Publications by authors named "Wei Perng"
Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in adults, but its impact on children remains less understood. This study analyzed data from 457 children (mean age: 7.9 years) in the Project Viva cohort (2007-2010, eastern Massachusetts, USA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may impact ovarian folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis, but whether prenatal exposure may impact offspring reproductive health is unknown. This study examines the extent to which maternal PFAS plasma concentrations during pregnancy are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and related characteristics in female offspring.
Methods: We studied 322 mother-daughter pairs in Project Viva, a Boston-area longitudinal pre-birth cohort enrolled 1999-2002.
Objective: Reproductive history may help identify women at higher risk for experiencing menopausal symptoms. We hypothesized that gestation length and offspring birthweight for gestational age z-scores would be associated with menopausal symptoms and age at natural menopause in midlife among women in a longitudinal prebirth cohort.
Methods: Among 691 women enrolled in pregnancy and followed to midlife, we examined associations of gestation length and offspring birthweight for gestational age z-score at the index pregnancy with total menopausal symptoms assessed with the 11-item Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) using linear regression models, with individual menopausal symptoms using binomial regression models with a log link function, and with age at natural menopause using Cox proportional hazards models.
Aims/hypothesis: This is the first study to examine the association between variants of the glucagon-like-peptide-1 receptor gene (GLP-1R) and metabolic characteristics among youth. We explored separate associations of three GLP-1R polymorphisms (rs10305420, rs6923761, and rs1042044) with BMI trajectories and markers of glucose-insulin homeostasis.
Methods: Mixed models examined associations between GLP-1R polymorphisms and trajectories of BMI.
Importance: The American Heart Association put forth the Life's Essential 8 construct to assess cardiovascular health (CVH) based on 8 behavioral and health factors. Few studies have characterized the natural history of CVH in early life or identified its sociodemographic determinants.
Objective: To characterize CVH trajectories across childhood and adolescence and identify associations with sociodemographic variables.
Background: Prenatal exposure to cannabis (or more specifically, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol [Δ9-THC]) has been consistently linked to low birthweight. Animal models further show that Δ9-THC is associated with rapid postnatal growth. Whether this association is modified by breastfeeding is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe influence of early childhood education and care on the relation between early-life social adversity and children's mental health in the environmental influences for Child Health Outcomes Program.
Dev Psychopathol
December 2024
Early adversity increases risk for child mental health difficulties. Stressors in the home environment (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOur understanding of the origins of noncommunicable diseases has evolved over the years with greater consideration given to the lasting influence exposures and experiences during the preconceptional and prenatal periods can have. Research highlights the associations of parental exposures (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The carbon isotope ratio (CIR) is a candidate biomarker for sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in the United States. However, research specific to youth, who differ in their physiology and dietary patterns compared with adults, is lacking.
Objectives: We evaluated longitudinal associations of SSB intakes across childhood/adolescence with serum CIR.
Objectives: To assess the predictive potential of the in utero exposome in relation to childhood adiposity as indicated by body mass index z-scores (BMIz) and the fourth versus first quartile of % fat mass (FM) at median age of 4.6 years.
Methods: We leveraged data on clinical risk factors for childhood obesity during the perinatal period, along with cord blood per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and cord blood DNA methylation, in 268 mother-offspring pairs.
Assess if cord blood differentially methylated regions (DMRs) representing human metastable epialleles (MEs) associate with offspring adiposity in 588 maternal-infant dyads from the Colorado Health Start Study. DNA methylation was assessed via the Illumina 450K array (~439,500 CpG sites). Offspring adiposity was obtained via air displacement plethysmography.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - The study investigates the links between exposure to various endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and glucose-insulin regulation in pregnant women, focusing on 37 specific biomarkers found in urine samples from 298 participants during mid-pregnancy.
- - Findings suggest that a mixture of EDCs, particularly di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites, is positively associated with higher levels of fasting glucose and insulin, as well as insulin resistance, even when accounting for the mother's body mass index (BMI).
- - The results highlight potential health risks, including gestational diabetes, due to EDC exposure during pregnancy, although only a few EDCs were linked to changes in hemoglobin A1c or
Article Synopsis
- This study evaluates cardiovascular health (CVH) from early childhood to late adolescence, finding that while most children maintain high CVH during early years, there is a noticeable decline by late adolescence.
