Hernandez-Vargas, H, Castelino, J, Silver, MJ et al. (11 more authors) (2015) Exposure to aflatoxin B1 in utero is associated with DNA methylation in white blood cells of infants in The Gambia. International Journal of Epidemiology, 44 (4). pp. 1238-1248. ISSN 0300-5771
Abstract
Background: Exposure to environmental toxins during embryonic development may lead to epigenetic changes that influence disease risk in later life. Aflatoxin is a contaminant of staple foods in sub-Saharan Africa, is a known human liver carcinogen and has been associated with stunting in infants. Methods: We have measured aflatoxin exposure in 115 pregnant women in The Gambia and examined the DNA methylation status of white blood cells from their infants at two to eight months old (mean 3•6±0•9). Aflatoxin exposure in women was assessed using an ELISA method to measure aflatoxin albumin adducts in plasma taken at 1-16 weeks of pregnancy. Genome-wide DNA methylation of infant white blood cells was measured using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 beadchip. Results: AF-alb levels ranged from 3•9 to 458•4 pg/mg albumin. We found that aflatoxin exposure in the mothers was significantly associated to DNA methylation in their infants for 71 CpG sites (FDR<0.05), with an average effect size of 1.7% change in methylation. Aflatoxin-associated differential methylation was observed in growth factor genes such as FGF12 and IGF1, and immune related genes such as CCL28, TLR2, and TGFBI. Moreover, one aflatoxin-associated methylation region (corresponding to the miR-4520b locus) was identified. Conclusions: This study shows that maternal exposure to aflatoxin during the early stages of pregnancy is associated with differential DNA methylation patterns of infants, including in genes related to growth and immune function. This reinforces the need for interventions to reduce aflatoxin exposure, especially during critical periods of foetal and infant development.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015, OUP. This is an author produced version of a paper published in International Journal of Epidemiology. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Aflatoxin; DNA methylation; in utero exposure |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Food Science and Nutrition (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Medicine (Leeds) > Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics (LIGHT) > Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Int. Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) CRA NO EGE/09/01 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 30 Apr 2015 15:32 |
Last Modified: | 11 Feb 2022 16:05 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/%2010.1093/ije/dyv027 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
Identification Number: | 10.1093/ije/dyv027 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:84017 |