Placental CpG methylation of infants born extremely preterm predicts cognitive impairment later in life.

BACKGROUND: The placenta is the central regulator of maternal and fetal interactions. Perturbations of placental structure and function have been associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes later in life. Placental CpG methylation represents an epigenetic modification with the potential to impact placental function, fetal development and child health later in life. STUDY DESIGN: Genome-wide placental CpG methylation levels were compared between spontaneous versus indicated deliveries from extremely preterm births (EPTBs) (n = 84). The association between the identified differentially methylated CpG sites and neurocognitive outcome at ten years of age was then evaluated. RESULTS: Spontaneous EPTB was associated with differential CpG methylation levels in 250 CpG sites (217 unique genes) with the majority displaying hypermethylation. The identified genes are known to play a role in neurodevelopment and are enriched for basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor binding sites. The placental CpG methylation levels for 17 of these sites predicted cognitive function at ten years of age. CONCLUSION: A hypermethylation signature is present in DNA from placentas in infants with spontaneous EPTB. CpG methylation levels of critical neurodevelopment genes in the placenta predicted later life cognitive function, supporting the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis (DOHaD).

Analysis of bladder cancer tumor CpG methylation and gene expression within The Cancer Genome Atlas identifies GRIA1 as a prognostic biomarker for basal-like bladder cancer.

Increased methylation levels at cytosines proximal to guanines (CpG) in the promoter regions of tumor suppressor genes have been reported to play an important role in the development and progression of bladder cancer. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide analysis using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas to better characterize CpG methylation and mRNA expression patterns in urothelial carcinomas and to identify new epigenetic biomarkers of survival. Across 408 tumors, we identified 223 genes that displayed significant relationships between CpG methylation and mRNA expression levels. Hypermethylation within 200 base pairs upstream of the transcription start site and hypomethylation within the 3' untranslated region and body region were associated with gene silencing. These 223 genes were functionally enriched for their role in glutamate receptor signaling and among them was a novel, tumor-stage-independent epigenetic biomarker of overall mortality, GRIA1. GRIA1 hypermethylation and elevated mRNA expression levels were associated with significantly worse survival outcomes in patients with basal-like urothelial carcinomas. Furthermore, 70 genes associated with glutamate receptor signaling were differentially expressed between basal (n = 203 tumors) and luminal (n = 205 tumors) subtypes of bladder cancer, including genes involved in glutamate receptor-mediated activation of the calmodulin, PI3K/Akt, and EGFR signaling pathways. The majority of genes displayed increased expression levels in basal-like subtypes. This research highlights glutamate receptors as targets for investigation in the development and pharmacological treatment of urothelial cancer.

Genomic biomarkers of prenatal intrauterine inflammation in umbilical cord tissue predict later life neurological outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth is a major risk factor for neurodevelopmental delays and disorders. This study aimed to identify genomic biomarkers of intrauterine inflammation in umbilical cord tissue in preterm neonates that predict cognitive impairment at 10 years of age. STUDY DESIGN: Genome-wide messenger RNA (mRNA) levels from umbilical cord tissue were obtained from 43 neonates born before 28 weeks of gestation. Genes that were differentially expressed across four indicators of intrauterine inflammation were identified and their functions examined. Exact logistic regression was used to test whether expression levels in umbilical cord tissue predicted neurocognitive function at 10 years of age. RESULTS: Placental indicators of inflammation were associated with changes in the mRNA expression of 445 genes in umbilical cord tissue. Transcripts with decreased expression showed significant enrichment for biological signaling processes related to neuronal development and growth. The altered expression of six genes was found to predict neurocognitive impairment when children were 10 years old These genes include two that encode for proteins involved in neuronal development. CONCLUSION: Prenatal intrauterine inflammation is associated with altered gene expression in umbilical cord tissue. A set of six of the differentially expressed genes predict cognitive impairment later in life, suggesting that the fetal environment is associated with significant adverse effects on neurodevelopment that persist into later childhood.

Incorporating ToxCast and Tox21 datasets to rank biological activity of chemicals at Superfund sites in North Carolina.

BACKGROUND: The Superfund program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1980 to address public health concerns posed by toxic substances released into the environment in the United States. Forty-two of the 1328 hazardous waste sites that remain on the Superfund National Priority List are located in the state of North Carolina. METHODS: We set out to develop a database that contained information on both the prevalence and biological activity of chemicals present at Superfund sites in North Carolina. A chemical characterization tool, the Toxicological Priority Index (ToxPi), was used to rank the biological activity of these chemicals based on their predicted bioavailability, documented associations with biological pathways, and activity in in vitro assays of the ToxCast and Tox21 programs. RESULTS: The ten most prevalent chemicals found at North Carolina Superfund sites were chromium, trichloroethene, lead, tetrachloroethene, arsenic, benzene, manganese, 1,2-dichloroethane, nickel, and barium. For all chemicals found at North Carolina Superfund sites, ToxPi analysis was used to rank their biological activity. Through this data integration, residual pesticides and organic solvents were identified to be some of the most highly-ranking predicted bioactive chemicals. This study provides a novel methodology for creating state or regional databases of biological activity of contaminants at Superfund sites. CONCLUSIONS: These data represent a novel integrated profile of the most prevalent chemicals at North Carolina Superfund sites. This information, and the associated methodology, is useful to toxicologists, risk assessors, and the communities living in close proximity to these sites.

Identification of novel gene targets and putative regulators of arsenic-associated DNA methylation in human urothelial cells and bladder cancer.

There is strong epidemiologic evidence linking chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) to myriad adverse health effects, including cancer of the bladder. We set out to identify DNA methylation patterns associated with arsenic and its metabolites in exfoliated urothelial cells (EUCs) that originate primarily from the urinary bladder, one of the targets of arsenic-induced carcinogenesis. Genome-wide, gene-specific promoter DNA methylation levels were assessed in EUCs from 46 residents of Chihuahua, Mexico, and the relationship was examined between promoter methylation profiles and the intracellular concentrations of total arsenic and arsenic species. A set of 49 differentially methylated genes was identified with increased promoter methylation associated with EUC tAs, iAs, and/or monomethylated As (MMAs) enriched for their roles in metabolic disease and cancer. Notably, no genes had differential methylation associated with EUC dimethylated As (DMAs), suggesting that DMAs may influence DNA methylation-mediated urothelial cell responses to a lesser extent than iAs or MMAs. Further analysis showed that 22 of the 49 arsenic-associated genes (45%) are also differentially methylated in bladder cancer tissue identified using The Cancer Genome Atlas repository. Both the arsenic- and cancer-associated genes are enriched for the binding sites of common transcription factors known to play roles in carcinogenesis, demonstrating a novel potential mechanistic link between iAs exposure and bladder cancer.