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Title: | Epigenetic Modifications Associated with Maternal Anxiety during Pregnancy and Children's Behavioral Measures | Authors: | Cao-Lei, Lei van den Heuvel, Marion I. Huse, Klaus Platzer, Matthias Elgbeili, Guillaume BRAEKEN, Marijke Otte, Renee A. Witte, Otto W. Schwab, Matthias van den Bergh, Bea R. H. |
Issue Date: | 2021 | Publisher: | MDPI | Source: | Cells, 10 (9) (Art N° 2421) | Abstract: | Epigenetic changes are associated with altered behavior and neuropsychiatric disorders and they modify the trajectory of aging. Maternal anxiety during pregnancy is a common environmental challenge for the fetus, causing changes in DNA methylation. Here, we determined the mediating role of DNA methylation and the moderating role of offspring sex on the association between maternal anxiety and children's behavioral measures. In 83 mother-child dyads, maternal anxiety was assessed in each trimester of pregnancy when the child was four years of age. Children's behavioral measures and children's buccal DNA methylation levels (NR3C1, IGF2/H19 ICR, and LINE1) were examined. Higher maternal anxiety during the third trimester was associated with more methylation levels of the NR3C1. Moderating effects of sex on the association between maternal anxiety and methylation were found for IGF2/H19 and LINE1 CpGs. Mediation analysis showed that methylation of NR3C1 could buffer the effects of maternal anxiety on children's behavioral measures, but this effect did not remain significant after controlling for covariates. In conclusion, our data support an association between maternal anxiety during pregnancy and DNA methylation. The results also underscore the importance of sex differences and timing effects. However, DNA methylation as underlying mechanism of the effect of maternal anxiety during pregnancy on offspring's behavioral measures was not supported. | Notes: | van den Bergh, BRH (corresponding author), Univ Leuven, Hlth Psychol Res Grp, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.; van den Bergh, BRH (corresponding author), Flemish Govt, Dept Welf Publ Hlth & Family, B-1030 Brussels, Belgium. lei.cao@mail.mcgill.ca; m.i.vdnheuvel@tilburguniversity.edu; klaus.huse@t-online.de; matthias.platzer@leibniz-fli.de; Guillaume.Elgbeili@douglas.mcgill.ca; marijke.braeken@uhasselt.be; renee.otte@philips.com; otto.witte@med.uni-jena.de; matthias.schwab@med.uni-jena.de; bea.vandenbergh@kuleuven.be |
Keywords: | DNA methylation;IGF2;H19;LINE1;maternal anxiety;interaction;mediation;sex-specific effects | Document URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1942/35971 | e-ISSN: | 2073-4409 | DOI: | 10.3390/cells10092421 | ISI #: | WOS:000699715000001 | Rights: | 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) l | Category: | A1 | Type: | Journal Contribution | Validations: | ecoom 2022 |
Appears in Collections: | Research publications |
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cells-10-02421-v2.pdf | Published version | 1.44 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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