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PUFA status and methylmercury exposure are not associated with leukocyte telomere length in mothers or their children in the seychelles child development study

Yeates, Alison J. ; Thurston, Sally W. ; Li, Huiqi LU ; Mulhern, Maria S. ; McSorley, Emeir M. ; Watson, Gene E. ; Shamlaye, Conrad F. ; Strain, J. J. ; Myers, Gary J. and Davidson, Philip W. , et al. (2017) In Journal of Nutrition 147(11). p.2018-2024
Abstract

Background: Leukocyte telomere length (TL) is associated with age-related diseases and early mortality, but there is a lack of data on the determinants of TL in early life. Evidence suggests that dietary intake ofmarine n-3 (v-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is protective of telomere attrition, yet the effect of methylmercury exposure, also found in fish, on TL is unknown. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between prenatal PUFA status, methylmercury exposure, and TL in mothers and children in the SCDS (Seychelles Child Development Study), for whom fish consumption is high. Methods: Blood samples collected from 229 mothers (at 28 wk gestation and delivery) and children (at 5 y of age) in the SCDS... (More)

Background: Leukocyte telomere length (TL) is associated with age-related diseases and early mortality, but there is a lack of data on the determinants of TL in early life. Evidence suggests that dietary intake ofmarine n-3 (v-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is protective of telomere attrition, yet the effect of methylmercury exposure, also found in fish, on TL is unknown. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between prenatal PUFA status, methylmercury exposure, and TL in mothers and children in the SCDS (Seychelles Child Development Study), for whom fish consumption is high. Methods: Blood samples collected from 229 mothers (at 28 wk gestation and delivery) and children (at 5 y of age) in the SCDS first nutrition cohort were analyzed for PUFA concentrations. Prenatal mercury was measured in maternal hair collected at delivery. Postnatalmercury was alsomeasured in children's hair samples with the use of a cumulativemetric derived from values obtained at 3-5 y of age. Relative TL wasmeasured in blood obtained from mothers at delivery, in cord blood, and in children at 5 y of age by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Linear regression models were used to investigate the associations between PUFA status, methylmercury exposure, and TL. Results: Neither prenatal PUFA status or methylmercury exposure was associated with TL of the mother or child or with TL attrition rate. However, a higher prenatal n-6:n-3 PUFA ratiowas significantly associated with longer TLs in the mothers (β = 0.001, P = 0.048). Child PUFA status andmethylmercury exposurewere not associated with child TL. However, higher family Hollingshead socioeconomic status (SES) scores at 9 mo of agewere significantly associatedwith longer TLs in cord blood (β = 0.005, P=0.03). Conclusions: We found no evidence that PUFA status or methylmercury exposure are determinants of TL in either the mother or child. However, our results support the hypothesis that family SES may be associated with child TL.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Fish consumption, Maternal infant nutrition, Methylmercury exposure, Polyunsaturated fatty acid status, Pregnancy, Seychelles Child Development Study, Telomere length
in
Journal of Nutrition
volume
147
issue
11
pages
7 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85032733271
  • pmid:28978678
  • wos:000417124300002
ISSN
0022-3166
DOI
10.3945/jn.117.253021
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
eafcb165-7f68-4d8a-b83d-f3b9015e7c16
date added to LUP
2017-11-22 14:16:36
date last changed
2024-12-10 23:31:50
@article{eafcb165-7f68-4d8a-b83d-f3b9015e7c16,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Leukocyte telomere length (TL) is associated with age-related diseases and early mortality, but there is a lack of data on the determinants of TL in early life. Evidence suggests that dietary intake ofmarine n-3 (v-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is protective of telomere attrition, yet the effect of methylmercury exposure, also found in fish, on TL is unknown. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between prenatal PUFA status, methylmercury exposure, and TL in mothers and children in the SCDS (Seychelles Child Development Study), for whom fish consumption is high. Methods: Blood samples collected from 229 mothers (at 28 wk gestation and delivery) and children (at 5 y of age) in the SCDS first nutrition cohort were analyzed for PUFA concentrations. Prenatal mercury was measured in maternal hair collected at delivery. Postnatalmercury was alsomeasured in children's hair samples with the use of a cumulativemetric derived from values obtained at 3-5 y of age. Relative TL wasmeasured in blood obtained from mothers at delivery, in cord blood, and in children at 5 y of age by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Linear regression models were used to investigate the associations between PUFA status, methylmercury exposure, and TL. Results: Neither prenatal PUFA status or methylmercury exposure was associated with TL of the mother or child or with TL attrition rate. However, a higher prenatal n-6:n-3 PUFA ratiowas significantly associated with longer TLs in the mothers (β = 0.001, P = 0.048). Child PUFA status andmethylmercury exposurewere not associated with child TL. However, higher family Hollingshead socioeconomic status (SES) scores at 9 mo of agewere significantly associatedwith longer TLs in cord blood (β = 0.005, P=0.03). Conclusions: We found no evidence that PUFA status or methylmercury exposure are determinants of TL in either the mother or child. However, our results support the hypothesis that family SES may be associated with child TL.</p>}},
  author       = {{Yeates, Alison J. and Thurston, Sally W. and Li, Huiqi and Mulhern, Maria S. and McSorley, Emeir M. and Watson, Gene E. and Shamlaye, Conrad F. and Strain, J. J. and Myers, Gary J. and Davidson, Philip W. and van Wijngaarden, Edwin and Broberg, Karin}},
  issn         = {{0022-3166}},
  keywords     = {{Fish consumption; Maternal infant nutrition; Methylmercury exposure; Polyunsaturated fatty acid status; Pregnancy; Seychelles Child Development Study; Telomere length}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{2018--2024}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Nutrition}},
  title        = {{PUFA status and methylmercury exposure are not associated with leukocyte telomere length in mothers or their children in the seychelles child development study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3945/jn.117.253021}},
  doi          = {{10.3945/jn.117.253021}},
  volume       = {{147}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}