Association of Parental Socioeconomic Status and Newborn Telomere Length

Abstract

IMPORTANCE Low socioeconomic status is associated with higher all-cause mortality and risks for aging-related diseases. Biological aging is a potential process underlying health conditions related to social disadvantages, which may be present from birth onward. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of parental socioeconomic status with telomere length (TL) at birth, a marker of biological aging. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis prospective birth cohort study was conducted among 1504 mother-newborn pairs in Belgium recruited between February 1, 2010, and July 1, 2017. EXPOSURES Parental socioeconomic measures, including maternal educational level, occupation, paternal educational level, and neighborhood income based on median annual household income. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Mean relative TL was measured in cord blood and placental tissue. By constructing a principal component, an integrative socioeconomic measure was derived that integrates parental socioeconomic status and neighborhood income. Multivariable adjusted regression analyses were performed to associate the integrative socioeconomic measure and TL at birth. RESULTSIn 1026 newborns (517 boys; mean [SD] gestational age, 39.2 [1.4] weeks), a higher socioeconomic status was associated with longer cord blood TL and placental TL. Each unit increment in the integrative socioeconomic status measure was associated with 2.1% (95% CI, 0.9%-3.4%; P < .001) longer cord blood TL in boys, while no association was observed for girls (0.5% longer cord blood TL; 95% CI, −0.9% to 1.8%; P = .50). The sex-specific socioeconomic status interaction revealed a stronger association in boys compared with newborn girls (1.6%; 95% CI, 0.02%-3.3%; P = .047 for interaction). In placental tissue, higher socioeconomic status was associated with 1.8% (95% CI, 0.3%-3.3%; P = .02) longer TL in newborn boys but not in girls (0.4% longer TL; 95% CI, −1.2% to 2.0%; P = .63). For placental tissue, no sex and socioeconomic status interaction on TL was observed (1.4%; 95% CI, −0.5% to 3.4%; P = .16 for interaction). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEThis study suggests that parental socioeconomic status is associated with newborn TL, especially in boys. The results indicate that familial social economic factors are associated with the potential cellular longevity of the next generation, with a potential higher transgenerational vulnerability for newborn boys.

Newborn telomere length predicts later life telomere length: Tracking telomere length from birth to child- and adulthood

“…Our results confirm the importance of initial TL for later TL as suggested in previous hypotheses [ 6 , 8 , 19 ]. Recent progresses have been made to elucidate important newborn TL associated environmental, and socio-demographic factors [ 10 , 16 , 17 , [20] , [21] , [22] ]. Second, as later life TL may be programmed at birth, the observed health and disease conditions related to shorter telomeres, may find to some extent their onset at birth.…”

“…TL was measured using an adapted qPCR method described by Cawthon, 2009 [15] . TL at birth for ENVIR ON AGE [16] and EFPTS [17] have been evaluated previously, however for this study all TLs were re-analysed in triplicate with inclusion of follow-up TLs and maternal TL (ENVIR ON AGE) to ensure that matching samples for individuals were assayed at the same occasion and using the same method. ENVIR ON AGE telomeres were measured in a single batch, in which samples from the same individuals are matched on the same qPCR plate (cord blood, placenta, child leukocytes at follow-up, and maternal leukocytes at delivery).…”

Maternal Vitamin D and Newborn Telomere Length

“…A NanoDrop 1000 spectrophotometer (Isogen, Life Science, Belgium) was used to determine DNA quantity/purity and DNA samples were stored at −80 • C until analysis [5]. DNA integrity was assessed by agarose gel-electrophoresis and a modified quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) protocol was used to measure the average relative TL [19,20]. The Quant-iT™ PicoGreen ® dsDNA Assay Kit (Life Technologies, Brussels, Belgium, Europe) was used to dilute and check samples to make sure that there was a uniform DNA input of 5 ng for each qPCR reaction.…”

Pregnancy by Assisted Reproductive Technology Is Associated with Shorter Telomere Length in Neonates

“…Previously reported factors in TL shortening (maternal age, maternal obesity in early pregnancy, diabetes, high-stress status, smoking, alcohol consumption, preterm birth, intrauterine growth retardation, and neonatal sex) did not have significant effects on TL shortening in the present study. Recent reports have noted correlations of TL with paternal socioeconomic status and age [ 38 , 39 ], but we did not include these factors in this study because we sought to focus on the effects of maternal perinatal factors in the uterine environment. Univariate analysis revealed a marginally significant effect of maternal obesity in early pregnancy, consistent with previous reports [ 15 ].…”