Publications by authors named "Hoyo C"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the relationship between prenatal neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation (NSD) and early childhood weight status, considering the influence of race and ethnicity.
- Data from the Newborn Epigenetics Study (NEST) cohort were analyzed, tracking children's height and weight from 6 months to 3 years, and using multilevel logistic regression to identify associations between NSD and weight outcomes.
- Results showed that children in areas with high NSD had increased odds of being overweight or obese at 1 year old, particularly among NH Black children, highlighting the potential long-term health risks associated with socioeconomic factors during pregnancy.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the correlation between tobacco retail outlet (TRO) density and increased cotinine levels, a marker of smoke exposure, in pregnant individuals and their children.
- It simulates the impact of various policy recommendations to reduce TROs in North Carolina, finding that these policies could potentially lower cotinine levels and decrease emergency department visits among pregnant individuals.
- The research suggests that implementing policies like limiting TRO density and establishing minimum distance between outlets is effective, with a combined approach offering the greatest potential benefits, albeit with possible challenges in execution.
Article Synopsis
- CpG site methylation patterns could enhance the differentiation between high-grade and low-grade cervical abnormalities, potentially improving screening processes.
- In a study involving cervical samples from 117 low-grade (≤CIN1) and 31 high-grade (CIN2+) lesions, DNA was analyzed using Illumina HumanMethylation arrays to assess differential methylation (DM) and differential variability (DV) among cancer-associated genes.
- The results showed higher methylation in specific gene clusters for CIN2+ and identified 3,534 DM and 270 DV CpGs, with implications for refining cervical cancer screening algorithms through better triage of detected abnormalities.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the healthcare costs and usage linked to smoking during pregnancy using data from a birth cohort in North Carolina.
- Increased cotinine levels (a marker of nicotine exposure) were found to correlate with higher emergency department visits and intensive care unit hours for both parents and infants.
- Reducing smoking rates by even 5% could lead to significant cost savings, estimated at around $150,533 from emergency visits, indicating the potential economic benefits of smoking cessation programs.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mothers with young children, focusing on factors like anxiety, stress, and financial issues before and during the pandemic.
- Mothers reported significant increases in anxiety (9.4%), perceived stress (13.3%), and financial stress (41.7%) during the pandemic, with family routines being the most affected area (72.4%).
- Interestingly, prepandemic psychosocial stress did not predict pandemic impact, indicating that new stresses arose during the pandemic that compounded existing inequalities rather than simply amplifying prior distress.
Article Synopsis
- Alzheimer's disease is more prevalent in non-Hispanic Blacks compared to non-Hispanic Whites, prompting a study on the role of methylation in this disparity.
- Researchers analyzed brain tissue DNA to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs) related to imprint control regions (ICRs) in both AD patients and controls, revealing significant differences in methylation patterns.
- The study found 81 DMRs in non-Hispanic Black AD patients and 27 in non-Hispanic White AD patients, suggesting that changes in DNA methylation related to genomic imprinting may influence the risk of Alzheimer's and vary between these populations.
Article Synopsis
- Maternal childhood adversity is linked to negative health outcomes for both mothers and their offspring, including potential effects on infant epigenetics.
- Research investigates how maternal restless sleep during pregnancy affects the relationship between childhood adversity and infant epigenetic age, involving 332 mother-infant pairs.
- Findings suggest that infants whose mothers experienced both childhood adversity and restless sleep show signs of accelerated epigenetic aging, indicating that these factors may influence the infant's epigenome.
Article Synopsis
- African American women experience poorer birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, largely due to multifaceted factors including psychosocial stressors and oxidative stress, which have not been extensively studied.
- The study measured psychosocial stressors among 50 pregnant women and linked higher oxidative stress in African Americans to increased adverse childhood experiences and depression, which were associated with lower gestational age at birth.
- While the findings are based on a small sample, they suggest a potential connection between psychosocial stress and oxidative stress in relation to preterm births in African Americans, indicating a need for larger studies to validate these results.
Article Synopsis
- Differentially methylated imprint control regions (ICRs) play a crucial role in regulating gene expression, and their dysregulation can lead to chronic diseases, but current methods for profiling them are limited.
- A custom methylation array with 22,819 probes was developed to better assess ICRs, showing promise in comparison to traditional methods like WGBS and the Human Imprintome array.
- This new tool aims to enhance the accuracy of ICR assessments and facilitate research on their links to diseases and genetic imprinting throughout an individual’s life.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the link between plastic bottle feeding and various health indicators in infants during their first year of life.
- It involved 442 infants from the Nurture birth cohort, analyzing the impact of plastic bottle feeding frequency at 3 months on growth metrics and microbiota composition at 12 months.
- Results showed that while plastic bottle feeding frequency affected fecal microbiota diversity and specific short-chain fatty acid levels, it did not lead to significant differences in overall growth measures, except for a slight impact on length-for-age.
Article Synopsis
- Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in mothers can impact the health of their newborns, as shown by alterations in DNA methylation patterns linked to stress and discrimination.
- Eight specific regions in the DNA were examined to see how maternal financial stress and discrimination during pregnancy relate to changes in DNA methylation in newborns.
- The study found that financial stress and discrimination during pregnancy were linked to different patterns of DNA methylation in newborns, but the significance of these interactions became less clear after further statistical analysis.
Article Synopsis
- * A meta-analysis of 37 studies revealed that higher MEA is linked to different DNA methylation patterns in offspring at birth, childhood, and adolescence, with significant findings at 473 specific sites associated with maternal factors like smoking and nutrition.
