Dataset Information

Identifying opportunities for cancer prevention during preadolescence and adolescence: puberty as a window of susceptibility.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Early life exposures during times of rapid growth and development are recognized increasingly to impact later life. Epidemiologic studies document an association between exposures at critical windows of susceptibility with outcomes as diverse as childhood and adult obesity, timing of menarche, and risk for hypertension or breast cancer.

Methods

This article briefly reviews the concept of windows of susceptibility for providers who care for adolescent patients.

Results

The theoretical bases for windows of susceptibility is examined, evaluating the relationship between pubertal change and breast cancer as a paradigm, and reviewing the underlying mechanisms, such as epigenetic modification.

Conclusions

The long-term sequela of responses to early exposures may impact other adult morbidities; addressing these exposures represents an important challenge for contemporary medicine.

SUBMITTER: Biro FM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4037133 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Identifying opportunities for cancer prevention during preadolescence and adolescence: puberty as a window of susceptibility.

Biro Frank M FM Deardorff Julianna J

The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 20130501 5 Suppl

<h4>Purpose</h4>Early life exposures during times of rapid growth and development are recognized increasingly to impact later life. Epidemiologic studies document an association between exposures at critical windows of susceptibility with outcomes as diverse as childhood and adult obesity, timing of menarche, and risk for hypertension or breast cancer.<h4>Methods</h4>This article briefly reviews the concept of windows of susceptibility for providers who care for adolescent patients.<h4>Results</ ...[more]

PMID: 23601607

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Project description:The association between newborn DNA methylation (DNAm) and asthma acquisition (AA) during adolescence has been suggested. Lung function (LF) has been shown to be associated with asthma risk and its severity. However, the role of LF in the associations between DNAm and AA is unclear, and it is also unknown whether the association between DNAm and AA is consistent with that between DNAm and LF. We address this question through assessing newborn epigenetic features of preadolescence LF and of AA during adolescence, along with their biological pathways and processes. Our study's primary medical significance lies in advancing the understanding of asthma's early life origins. By investigating epigenetic markers in newborns and their association with lung function in preadolescence, we aim to uncover potential early biomarkers of asthma risk. This could facilitate earlier detection and intervention strategies. Additionally, exploring biological pathways linking early lung function to later asthma development can offer insights into the disease's pathogenesis, potentially leading to novel therapeutic targets.MethodsThe study was based on the Isle of Wight Birth cohort (IOWBC). Female subjects with DNAm data at birth and with no asthma at age 10 years were included (n = 249). The R package ttScreening was applied to identify CpGs potentially associated with AA from 10 to 18 years and with LF at age 10 (FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC), respectively. Agreement in identified CpGs between AA and LF was examined, along with their biological pathways and processes via the R function gometh. We tested the findings in an independent cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), to examine overall replicability.ResultsIn IOWBC, 292 CpGs were detected with DNAm associated with AA and 1517 unique CpGs for LF (514 for FEV1, 436 for FVC, 408 for FEV1/FVC), with one overlapping CpG, cg23642632 (NCKAP1) between AA and LF. Among the IOWBC-identified CpGs, we further tested in ALSPAC and observed the highest agreement between the two cohorts in FVC with respect to the direction of association and statistical significance. Epigenetic enrichment analyses indicated non-specific connections in the biological pathways and processes between AA and LF.ConclusionsThe present study suggests that FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC (as objective measures of LF) and AA (incidence of asthma) are likely to have their own specific epigenetic features and biological pathways at birth. More replications are desirable to fully understand the complexity between DNAm, lung function, and asthma acquisition.

Project description:Among same-age adolescents, those who enter puberty relatively later and those who are relatively younger (e.g., born later in the year) might be at greater risk of physical activity discontinuation. This study aimed to (1) describe gender-specific discontinuation, re-engagement, and uptake rates in various types of physical activities from the age of 11 to 17 years, and (2) assess puberty timing and relative age as predictors of discontinuation from organized, unorganized, individual, and group-based physical activities. Longitudinal data from 781 (56% girls, age 10-13 years at study baseline) Canadian participants who self-reported puberty status, birthdate, and involvement in 36 physical activities every four months from 2011 to 2018 was analyzed. The incidence of discontinuation, re-engagement, and uptake in organized/unorganized and individual/group activities from grade 6 until grade 12 was described and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate associations of puberty timing and relative age with organized/unorganized and individual/group activity discontinuation. Results demonstrate that individual and unorganized activities are maintained longer than group-based and organized activities. Girls who started puberty earlier were more likely to discontinue organized activities than girls with average-puberty timing [Hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) 1.68 (1.05-2.69)]. Compared to boys born in the 4th quarter of the year, boys born in the 2nd quarter of the year were less likely to discontinue organized [HR (95% CI) 0.41 (0.23-0.74)], unorganized [HR (95% CI) 0.33 (0.16-0.70)], group [HR (95% CI) 0.58 (0.34-0.98)], and individual activities[HR (95% CI) 0.46 (0.23-0.91)], and boys born in the 3rd quarter were less likely to discontinue unorganized activities[HR (95% CI) 0.41 (0.19-0.88)]. This study illustrates the patterns of physical activity participation throughout adolescence. However, the generalizability of findings may be limited due to participant representation.

Project description:BackgroundAdolescence is a critical time for brain development. Findings from previous studies have been inconsistent, failing to distinguish the influence of pubertal status and aging on brain maturation. The current study sought to address these inconsistencies, addressing the trajectories of pubertal development and aging by longitudinally tracking structural brain development during adolescence.MethodsTwo cohorts of healthy children were recruited (cohort 1: 9-10 years old; cohort 2: 12-13 years old at baseline). MRI data were acquired for gray matter volume and white matter tract measures. To determine whether age, pubertal status, both or their interaction best modelled longitudinal data, we compared four multi-level linear regression models to the null model (general brain growth indexed by total segmented volume) using Bayesian model selection.ResultsData were collected at baseline (n = 116), 12 months (n = 97) and 24 months (n = 84) after baseline. Findings demonstrated that the development of most regional gray matter volume, and white matter tract measures, were best modelled by age. Interestingly, precentral and paracentral regions of the cortex, as well as the accumbens demonstrated significant preference for the pubertal status model. None of the white matter tract measures were better modelled by pubertal status.LimitationsThe major limitation of this study is the two-cohort recruitment. Although this allowed a faster coverage of the age span, a complete per person trajectory over 6 years of development (9-15 years) could not be investigated.ConclusionsComparing the impact of age and pubertal status on regional gray matter volume and white matter tract measures, we found age to best predict longitudinal changes. Further longitudinal studies investigating the differential influence of puberty status and age on brain development in more diverse samples are needed to replicate the present results and address mechanisms underlying norm-variants in brain development.

Dataset Information

Identifying opportunities for cancer prevention during preadolescence and adolescence: puberty as a window of susceptibility.

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Identifying opportunities for cancer prevention during preadolescence and adolescence: puberty as a window of susceptibility.

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