Prenatal antioxidant-enriched and pro-oxidant-contained food, IL4 and IL13 pathway genes, and cord blood IgE.

Prenatal oxidative balance might influence cord blood IgE (cIgE) levels. We aimed to explore if certain prenatal dietary sources of antioxidants and pro-oxidants are associated with cIgE elevation and if they interact with IL4 and IL13 pathway genes. A structured questionnaire was completed during the third trimester of pregnancy for 1107 full-term newborns. Surveyed antioxidant-enriched food included fish, shellfish, and fruit, whereas surveyed pro-oxidant-contained food included fried fish sticks and canned fish. Cord blood was collected for measuring cIgE levels and genotyping IL13 rs1800925, rs20541, rs848, IL4 rs2243250, and STAT6 rs324011. Fairly lean fish consumption showed protection against cIgE elevation (odds ratio [OR] 0.66; 95% CI 0.49-0.90) in the whole sample, while daily fruit (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.27-0.79) and ≥ monthly canned fish (OR 2.81; 95% CI 1.24-6.36) exhibited associations only in genetically susceptible babies. A prenatal food protective index, comprising any fairly lean fish, daily fruit, and the absence of any canned fish, exerted dose-response protection against cIgE elevation in babies carrying the IL13 rs20541 GA or AA genotype (P for trend < 0.0001; P for interaction = 0.004). We concluded that prenatal antioxidant-enriched and pro-oxidant-contained food consumption may influence cIgE, especially in genetically susceptible babies.

Interaction Between Prematurity and the MAOA Gene on Mental Development in Children: A Longitudinal View.

This study aimed to examine the association of dopamine-related genes with mental and motor development and the gene-environment interaction in preterm and term children. A total of 201 preterm and 111 term children were examined for their development at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months and were genotyped for 15 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in dopamine-related genes (DRD2, DRD3, DAT1, COMT, and MAOA). An independent sample of 256 preterm children was used for replication. Since the developmental age trends of preterm children differed from those of term children, the analyses were stratified by prematurity. Among the 8 SNPs on the MAOA gene examined in the whole learning sample, the results of linkage disequilibrium analysis indicated that they were located in one block (all D' > 0.9), and rs2239448 was chosen as the tag (r2 > 0.85). In the analysis of individual SNPs in each dopamine-related gene, the tag SNP (rs2239448) in MAOA remained significantly associated with the mental scores of preterm children for the interaction with age trend (p < 0.0001; largest effect size of 0.65 at 24 months) after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. Similar findings for rs2239448 were replicated in the independent sample (p = 0.026). However, none of the SNPs were associated with the motor scores of preterm children, and none were related to the mental or motor scores of term children. The genetic variants of the MAOA gene exert influence on mental development throughout early childhood for preterm, but not term, children.

Sex-moderated interactions between IL4/IL13 pathway genes and prenatal environment on cord blood IgE levels.

BACKGROUND: Elevated cord blood IgE (cIgE), a predictor of atopic diseases, is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. However, gene-environment interactions on cIgE elevation and their difference by sex remain largely unexplored. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether there are sex-moderated interactions between genetic variants in the IL4/IL13 pathway and prenatal environments on cIgE elevation. METHODS: Comprehensive information on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), home dampness (indexed by combining mildewy odour, visible mould and water stamp on the wall) and other household environments was obtained using a structured questionnaire during the third trimester of pregnancy in 1107 full-term newborns. The cord blood was collected for measuring cIgE levels, with elevation defined as ≥0.5 IU/mL, and for genotyping of five single nucleotide polymorphisms of three candidate genes (IL-13 rs1800925, rs20541, rs848, IL-4 rs2243250 and STAT6 rs324011). RESULTS: Gene-environment interactions on cIgE elevation were observed in male but not female newborns, including those between ETS and IL13 rs20541, between home dampness and STAT6 rs324011, and between composite environmental exposure (combined ETS and the three home dampness indices) and STAT6 rs324011 (P for interaction = 0.03, 0.006, and 0.001, respectively). Male newborns carrying STAT6 rs324011 CT or TT genotype manifested with a significant dose-response association of the composite environmental exposure with cIgE elevation. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Sex moderates the gene-environment interactions involving IL4/IL13 pathway genes and prenatal household environments on cIgE elevation. The absence of prenatal exposure to ETS and home dampness in male neonates carrying the STAT6 rs324011 CT or TT genotype is least likely associated with cIgE elevation.

Effects of genetic variants of ADH1B and ALDH2 and social network on continued alcohol drinking among young adolescents in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed (i) to evaluate the effects of genetic variants of ADH1B and ALDH2 and social network position on continued alcohol use in early adolescence, and (ii) to explore possible moderating role of pubertal development on genetic effects. METHODS: The sample comprised 496 children who ever drank alcohol before the ages of 10-12. Information pertaining to sociodemographic background, pubertal development, parental drinking, alcohol and tobacco use, alcohol-metabolizing genes, and nominated best friends was collected in four waves of assessment. Polymorphisms of ADH1B (rs1229984) and ALDH2 (rs671) were genotyped. The latent class analysis was first used to characterize longitudinal alcohol use pattern, followed by the multinomial logistic regression analyses to assess its association with genes, pubertal development, and social network. RESULTS: Three distinct classes of alcohol users (i.e. ex-drinkers, sporadic drinkers, and continued drinkers) were derived from alcohol-experienced children. Both alcohol-metabolizing genes appear to have protective effects, yet such relationships were only significant for youngsters in pre-to-early pubertal stage: the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of ADH1B fast-genotype for sporadic drinkers was 0.46 and that of ALDH2 slow-genotype for both sporadic and continued drinkers was 0.47 and 0.42, respectively. Children having the bridge position in their peer network were more likely to be sporadic drinkers (aOR=4.15) and continued drinkers (aOR=3.16). CONCLUSIONS: Our results illustrate a potential moderating effect of pubertal development on the protective influence of alcohol-metabolizing genes on subsequent alcohol use among alcohol-experienced children as well as the independent contribution of early life's social network to their alcohol involvement.