Dataset Information

Antenatal Steroids and Cord Blood T-cell Glucocorticoid Receptor DNA Methylation and Exon 1 Splicing.

ABSTRACT: Antenatal administration of glucocorticoids such as betamethasone (BMZ) during the late preterm period improves neonatal respiratory outcomes. However, glucocorticoids may elicit programming effects on immune function and gene regulation. Here, we test the hypothesis that exposure to antenatal BMZ alters cord blood immune cell composition in association with altered DNA methylation and alternatively expressed Exon 1 transcripts of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene in cord blood CD4+ T-cells. Cord blood was collected from 51 subjects in the Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids Trial: 27 BMZ, 24 placebo. Proportions of leukocytes were compared between BMZ and placebo. In CD4+ T-cells, methylation at CpG sites in the GR promoter regions and expression of GR mRNA exon 1 variants were compared between BMZ and placebo. BMZ was associated with an increase in granulocytes (51.6% vs. 44.7% p = 0.03) and a decrease in lymphocytes (36.8% vs. 43.0% p = 0.04) as a percent of the leukocyte population vs. placebo. Neither GR methylation nor exon 1 transcript levels differed between groups. BMZ is associated with altered cord blood leukocyte proportions, although no associated alterations in GR methylation were observed.

SUBMITTER: Carpenter JR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9010373 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Antenatal Steroids and Cord Blood T-cell Glucocorticoid Receptor DNA Methylation and Exon 1 Splicing.

Carpenter Jeanette R JR Jablonski Kathleen A KA Koncinsky Jordan J Varner Michael W MW Gyamfi-Bannerman Cynthia C Joss-Moore Lisa A LA

Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) 20220210 5

Antenatal administration of glucocorticoids such as betamethasone (BMZ) during the late preterm period improves neonatal respiratory outcomes. However, glucocorticoids may elicit programming effects on immune function and gene regulation. Here, we test the hypothesis that exposure to antenatal BMZ alters cord blood immune cell composition in association with altered DNA methylation and alternatively expressed Exon 1 transcripts of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene in cord blood CD4<sup>+</su ...[more]

PMID: 35146694

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Project description:Study questionDoes ICSI induce specific DNA methylation changes in the resulting offspring?Summary answerAlthough several thousand analyzed CpG sites (throughout the genome) displayed significant between-group methylation differences, both ICSI and spontaneously conceived children varied within the normal range of methylation variation.What is known alreadyChildren conceived by ART have increased risks for medical problems at birth and to the extent of present knowledge also in later life (i.e. impaired metabolic and cardiovascular functions). One plausible mechanism mediating these ART effects are epigenetic changes originating in the germ cells and/or early embryos and persisting during further development.Study design, size, durationWe compared the cord blood methylomes and candidate gene methylation patterns of newborns conceived through ICSI or spontaneously.Participants/materials, setting, methodsUmbilical cord bloods were obtained from healthy newborn singletons conceived spontaneously (53 samples), through ICSI (89) or IVF (34). Bisulfite-converted DNA samples of 48 ICSI and 46 control pregnancies were used for genome-wide analyses with Illumina's 450K methylation arrays. Candidate genes from the methylation screen were analyzed in all three groups by bisulfite pyrosequencing.Main results and the role of chanceAltogether, 4730 (0.11%) of 428 227 analyzed CpG sites exhibited significant between-group methylation differences, but all with small (β < 10%) or very small (β < 1%) effect size. ICSI children showed a significantly decreased DNA methylation age at birth, lagging approximately half a week behind the controls. ART-susceptible CpGs were enriched in CpG islands with low methylation values (0-20%) and in imprinting control regions (ICRs). Eighteen promoter regions (six in microRNA and SNORD RNA genes), four CpG islands (three in genes including one long non-coding RNA), and two ICRs contained multiple significant sites. Three differentially methylated regions were studied in more detail by bisulfite pyrosequencing. ATG4C and SNORD114-9 could be validated in an independent ICSI group, following adjustment for maternal age and other confounding factors. ATG4C was also significant in the IVF group.Large scale dataN/A.Limitations, reasons for cautionThe observed epigenetic effects are small and there are numerous potential confounding factors such as parental age and infertility. Although our study meets current standards for epigenetic screens, sample size is still two orders of magnitude below that of genome-wide association studies.Wider implications of the findingsOur study suggests an impact of ICSI on the offspring's epigenome(s), which may contribute to phenotypic variation and disease susceptibility in ART children. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression by different classes of non-coding RNAs may be a key mechanism for developmental programming through ART.Study funding/competing interest(s)This work was supported by a research grant (no. 692185) from the European Union (ERA of ART). There are no competing interests.

Dataset Information

Antenatal Steroids and Cord Blood T-cell Glucocorticoid Receptor DNA Methylation and Exon 1 Splicing.

Publications

Antenatal Steroids and Cord Blood T-cell Glucocorticoid Receptor DNA Methylation and Exon 1 Splicing.

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