Scheinin, N. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2024

Association between maternal depressive symptoms and hair cortisol concentration during pregnancy with corpus callosum integrity in newborns

BackgroundMaternal prenatal depressive symptoms are linked to neurodevelopmental impairments in offspring. Maternal cortisol levels are hypothesized to moderate this association, but its relationship with depressive symptoms is inconsistent. This study examined how maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and cortisol levels predict infant brain development, focusing on neonatal corpus callosum (CC) integrity. MethodsUsing data from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, we analyzed 37 mother-infant dyads. MRI data were collected from 2 to 5 weeks old infants, and DTI imaging estimated fractional anisotropy (FA) in CC regions (Genu, Body, and Splenium). Maternal cortisol levels were assessed through hair cortisol concentration (HCC) from a 5cm hair segment, reflecting cortisol over the last five months of pregnancy. A factor score of maternal depressive symptoms was computed from EPDS questionnaire data collected at gestational weeks 14, 24, and 34. We employed multivariate regression models with a Bayesian approach for statistical testing, controlling for maternal and infant attributes. ResultsResults indicated that maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and HCC interact negatively in predicting infants FA across all CC regions. Infants exposed to high prenatal depressive symptoms and low HCC (1 SD below the mean) showed higher FA in all CC regions. ConclusionsThese findings highlight the complex dynamics between maternal prenatal cortisol levels and depressive symptoms, revealing a nuanced impact of those factors on the structural integrity of infants CC.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2018

Peripheral blood DNA methylation differences in twin pairs discordant for Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimers disease (AD) results from a neurodegenerative process that starts well before the diagnosis can be made. New prognostic or diagnostic markers enabling early intervention into the disease process would be highly valuable. As life style factors largely modulate the disease risk, we hypothesised that the disease associated DNA methylation signatures are detectable in the peripheral blood of discordant twin pairs. Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing, single cell RNA-sequencing and gene array data were utilised to examine DNA methylation signatures and associated gene expression changes in blood and hippocampus, and targeted bisulfite sequencing in cross cohort validation. Our results reveal that discordant twin pairs have disease associated differences in their peripheral blood epigenomes. A subset of affected genes, e.g. ADARB2 contain differentially methylated sites also in anterior hippocampus. The DNA methylation differences seem to influence gene expression in brain rather than in blood cells. The affected genes are associated with neuronal functions and pathologies. These DNA methylation signatures are valuable disease marker candidates and may provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis.

genomics↗