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Early Pregnancy Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution among Late-Onset Preeclamptic Cases Is Associated with Placental DNA Hypomethylation of Specific Genes and Slower Placental Maturation

Engström, Karin LU ; Mandakh, Yumjirmaa LU ; Garmire, Lana ; Masoumi, Zahra LU orcid ; Isaxon, Christina LU ; Malmqvist, Ebba LU orcid ; Erlandsson, Lena LU and Hansson, Stefan LU orcid (2021) In Toxics 9(12). p.1-23
Abstract
Exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia (PE). Some suggested mechanisms behind this association are changes in placental DNA methylation and gene expression. The objective of this study was to identify how early pregnancy exposure to ambient nitrogen oxides (NOx) among PE cases and normotensive controls influence DNA methylation (EPIC array) and gene expression (RNA-seq). The study included placentas from 111 women (29 PE cases/82 controls) in Scania, Sweden. First-trimester NOx exposure was assessed at the participants’ residence using a dispersion model and categorized via median split into high or low NOx. Placental gestational epigenetic age was derived from the DNA... (More)
Exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia (PE). Some suggested mechanisms behind this association are changes in placental DNA methylation and gene expression. The objective of this study was to identify how early pregnancy exposure to ambient nitrogen oxides (NOx) among PE cases and normotensive controls influence DNA methylation (EPIC array) and gene expression (RNA-seq). The study included placentas from 111 women (29 PE cases/82 controls) in Scania, Sweden. First-trimester NOx exposure was assessed at the participants’ residence using a dispersion model and categorized via median split into high or low NOx. Placental gestational epigenetic age was derived from the DNA methylation data. We identified six differentially methylated positions (DMPs, q < 0.05) comparing controls with low NOx vs. cases with high NOx and 14 DMPs comparing cases and controls with high NOx. Placentas with female fetuses showed more DMPs (N = 309) than male-derived placentas (N = 1). Placentas from PE cases with high NOx demonstrated gestational age deceleration compared to controls with low NOx (p = 0.034). No differentially expressed genes (DEGs, q < 0.05) were found. In conclusion, early pregnancy exposure to NOx affected placental DNA methylation in PE, resulting in placental immaturity and showing sexual dimorphism. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Toxics
volume
9
issue
12
article number
338
pages
1 - 23
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • pmid:34941772
  • scopus:85121721509
ISSN
2305-6304
DOI
10.3390/toxics9120338
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
308bb951-899f-48f0-b4b4-c5d92b764bc8
date added to LUP
2022-01-14 12:55:24
date last changed
2023-11-21 02:33:39
@article{308bb951-899f-48f0-b4b4-c5d92b764bc8,
  abstract     = {{Exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia (PE). Some suggested mechanisms behind this association are changes in placental DNA methylation and gene expression. The objective of this study was to identify how early pregnancy exposure to ambient nitrogen oxides (NOx) among PE cases and normotensive controls influence DNA methylation (EPIC array) and gene expression (RNA-seq). The study included placentas from 111 women (29 PE cases/82 controls) in Scania, Sweden. First-trimester NOx exposure was assessed at the participants’ residence using a dispersion model and categorized via median split into high or low NOx. Placental gestational epigenetic age was derived from the DNA methylation data. We identified six differentially methylated positions (DMPs, q &lt; 0.05) comparing controls with low NOx vs. cases with high NOx and 14 DMPs comparing cases and controls with high NOx. Placentas with female fetuses showed more DMPs (N = 309) than male-derived placentas (N = 1). Placentas from PE cases with high NOx demonstrated gestational age deceleration compared to controls with low NOx (p = 0.034). No differentially expressed genes (DEGs, q &lt; 0.05) were found. In conclusion, early pregnancy exposure to NOx affected placental DNA methylation in PE, resulting in placental immaturity and showing sexual dimorphism.}},
  author       = {{Engström, Karin and Mandakh, Yumjirmaa and Garmire, Lana and Masoumi, Zahra and Isaxon, Christina and Malmqvist, Ebba and Erlandsson, Lena and Hansson, Stefan}},
  issn         = {{2305-6304}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1--23}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Toxics}},
  title        = {{Early Pregnancy Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution among Late-Onset Preeclamptic Cases Is Associated with Placental DNA Hypomethylation of Specific Genes and Slower Placental Maturation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxics9120338}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/toxics9120338}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}