Department of Neurology & Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Res Dev Disabil. 2024 Nov;154:104846. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104846. Epub 2024 Oct 1.
Socioeconomic position (SEP), which reflects one's position in society and access to resources, is strongly tied to neurodevelopment and is associated with epigenetic changes.
This study examined whether DNA methylation signatures of prenatal SEP, measured in birth samples, are associated with child neurodevelopmental outcomes at 36 months of age.
Prenatal SEP DNA methylation scores were derived using 97 placenta and 127 cord blood biospecimens in the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation cohort. Participants completed the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) at 36 months of age. Generalized regression analyses, adjusting for maternal age and race, were performed to test the association between SEP methylation score, for each birth biospecimen type, and MSEL and VABS scores.
Significant associations were observed between placenta SEP methylation score and MSEL Expressive Language outcomes (beta = -2.7, p = 0.046, 95 % CI [- 5.43, -0.05]) and Receptive Language outcomes (beta = -2.5, p = 0.037, 95 % CI [-4.82, -0.16]). In cord blood, methylation-SEP scores were significantly associated with Receptive Language outcomes (beta = -2.0, p = 0.037, 95 % CI [-3.85, -0.12]). No significant associations were observed with VABS scores.
Our results confirm associations between prenatal SEP and early childhood language development using a novel empiric DNA methylation measure of exposure.
社会经济地位（SEP）反映了一个人在社会中的地位和获取资源的能力，与神经发育密切相关，并与表观遗传变化有关。
本研究旨在探讨产前 SEP 的 DNA 甲基化特征，这些特征在出生样本中测量，是否与 36 个月时儿童神经发育结局有关。
在早期自闭症风险纵向研究队列中，使用 97 个胎盘和 127 个脐带血生物样本，得出产前 SEP DNA 甲基化评分。参与者在 36 个月时完成了 Mullen 早期学习量表（MSEL）和文兰适应行为量表（VABS）。进行广义回归分析，调整了母亲年龄和种族，以检验每种出生生物样本类型的 SEP 甲基化评分与 MSEL 和 VABS 评分之间的关联。
胎盘 SEP 甲基化评分与 MSEL 表达性语言结果（β=-2.7，p=0.046，95%CI[-5.43，-0.05]）和接受性语言结果（β=-2.5，p=0.037，95%CI[-4.82，-0.16]）之间存在显著关联。在脐带血中，甲基化-SEP 评分与接受性语言结果显著相关（β=-2.0，p=0.037，95%CI[-3.85，-0.12]）。与 VABS 评分无显著关联。
我们的研究结果使用一种新颖的经验性 DNA 甲基化暴露测量方法，证实了产前 SEP 与儿童早期语言发展之间的关联。
