Influence of Maternal Lifestyle and Diet on Perinatal DNA Methylation Signatures Associated With Childhood Arterial Stiffness at 8 to 9 Years.

Robert Murray,Graham C Burdge,Karen Lillycrop,Keith M Godfrey,Sheila Barton,Negusse Kitaba,Jennifer Bryant,Charles Peebles,John Deanfield,Pamela A Mahon,Cyrus Cooper,Elie Antoun,Mark A Hanson,Julian P Halcox,Philip Titcombe,Hazel M Inskip,Elizabeth A Ellins

doi:10.1161/hypertensionaha.121.17396

Abstract

[Figure: see text].

Highlights

Increases in aortic pulse wave velocity, a measure of arterial stiffness, can lead to elevated systolic blood pressure and increased cardiac afterload in adulthood
Identified at birth 16 novel CpG sites with methylation levels associated with aortic pulse wave velocity, an early measure of arterial stiffness linked to elevated systolic blood pressure and increased cardiac afterload
A 1% decrease in methylation of cg20793626 was associated with a 0.06 m/s increase in aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), while the largest effect size observed was with methylation of cg19669439 within the promoter of β-transducin repeat containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (BTRC), where an increase of 1% methylation was associated with an increase in aPWV of 0.24 m/s (Table 3)

Summary

Introduction

Increases in aortic pulse wave velocity, a measure of arterial stiffness, can lead to elevated systolic blood pressure and increased cardiac afterload in adulthood. These changes are detectable in childhood and potentially originate in utero, where an adverse early life environment can alter DNA methylation patterns detectable at birth. Identified at birth 16 novel CpG sites with methylation levels associated with aortic pulse wave velocity, an early measure of arterial stiffness linked to elevated systolic blood pressure and increased cardiac afterload. Found evidence that maternal weight gain and nutrition during pregnancy influenced these early epigenetic biomarkers of cardiovascular risk

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Discussion

Conclusion