Evaluation of the Effect of Delivery Mode on Methylation Changes in the Global DNA and the PTEN Gene

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between global DNA and PTEN gene methylation changes and the type of delivery. Material and Methods: The study included a total of 129 pregnant women at the >37th week of pregnancy who had a cesarean (CS) (n=62) or vaginal delivery (VD) (n=67) and their infant's cord blood (n=129). The 5-mC DNA ELISA method performed global DNA methylation analyses, while PTEN gene methylation change analyses were conducted using the methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction method. Results: The global DNA methylation changes in the women in the CS (Group 1) and VD (Group 2) groups and their infants were found to be CS 9.15±4.82, VD 10.6±5.09 (p=0.09); CS 11.3±6.78, and VD 11.7±5.69 (p=0.75), respectively. Based on age, when the global DNA methylation changes were examined in the pregnant women under and over 30, and their infants, the differences in both groups were statistically significant (p=0.05, p=0.015). The PTEN gene methylation rates of the pregnant women in Group 1 (22.5%) were higher than in Group 2 (13.4%). The PTEN gene methylation rates of the infants in Group 1 (17.7%) were higher than those in Group 2 (14.9%). Conclusion: In this study, a significant increase was determined in mothers and infants regarding their global DNA methylation based on age. Our study is also the first study showing gene-specific methylation changes in the PTEN gene. Our findings are believed to pioneer new studies and positively contribute to scientific research.