Maternal obesity is associated with a sex-specific epigenetic programming in human neonatal monocytes.

To determine changes in global DNA methylation in monocytes from neonates of women with obesity, as markers of an immune programming resulting from maternal obesity. Cord blood monocytes were obtained from neonates born to women with obesity and normal weight, genome-wide differentially methylated CpGs were determined using an Infinium MethylationEPIC-BeadChip (850K). No clustering of samples according to maternal BMI was observed, but sex-specific analysis revealed 71,728 differentially methylated CpGs in female neonates from women with obesity (p < 0.01). DAVID analysis showed increased methylation levels within genes involved in the innate immune response and inflammation. Maternal obesity induces, in a sex-specific manner, an epigenetic programming of monocytes that could contribute to disease later in life. This study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02903134.