Back to Search
Start Over
Periconceptional environment predicts leukocyte telomere length in a cross-sectional study of 7-9 year old rural Gambian children
- Source :
- Scientific Reports, 10(1):9675. Nature Publishing Group, Sci Rep, Scientific Reports, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2020), Scientific Reports
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Early life exposures are important predictors of adult disease risk. Although the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown, telomere maintenance may be involved. This study investigated the relationship between seasonal differences in parental exposures at time of conception and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in their offspring. LTL was measured in two cohorts of children aged 2 yrs (N = 487) and 7–9 yrs (N = 218). The association between date of conception and LTL was examined using Fourier regression models, adjusted for age, sex, leukocyte cell composition, and other potential confounders. We observed an effect of season in the older children in all models [likelihood ratio test (LRT) χ²2 = 7.1, p = 0.03; fully adjusted model]. LTL was greatest in children conceived in September (in the rainy season), and smallest in those conceived in March (in the dry season), with an effect size (LTL peak–nadir) of 0.60 z-scores. No effect of season was evident in the younger children (LRT χ²2 = 0.87, p = 0.65). The different results obtained for the two cohorts may reflect a delayed effect of season of conception on postnatal telomere maintenance. Alternatively, they may be explained by unmeasured differences in early life exposures, or the increased telomere attrition rate during infancy.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Male
Molecular composition
Cross-sectional study
Epidemiology
Intrauterine growth restriction
lcsh:Medicine
dna methylation
one-carbon metabolites
0302 clinical medicine
Genetics research
Leukocytes
Medicine
oxidative stress
Child
lcsh:Science
Telomere Shortening
Multidisciplinary
seasonality
Confounding
Regression analysis
Telomere
Early life
Child, Preschool
Regression Analysis
Female
Gambia
Seasons
intrauterine growth restriction
Offspring
BIRTH
030209 endocrinology & metabolism
Paediatric research
folate
Article
03 medical and health sciences
Medical research
Developmental biology
Humans
business.industry
MORTALITY
lcsh:R
association
medicine.disease
Ageing
030104 developmental biology
Cross-Sectional Studies
exposure
Fertilization
lcsh:Q
business
biological
Demography
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20452322
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Scientific Reports, 10(1):9675. Nature Publishing Group, Sci Rep, Scientific Reports, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2020), Scientific Reports
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0e23eef0948ab45205412cb199c055a7