Abstract
Background: Circulating folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine concentrations during fetal development have been associated with health outcomes in childhood. Changes in fetal DNA methylation may be an underlying mechanism. This may be reflected in altered epigenetic aging of the fetus, as compared to chronological aging. The difference between gestational age derived in clinical practice and gestational age predicted from neonatal DNA methylation data is referred to as gestational age acceleration. Differences in circulating folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine concentrations during fetal development may be associated with gestational age acceleration. Results: Up to 1346 newborns participating in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study, had both cord blood DNA methylation data available and information on plasma folate, serum total and active B12 and plasma homocysteine concentrations, measured in early pregnancy and/or in cord blood. A subgroup of 380 newborns had mothers with optimal pregnancy dating based on a regular menstrual cycle and a known date of last menstrual period. For comparison, gestational age acceleration was calculated based the method of both Bohlin and Knight. In the total study population, which was more similar to Bohlin’s training population, one standard deviation score (SDS) higher maternal plasma homocysteine concentrations was nominally associated with positive gestational age acceleration [0.07 weeks, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02, 0.13] by Bohlin’s method. In the subgroup with pregnancy dating based on last menstrual period, the method that was also used in Knight’s training population, one SDS higher cord serum total and active B12 concentrations were nominally associated with negative gestational age acceleration [(− 0.16 weeks, 95% CI − 0.30, − 0.02) and (− 0.15 weeks, 95% CI − 0.29, − 0.01), respectively] by Knight’s method. Conclusions: We found some evidence to support associations of higher maternal plasma homocysteine concentrations with positive gestational age acceleration, suggesting faster epigenetic than clinical gestational aging. Cord serum vitamin B12 concentrations may be associated with negative gestational age acceleration, indicating slower epigenetic than clinical gestational aging. Future studies could examine whether altered fetal epigenetic aging underlies the associations of circulating homocysteine and vitamin B12 blood concentrations during fetal development with long-term health outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 95 |
| Journal | Clinical Epigenetics |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 29 Apr 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center in close collaboration with the School of Law and Faculty of Social Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Municipal Health Service Rotterdam area, Rotterdam, the Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, Rotterdam and the Stichting Trombosedienst & Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond (STAR-MDC), Rotterdam. We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of children and parents, general practitioners, hospitals, midwives and pharmacies in Rotterdam. The generation and management of the Illumina 450K methylation array data (EWAS data) for the Generation R Study was executed by the Human Genotyping Facility of the Genetic Laboratory of the Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, and the Netherlands. We thank Mr. Michael Verbiest, Ms. Mila Jhamai, Ms. Sarah Higgins, Mr. Marijn Verkerk and Dr. Lisette Stolk for their help in creating the EWAS database. We thank Dr. Alexander Teumer for his work on the quality control and normalization scripts.
Funding Information:
The general design of the Generation R Study is made possible by financial support from the Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the Ministry of Youth and Families. The EWAS data was funded by a grant to VWVJ from the Netherlands Genomics Initiative (NGI)/Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Aging (NCHA; project number 050-060-810), by funds from the Genetic Laboratory of the Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, and by a grant from the National Institute of Child and Human Development (R01HD068437). VWVJ received funding from the European Research Council (ERC-2014-CoG-648916). The project was supported by funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreements No 733206 (LifeCycle) and 874739 (LongITools), and from the European Joint Programming Initiative “A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life” (JPI HDHL, NutriPROGRAM project, ZonMw the Netherlands no.529051022 and PREcisE project ZonMw the Netherlands no.529051023).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).