- Using data from 1530 youths, researchers calculated CVH scores based on behaviors like diet and physical activity, revealing stability in scores until late adolescence when only 39.4% had high CVH.
- The study highlights key sociodemographic factors associated with high CVH, such as being non-Hispanic White and having educated parents, suggesting that behavioral factors are crucial for targeted cardiovascular disease prevention efforts.
Article Synopsis
- * A comprehensive analysis using untargeted metabolomics and network analysis identified distinct metabolite profiles and pathways related to maternal metabolism, including those involved in fatty acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism.
- * Key findings indicated that oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways are elevated in insulin-resistant pregnant women, highlighting potential targets for therapy and strategies for assessing pregnancy risks, along with mechanisms linked to future metabolic diseases in offspring.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the characteristics of women with diagnosed and probable polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among 557 participants from clinics in eastern Massachusetts.* -
- About 9.7% of the women had diagnosed PCOS, while 9.2% were classified as having probable PCOS based on specific hormonal criteria, showing similarities in irregular menstrual cycles between both groups.* -
- While diagnosed PCOS women had a higher obesity rate (43.9%), both groups showed similar glycemic traits, suggesting it's crucial to evaluate hormonal profiles in women experiencing irregular cycles regardless of body weight.*
Introduction: Metabolite signatures for blood pressure (BP) may reveal biomarkers, elucidate pathogenesis, and provide prevention targets for high BP. Knowledge regarding metabolites associated with BP in adolescence remains limited.
Objectives: Investigate the associations between metabolites and adolescent BP, both cross-sectionally (in early and late adolescence) and prospectively (from early to late adolescence).
Objective: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is common among females, with significant metabolic and reproductive comorbidities. We describe PCOS development in a pediatric population.
Methods: We assessed cardiometabolic biomarkers and adiposity at the midchildhood (mean 7.
Article Synopsis
- Environmental toxicants and pollutants significantly contribute to cardiovascular diseases, with long-term health effects often seen from early life exposures.
- Children are especially vulnerable to these risks, leading to serious health issues like congenital heart disease and heart-related conditions due to cumulative early-life environmental factors.
- The statement emphasizes the importance of collaboration among clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to address the impact of environmental exposures on child and adolescent cardiovascular health.
Introduction: Meta-analyses across diverse independent studies provide improved confidence in results. However, within the context of metabolomic epidemiology, meta-analysis investigations are complicated by differences in study design, data acquisition, and other factors that may impact reproducibility.
Objective: The objective of this study was to identify maternal blood metabolites during pregnancy (> 24 gestational weeks) related to offspring body mass index (BMI) at age two years through a meta-analysis framework.
Background: The objective of this systematic review is to identify prognostic factors among women and their offspring affected by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), focusing on endpoints of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) for women, and cardiometabolic profile for offspring.
Methods: This review included studies published in English language from January 1st, 1990, through September 30th, 2021, that focused on the above outcomes of interest with respect to sociodemographic factors, lifestyle and behavioral characteristics, traditional clinical traits, and 'omics biomarkers in the mothers and offspring during the perinatal/postpartum periods and across the lifecourse. Studies that did not report associations of prognostic factors with outcomes of interest among GDM-exposed women or children were excluded.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the link between breastfeeding practices and child BMI (body mass index) in relation to mothers' BMI, particularly focusing on women with obesity.* -
- Data from 8,134 mother-child pairs showed that longer breastfeeding duration was associated with lower child BMIz scores across all maternal BMI categories (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obese).* -
- The findings suggest that breastfeeding may serve as an effective strategy to reduce the risk of obesity in children, regardless of the mother's BMI status.*
Globally, childhood obesity is on the rise and the effect of objectively measured movement behaviour on body composition remains unclear. Longitudinal and causal mediation relationships of accelerometer-based sedentary time (ST), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-measured fat mass were examined in 6059 children aged 11 years followed-up until age 24 years from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), UK birth cohort. Over 13-year follow-up, each minute/day of ST was associated with 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is on the rise among youth. Identifying biomarkers of NAFLD progression/risk can aid in prevention efforts.
Aims: This pilot study investigated associations of two endotoxin biomarkers-lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and anti-endotoxin core immunoglobulin G (EndoCab)-with markers of NAFLD among 99 Latino/Latina adolescents (11-19 years) with obesity.
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.