Genome-wide temporal landscaping of DNA methylation in pregnant women delivering at term: a GARBH-InI study.

We performed an epigenome-wide longitudinal DNA methylation study on an Indian cohort of pregnant women, GARBH-Ini, at three time points during pregnancy and at delivery. Our aim was to identify temporal DNA methylation changes in maternal peripheral blood during the period of gestation and assess their impact on biological pathways critical for term delivery. Significantly differentially methylated CpGs were identified by linear mixed model analysis (Bonferroni p < 0.01) and classified into two distinct temporal methylation trends: increasing and decreasing during gestation. Genes with upward methylation trend were enriched for T-cell activity, while those with a downward trend were enriched for solute transport and cell structure organization functions. Consistent trends of DNA methylation in maternal peripheral blood point to the sentinel function of T cells in the maintenance of pregnancy, and the importance of coordinated cellular remodeling to facilitate term delivery.