Consistent cord blood DNA methylation signatures of gestational age between South Asian and white European cohorts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation (DNAm) in cord blood, are an important biological marker of how external exposures during gestation can influence the in-utero environment and subsequent offspring development. Despite the recognized importance of DNAm during gestation, comparative studies to determine the consistency of these epigenetic signals across different ethnic groups are largely absent. To address this gap, we first performed epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of gestational age (GA) using newborn cord blood DNAm comparatively in a white European (n = 342) and a South Asian (n = 490) birth cohort living in Canada. Then, we capitalized on established cord blood epigenetic GA clocks to examine the associations between maternal exposures

SUBMITTER: Deng WQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11155053 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature