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Prematurity

Poster Session 3

(698) Maternal Epigenetic Variation among women Experiencing Preterm Birth in Hawai'i

Wednesday, February 14, 2024
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM  
Location: Prince George's Exhibit Hall CDE, Lower Atrium Level
Objective: Geographic level of deprivation may contribute to preterm birth risk. This study sought to identify epigenetic changes via methylation differences in women with high social vulnerability experiencing preterm birth vs. women who had term births.

Study Design: Whole genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood from 160 participants of the Hawaii Reproductive Biorepository (biobanked from 2006-2013). Subjects who self-identified as Filipino and Native Hawaiian were selected due to overrepresentation of preterm birth in these ethnic subgroups. DNA was isolated and subjected to Illumina Epic Methylation Array. Data was processed according to EWAStools R package. Genome wide methylation differences (Limma) and regional differential methylation (DMRcate) were assessed among women who did and did not deliver preterm, and as well as according to level of high or low social vulnerability. EWAS model included Maternal Age, Ethnicity, Obesity, Cell Type Proportion and level of Social Vulnerability. DNA methylation age was calculated using the Horvath method, and compared to Age Acceleration among term vs. preterm births and those of high and low social vulnerability.

Results:

149 samples (72 preterm, 71 term) passed quality control. There were no significant global methylation differences in the EWAS model between women who delivered term vs. preterm, nor those who lived in areas of high vs. low social vulnerability. Differentially methylation regional analysis demonstrated 512 areas of differential methylation among term vs. PTB participants; Overlapping genes in the top ten regions are listed in Table 1. Age acceleration residuals were greater among those who delivered preterm vs. term (p = 0.01762) but not among varying levels of social vulnerability (p = 0.081).

Conclusion:

This pilot study identified areas of differential methylation in women who experienced PTB. A larger, validation cohort is needed to replicate the findings, as well as look for mechanistic causes for the interaction of these regions and PTB risk.