoms, BMI, and asthma at ages 13–16 years. Third, we investigated whether prenatal infection exposure associates with offspring epigenetic age acceleration – a marker of biological aging. Across all analysis steps, we tested whether our findings replicate in 864 participants from an independent population-based cohort (ALSPAC, UK).
Results
We observed no differentially methylated sites or regions in cord blood in relation to prenatal infection exposure, after multiple testing correction. 33 DNAm sites showed suggestive associations (p < 5e10 − 5; of which one was also nominally associated in ALSPAC), indicating potential links to genes associated with immune, neurodevelopmental, and cardiovascular pathways. While the MPS of prenatal infections associated with maternal reports of infections in the internal hold out sample in the Generation R Study (R2incremental = 0.049), it did not replicate in ALSPAC (R2incremental = 0.001), and it did not prospectively associate with offspring health outcomes in either cohort. Moreover, we observed no association between prenatal exposure to infections and epigenetic age acceleration across cohorts and clocks.
Conclusion
In contrast to prior studies, which reported DNAm differences in offspring exposed to severe infections in utero, we do not find evidence for associations between self-reported clinically evident common infections during pregnancy and DNAm or epigenetic aging in cord blood within the general pediatric population. Future studies are needed to establish whether associations exist but are too subtle to be statistically meaningful with present sample sizes, whether they replicate in a cohort with a more similar infection score as our discovery cohort, whether they occur in different tissues than cord blood, and whether other biological pathways may be more relevant for mediating the effect of prenatal common infection exposure on downstream offspring health outcomes.
期刊介绍:
Established in 1987, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity proudly serves as the official journal of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRS). This pioneering journal is dedicated to publishing peer-reviewed basic, experimental, and clinical studies that explore the intricate interactions among behavioral, neural, endocrine, and immune systems in both humans and animals.
As an international and interdisciplinary platform, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity focuses on original research spanning neuroscience, immunology, integrative physiology, behavioral biology, psychiatry, psychology, and clinical medicine. The journal is inclusive of research conducted at various levels, including molecular, cellular, social, and whole organism perspectives. With a commitment to efficiency, the journal facilitates online submission and review, ensuring timely publication of experimental results. Manuscripts typically undergo peer review and are returned to authors within 30 days of submission. It's worth noting that Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, published eight times a year, does not impose submission fees or page charges, fostering an open and accessible platform for scientific discourse.