Abstract
Metabolomics is the quantification of small molecules, commonly known as metabolites. Collectively, these metabolites and their interactions within a biological system are known as the metabolome. The metabolome is a unique area of study, capturing influences from both genotype and environment. The availability of high-throughput technologies for quantifying large numbers of metabolites, as well as lipids and lipoprotein particles, has enabled detailed investigation of human metabolism in large-scale epidemiological studies. The Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort includes 12,453 women who experienced 13,776 pregnancies recruited between 2007-2011, their partners and their offspring. In this data note, we describe the metabolomic data available in BiB, profiled during pregnancy, in cord blood and during early life in the offspring. These include two platforms of metabolomic profiling: nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. The maternal measures, taken at 26-28 weeks’ gestation, can provide insight into the metabolome during pregnancy and how it relates to maternal and offspring health. The offspring cord blood measurements provide information on the fetal metabolome. These measures, alongside maternal pregnancy measures, can be used to explore how they may influence outcomes. The infant measures (taken around ages 12 and 24 months) provide a snapshot of the early life metabolome during a key phase of nutrition, environmental exposures, growth, and development. These metabolomic data can be examined alongside the BiB cohorts’ extensive phenotype data from questionnaires, medical, educational and social record linkage, and other ‘omics data.
Highlights
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12,453 women who experienced 13,776 pregnancies were recruited at their oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at approximately 26–28 weeks’ gestation, which was offered to all women booked for delivery at Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) (with the exception of those with pre-existing diabetes (N = 70 - 0.5% of Born in Bradford (BiB) pregnancies))
Summary of published research using the BiB metabolomics data We undertook a collaboration between BiB and the UK Pregnancies Better Eating and Activity Trial (UPBEAT), a randomised control trial of obese pregnant women (BMI ≥ 30kg/m2)[18]
Summary
The range of metabolomics data in BiB, coupled with the substantial data obtained through questionnaires, research clinic assessments, linkage to medical records, educational and social records, genome wide (mothers, offspring and a subgroup of fathers) and epigenome wide (mother and offspring) profiling makes BiB a valuable resource for metabolomics research. This data note describes the metabolomics data currently available in BiB - how these were obtained, quantified, utilised, as well as potential future uses, strengths and limitations. Planned further metabolomic data collection is described (see Using the BiB metabolomic data)
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