The Relationship of Birth Size and Postnatal Growth with Cellular Senescence in Adults: Data from the New Delhi Birth Cohort.

Abstract

To assess the effect of birth size and postnatal body mass index (BMI) gain from birth to adulthood on leucocytes cellular senescence in adult life. Participants were aged 43.04 (± 0.92) y, and were enrolled from the New Delhi Birth Cohort study, who participated in phase 7 of the study (n = 210). Cellular senescence markers, p16 and p21 gene expression were determined by RT-qPCR in leucocytes and their association with birth size and conditional BMI gain at 2, 11, and 29 y were assessed in univariate and multivariate regression models. Birth weight (regression coefficient; B = -0.087, p = 0.011) and birth BMI (unadjusted B = -0.024, p = 0.026; adjusted B = -0.032, p = 0.022) were inversely associated with p21 gene expression in adult life. The p16 gene expression was not associated with any birth parameters. Conditional BMI gain at 2 y, 11 y, and 29 y was not associated with either p16 or p21 gene expression. The p21 gene expression was inversely associated with circulating insulin (B = -0.065, p = 0.026) and C-peptide levels (unadjusted B = -0.097, p = 0.014; adjusted B = -0.133, p = 0.003). Small size at birth is associated with accelerated cellular senescence in adult life. An altered senescent state is likely to be one of the links between LBW and adult chronic diseases.