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Epigenome-wide association study of DNA methylation in maternal blood leukocytes with BMI in pregnancy and gestational weight gain

Opsahl, J. O. ; Fragoso-Bargas, N. LU ; Lee, Y. ; Carlsen, E. ; Lekanova, N. ; Qvigstad, E. ; Sletner, L. ; Jenum, A. K. ; Lee-Ødegård, S. and Prasad, R. B. LU , et al. (2024) In International Journal of Obesity
Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to discover CpG sites with differential DNA methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes associated with body mass index (BMI) in pregnancy and gestational weight gain (GWG) in women of European and South Asian ancestry. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate how the identified sites were associated with methylation quantitative trait loci, gene ontology, and cardiometabolic parameters. Methods: In the Epigenetics in pregnancy (EPIPREG) sample we quantified maternal DNA methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes in gestational week 28 with Illumina’s MethylationEPIC BeadChip. In women with European (n = 303) and South Asian (n = 164) ancestry, we performed an epigenome-wide association study of BMI in gestational week... (More)

Objectives: We aimed to discover CpG sites with differential DNA methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes associated with body mass index (BMI) in pregnancy and gestational weight gain (GWG) in women of European and South Asian ancestry. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate how the identified sites were associated with methylation quantitative trait loci, gene ontology, and cardiometabolic parameters. Methods: In the Epigenetics in pregnancy (EPIPREG) sample we quantified maternal DNA methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes in gestational week 28 with Illumina’s MethylationEPIC BeadChip. In women with European (n = 303) and South Asian (n = 164) ancestry, we performed an epigenome-wide association study of BMI in gestational week 28 and GWG between gestational weeks 15 and 28 using a meta-analysis approach. Replication was performed in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study, the Study of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (MoBa-START) (n = 877, mainly European/Norwegian). Results: We identified one CpG site significantly associated with GWG (p 5.8 × 10−8) and five CpG sites associated with BMI at gestational week 28 (p from 4.0 × 10–8 to 2.1 × 10–10). Of these, we were able to replicate three in MoBa-START; cg02786370, cg19758958 and cg10472537. Two sites are located in genes previously associated with blood pressure and BMI. DNA methylation at the three replicated CpG sites were associated with levels of blood pressure, lipids and glucose in EPIPREG (p from 1.2 × 10−8 to 0.04). Conclusions: We identified five CpG sites associated with BMI at gestational week 28, and one with GWG. Three of the sites were replicated in an independent cohort. Several genetic variants were associated with DNA methylation at cg02786379 and cg16733643 suggesting a genetic component influencing differential methylation. The identified CpG sites were associated with cardiometabolic traits. ClinicalTrials.gov

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epub
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in
International Journal of Obesity
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:38219005
  • scopus:85182498824
ISSN
0307-0565
DOI
10.1038/s41366-024-01458-x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ffb3ab34-fd69-4888-ab10-296a63c323dd
date added to LUP
2024-02-19 11:25:07
date last changed
2024-04-23 16:09:58
@article{ffb3ab34-fd69-4888-ab10-296a63c323dd,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: We aimed to discover CpG sites with differential DNA methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes associated with body mass index (BMI) in pregnancy and gestational weight gain (GWG) in women of European and South Asian ancestry. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate how the identified sites were associated with methylation quantitative trait loci, gene ontology, and cardiometabolic parameters. Methods: In the Epigenetics in pregnancy (EPIPREG) sample we quantified maternal DNA methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes in gestational week 28 with Illumina’s MethylationEPIC BeadChip. In women with European (n = 303) and South Asian (n = 164) ancestry, we performed an epigenome-wide association study of BMI in gestational week 28 and GWG between gestational weeks 15 and 28 using a meta-analysis approach. Replication was performed in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study, the Study of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (MoBa-START) (n = 877, mainly European/Norwegian). Results: We identified one CpG site significantly associated with GWG (p 5.8 × 10−8) and five CpG sites associated with BMI at gestational week 28 (p from 4.0 × 10–8 to 2.1 × 10–10). Of these, we were able to replicate three in MoBa-START; cg02786370, cg19758958 and cg10472537. Two sites are located in genes previously associated with blood pressure and BMI. DNA methylation at the three replicated CpG sites were associated with levels of blood pressure, lipids and glucose in EPIPREG (p from 1.2 × 10<sup>−8</sup> to 0.04). Conclusions: We identified five CpG sites associated with BMI at gestational week 28, and one with GWG. Three of the sites were replicated in an independent cohort. Several genetic variants were associated with DNA methylation at cg02786379 and cg16733643 suggesting a genetic component influencing differential methylation. The identified CpG sites were associated with cardiometabolic traits. ClinicalTrials.gov</p>}},
  author       = {{Opsahl, J. O. and Fragoso-Bargas, N. and Lee, Y. and Carlsen, E. and Lekanova, N. and Qvigstad, E. and Sletner, L. and Jenum, A. K. and Lee-Ødegård, S. and Prasad, R. B. and Birkeland, K. I. and Moen, G. H. and Sommer, C.}},
  issn         = {{0307-0565}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Obesity}},
  title        = {{Epigenome-wide association study of DNA methylation in maternal blood leukocytes with BMI in pregnancy and gestational weight gain}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01458-x}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41366-024-01458-x}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}