- * The research underscores the connection between socio-economic status and biological processes, enhancing our understanding of how maternal education impacts health through genetic mechanisms and emphasizing the role of social determinants in health disparities.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the impact of breastfeeding on beverage choices in infants during their first year, highlighting a link between breastfeeding and healthier beverage consumption.
- Infants who were breastfed had significantly lower rates of consuming 100% juice and sugar-sweetened beverages compared to non-breastfed infants.
- The findings suggest that promoting breastfeeding could be important in curbing early unhealthy beverage intake, which is crucial for better dietary health later in childhood.
Article Synopsis
- Methylation levels in cervical samples may serve as predictive markers for the progression of precancerous cervical lesions, particularly high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+).
- A study analyzing DNA samples from 289 colposcopy patients showed that increased methylation at specific genes correlated with a quicker progression to CIN2+, with specific markers like CADM1 and RARB showing significant associations.
- The research also identified 336 novel CpGs related to disease progression, highlighting the potential for these markers in future cervical cancer assessments.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigated how maternal copper levels during pregnancy affect the risk of preterm birth (PTB) and the length of gestation.
- In a large group of 10,449 pregnancies from 18 different regions, researchers found that higher maternal copper levels were linked to an increased risk of PTB and shorter pregnancy duration.
- The findings suggest that elevated copper levels may be associated with inflammation and infections, potentially impacting pregnancy outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Childhood appetitive traits are influenced by early-life epigenetic processes, particularly through DNA methylation (DNAm), where methyl groups attach to DNA and potentially affect appetite regulation.
- The study analyzed DNAm in cord blood from two cohorts, using multiple regression models to examine how different DNAm patterns correlated with children's eating behaviors reported by parents.
- While no direct associations were found at individual DNA sites, examining grouped methylation patterns revealed significant connections between DNAm and various appetitive traits, suggesting that DNA methylation in newborns might play a role in shaping eating behaviors as children grow.
Background: Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is associated with metabolic dysfunction in children, but mechanistic insights remain limited. Hypomethylation of cg05575921 in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR) gene is associated with in utero tobacco smoke exposure. In this study, we evaluated whether AHRR hypomethylation mediates the association between maternal smoking and metabolic dysfunction in children.
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- Seasonal variations at birth can influence DNA methylation, which may affect health outcomes over a person’s lifetime.
- A study involving multiple cohorts discovered specific DNA methylation patterns linked to different birth seasons, revealing 26 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) at birth and 32 in childhood.
- Results suggested that geographic latitude plays a role in these associations, linking certain genes to conditions like schizophrenia and asthma, particularly in infants born in higher latitudes (≥50°N).
Article Synopsis
- Childhood appetitive traits, which are linked to obesity risk, are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, but their exact causes are not well understood.
- The study meta-analyzed data from two cohorts to explore the relationship between DNA methylation (DNAm) in newborns and early childhood appetitive traits.
- While no associations were found at the individual DNAm site level, significant correlations were established at the regional level, suggesting that early epigenetic processes may contribute to the development of children's appetitive behaviors.
Article Synopsis
- This study developed an epigenetic clock for newborns using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) from a diverse population, addressing the lack of similar tools focused on infants.
- The research found a strong correlation (r = 0.85) between epigenetic gestational age and clinical gestational age in newborns, surpassing previous correlations seen in adult and predominantly European ancestry samples.
- Results showed variations in epigenetic gestational age acceleration based on birth weight and NICU admission status, with differences noted among self-identified racial and ethnic groups, emphasizing the need for tailored epigenetic clocks.
Article Synopsis
- Preterm birth (PTB) remains a significant public health issue in the U.S., and research indicates that a gestational parent's diet may influence how environmental pollutants affect birth outcomes.
- The study assessed the relationship between various air pollutants (fine particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide) and the risk of PTB by analyzing data from 684 GP-infant pairs, considering factors like diet, maternal age, and income.
- Results suggest that ozone exposure might reduce PTB risk in the second trimester but increase it in the third, while total fat and saturated fat intake appear to impact the association with particulate matter, indicating the need for further research with larger cohorts to clarify these relationships.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the link between residential segregation and prenatal depression among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women in North Carolina.
- Participants included 773 women, revealing that 35.7% of non-Hispanic Black and 27.2% of Hispanic women experienced prenatal depression.
- The results suggested that non-Hispanic Black women living in more segregated areas had lower depression rates compared to those in less segregated areas, while findings for Hispanic women showed opposite trends that were less conclusive, indicating a need for larger studies to clarify these relationships.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how financial stress during pregnancy impacts the relationship between maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and birth outcomes such as gestational age and birth weight.
- Data was collected from 531 pregnant women in Florida and North Carolina, analyzing correlations between self-reported childhood adversity, financial stress, and medical records of birth outcomes.
- Results indicate that higher maternal ACE scores lead to earlier gestational ages and lower birth weights due to increased financial stress, while there was no significant link to NICU admissions, highlighting areas for potential intervention for expectant mothers.
Article Synopsis
- This study explores the effects of plastic bottle feeding on the gut microbiota and growth of infants in their first year of life, revealing significant associations.
- Infants fed with plastic bottles less frequently showed lower diversity in fecal microbiota and reduced levels of propionic acid, both at three months.
- Additionally, less frequent bottle use negatively affected the length-for-age growth metric by 12 months, suggesting that plastic bottle exposure could influence both microbiome development and overall growth in infants.