Maternal stress has been linked to infant birth weight outcomes, which itself may be associated with health later in life. The placenta acts as a master regulator for the fetal environment, mediating intrauterine exposures to stress through the activity of genes regulating glucocorticoids, including the 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD11B) type 1 and 2 genes, and so we hypothesized that variation in these genes will be associated with infant birth weight. We investigated DNA methylation levels at six sites across the two genes, as well as mRNA expression for each, and the relationship to infant birth weight. Logistic regressions correcting for potential confounding factors revealed a significant association between methylation at a single CpG site within HSD11B1 and being born large for gestational age. In addition, our analysis identified correlations between methylation and gene expression, including sex-specific transcriptional regulation of HSD11B2. Our work is one of the first comprehensive views of DNA methylation and expression in the placenta for both HSD11B types 1 and 2, linking epigenetic alterations with the regulation of fetal stress and birth weight outcomes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.115.128066 | DOI Listing |
Mol Genet Metab Rep
March 2025
Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Background: Immediately after birth, adaptation to the extrauterine environment includes an upregulation of fatty acid catabolism. Cystic fibrosis and untreated hypothyroidism exert a life-long impact on fatty acid metabolism, but their influence during this transitional period is unknown. Children and adults with cystic fibrosis exhibit unbalanced fatty acid composition, most prominently a relative deficit of linoleic acid.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNarra J
December 2024
Department of Midwifery, Politeknik Kesehatan Jayapura, Jayapura, Indonesia.
Papua faces public health challenges as a region with high malaria endemicity and a very high prevalence of stunting. Infectious diseases are one of the risk factors for stunting. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of early-life malaria exposure on stunting among children in Papua.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNarra J
December 2024
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Premature and low birth weight neonates often struggle with oral intake due to immaturity or respiratory distress. Forkhead box protein 2 gene () is predicted to influence oral feeding ability in newborns, but studies assessing the role of this gene in influencing oral feeding ability are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of gene polymorphism, particularly single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs17137124, on the duration of orogastric tube (OGT) use in moderate to late preterm neonates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObstet Gynecol Surv
January 2025
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-A, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Importance: Infertility affects around 180 million people in the world and can be influenced by a number of nutritional factors.
Objective: The idea of a pretreatment optimization including beneficial weight loss, adequate physical activity, and good lifestyle habits could enhance fertility for many couples who want to conceive a baby.
Results: There are different aspects related to nutrition, such as obesity (affecting 23%-30% of reproductive-aged women), dietary patterns (type of diet, good or bad habits, and physical activity), nutrients (vitamins or minerals), hormones (adipokines, among others), and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (phytoestrogens and bisphenol A, among others) that have a clear impact on women's fertility.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
January 2025
Genetic Program, North York General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Background: Preeclampsia significantly impacts maternal and perinatal health. Early screening using advanced models and primary prevention with low-dose acetylsalicylic acid for high-risk populations is crucial to reduce the disease's incidence. This study assesses the feasibility of implementing preterm preeclampsia screening and prevention by leveraging information from our current aneuploidy screening program in a real-world setting with geographic separation clinical site and laboratory analysis site.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!