Abstract
Phenotype-based assortative mating is well established in humans, with the potential for further convergence through a shared environment. To assess the correlation within infertile couples of physical, social, and behavioural characteristics and 155 circulating metabolic measures. Cross sectional study at a tertiary medical center of 326 couples undertaking IVF. Serum lipids, lipoprotein subclasses, and low-molecular weight metabolites as quantified by NMR spectroscopy (155 metabolic measures). Multivariable and quantile regression correlations within couples of metabolite profiles. Couples exhibited statistical correlations of varying strength for most physical, social, and behavioural characteristics including age, height, alcohol consumption, education, smoking status, physical activity, family history and ethnicity, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.22 to 0.73. There was no evidence of within couple associations for BMI and weight, where the correlation coefficients were − 0.03 (95% CI − 0.14, 0.08) and 0.01 (95% CI − 0.10, 0.12), respectively. Within spousal associations of the metabolite measurements were all positive but with weak to modest magnitudes, with the median correlation coefficient across all 155 measures being 0.12 (range 0.01–0.37 and interquartile range 0.10–0.18). With just four having associations stronger than 0.3: docosahexaenoic acid (0.37, 95% CI 0.22, 0.52), omega-3 fatty acids (0.32, 95% CI 0.20, 0.43) histidine (0.32, 95% CI 0.23, 0.41) and pyruvate (0.32, 95% CI 0.22, 0.43). Infertile couples exhibit spousal similarities for a range of demographic and serum metabolite measures, supporting initial assortative mating, with diet-derived metabolites suggesting possible subsequent convergence of their individual metabolic profile.
Highlights
Phenotype-based assortative mating is well established in humans, with the potential for further convergence through a shared environment
Whilst other studies have explored spousal similarity of the physical, social and behavioural characteristics that we explore here, it is important that we explore these in this group of couples to help interpretation of metabolite correlations
Referral for state-funded assisted conception is limited to those where the female body mass index (BMI) ≤ 30 kg/m2 and both partners are non-smokers and in a stable relationship defined as cohabiting for ≥ 2 years, while for self-funding patients female BMI should be < 35 kg/m2
Summary
Phenotype-based assortative mating is well established in humans, with the potential for further convergence through a shared environment. To assess the correlation within infertile couples of physical, social, and behavioural characteristics and 155 circulating metabolic measures. Infertile couples exhibit spousal similarities for a range of demographic and serum metabolite measures, supporting initial assortative mating, with diet-derived metabolites suggesting possible subsequent convergence of their individual metabolic profile. Social and behavioural assortative mating traits may be associated with these metabolic profiles, correlations between spouses for a range of metabolites may be anticipated. We could only identify three studies assessing four cohorts for within-spouse metabolite correlations These included sample sizes of 281, 327, 64 and 6 spousal pairs, respectively, used different metabolite platforms to each other and the one we use here, which covered 120, 110, 51 and 147 metabolic trait measures and were undertaken in extended families of twin studies[19,20,21].
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