Socioeconomic position during pregnancy and DNA methylation signatures at three stages across the early life: epigenome-wide association studies in the ALSPAC birth cohort
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Socioeconomic experiences are recognized determinants of health, and recent work has shown that social disadvantages in early life may induce sustained biological changes at molecular level that are detectable later in life. However, the dynamics and persistence of biological embedding of socioeconomic position (SEP) remains vastly unexplored.
Methods
Using the data from the ALSPAC birth cohort, we performed epigenome-wide association studies of DNA methylation changes at three life stages (birth, n = 914; childhood at mean age 7.5 years, n = 973; and adolescence at mean age 15.5 years, n = 974), measured using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 Beadchip, in relation to pregnancy SEP indicators (maternal and paternal education and occupation).
Results
Across the four early life SEP metrics investigated, only maternal education was associated with methylation levels at birth, and four CpGs mapped to SULF1, GLB1L2 and RPUSD1 genes were identified [false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected P-value <0.05]. No epigenetic signature was found associated with maternal education in child samples, but methylation levels at 20 CpG loci were found significantly associated with maternal education in adolescence. Although no overlap was found between the differentially methylated CpG sites at different ages, we identified two CpG sites at birth and during adolescence which are 219 bp apart in the SULF1 gene that encodes an heparan sulphatase involved in modulation of signalling pathways. Using data from an independent birth cohort, the ENVIRONAGE cohort, we were not able to replicate these findings.
Conclusions
Taken together, our results suggest that parental SEP, and particularly maternal education, may influence the offspring’s methylome at birth and adolescence.
Socioeconomic experiences are recognized determinants of health, and recent work has shown that social disadvantages in early life may induce sustained biological changes at molecular level that are detectable later in life. However, the dynamics and persistence of biological embedding of socioeconomic position (SEP) remains vastly unexplored.
Methods
Using the data from the ALSPAC birth cohort, we performed epigenome-wide association studies of DNA methylation changes at three life stages (birth, n = 914; childhood at mean age 7.5 years, n = 973; and adolescence at mean age 15.5 years, n = 974), measured using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 Beadchip, in relation to pregnancy SEP indicators (maternal and paternal education and occupation).
Results
Across the four early life SEP metrics investigated, only maternal education was associated with methylation levels at birth, and four CpGs mapped to SULF1, GLB1L2 and RPUSD1 genes were identified [false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected P-value <0.05]. No epigenetic signature was found associated with maternal education in child samples, but methylation levels at 20 CpG loci were found significantly associated with maternal education in adolescence. Although no overlap was found between the differentially methylated CpG sites at different ages, we identified two CpG sites at birth and during adolescence which are 219 bp apart in the SULF1 gene that encodes an heparan sulphatase involved in modulation of signalling pathways. Using data from an independent birth cohort, the ENVIRONAGE cohort, we were not able to replicate these findings.
Conclusions
Taken together, our results suggest that parental SEP, and particularly maternal education, may influence the offspring’s methylome at birth and adolescence.
Date Issued
2019-02
Date Acceptance
2018-10-16
Citation
International Journal of Epidemiology, 2019, 48 (1)
ISSN
1464-3685
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Journal / Book Title
International Journal of Epidemiology
Volume
48
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com
License URL
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Grant Number
633666
MR/L01341X/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Social class
DNA methylation
occupations
education
BODY-MASS INDEX
MATERNAL SMOKING
DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS
WEIGHT
RISK
AGE
CHILDHOOD
HEALTH
GENES
OCCUPATION
0104 Statistics
1117 Public Health and Health Services
Epidemiology
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-12-22