An epigenome-wide association meta-analysis of prenatal maternal stress in neonates: A model approach for replication
Year: 2016
Type: review
Abstract: Prenatal maternal stress exposure has been associated with neonatal differential DNA methylation. However, the available evidence in humans is largely based on candidate gene methylation studies, where only a few CpG sites were evaluated. The aim of this study was to examine the association between prenatal exposure to maternal stress and offspring genome-wide cord blood methylation using different methods. First, we conducted a meta-analysis and follow-up pathway analyses. Second, we used novel region discovery methods [i.e., differentially methylated regions (DMRs) analyses]. To this end, we used data from two independent population-based studies, the Generation R Study (n = 912) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, n = 828), to (i) measure genome-wide DNA methylation in cord blood and (ii) extract a prenatal maternal stress composite. The meta-analysis (ntotal = 1,740) revealed no epigenome-wide (meta P <1.00e-07) associations of prenatal maternal stress exposure with neonatal differential DNA methylation. Follow-up analyses of the top hits derived from our epigenome-wide meta-analysis (meta P <1.00e-04) indicated an over-representation of the methyltransferase activity pathway. We identified no Bonferroni-corrected (P <1.00e-06) DMRs associated with prenatal maternal stress exposure. Combining data from two independent population-based samples in an epigenome-wide meta-analysis, the current study indicates that there are no large effects of prenatal maternal stress exposure on neonatal DNA methylation. Such replication efforts are essential in the search for robust associations, whether derived from candidate gene methylation or epigenome-wide studies.
Source: Epigenetics
Authors: Jolien Rijlaarsdam, Irene Pappa, Esther Walton, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg, Viara R. Mileva-Seitz, Ralph C.A. Rippe, Sabine J. Roza, Vincent W.V. Jaddoe, Frank C. Verhulst, Janine F. Felix, Charlotte A.M. Cecil, Caroline L. Relton, Tom R. Gaunt, Wendy McArdle, Jonathan Mill, Edward D. Barker, Henning Tiemeier, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: Wellcome Trust, European Commission, University of Bristol, ZonMw, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Erasmus Medisch Centrum, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, H2020 European Research Council
Awards: G1004914174, G1324243109, G1516964218, The Adaptation and Initial Evaluation of an Intervention to Promote Mental Health Outcome of Adolescents Living With HIV in Rural Kenya, G1929957587, Understanding the dynamic determinants of glucose homeostasis and social capability to promote Healthy and active aging, G2508461481, G2783153133, G3457595722, G3562394966, G4143003329, G4182683118, Accessible resource for integrated epigenomics studies (ARIES), G434337789, G4425287179, The Avon Longitudinal Study for Parents and Children: An international resource for population genomic and lifecourse epidemiology. Core programme support 2014-2019., The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: An international resource for population
genomics and lifecourse epidemiology. Core Programme Support 2011-2015 and Core programme support 2014-2019, The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: An international resource for population genomics and lifecourse epidemiology. Core Programme Support 2011-2013., Father Trials: Hormonal and Behavioral Experiments on Prenatal and Postnatal Parenting, G6383967859, G6520203987, G6709821991, G6737906592, G7455889249, Epigenetic Pathways to Conduct Problem Trajectories: Early Environmental Risks, G950223456
OpenAlex ID: W2276786836