Maternal Haplotypes in DHFR Promoter and MTHFR Gene in Tuning Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Onset-Latency: Genetic/Epigenetic Mother/Child Dyad Study (GEMCDS)

Abstract

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) peaks around age 2–4, and in utero genetic epigenetic mother-fetus crosstalk might tune ALL onset during childhood life. Folate genes variably interact with vitamin status on ALL risk and prognosis. We investigated DHFR and MTHFR gene variants in 235 ALL children and their mothers to disclose their role in determining ALL onset age and survival. Pyrosequence of DHFR 19bp ins/del (rs70991108; W/D), MTHFR C677T (rs1801133; C>T), and MTHFR A1298C (rs1801131; A>C) was assessed in children and in 72% of mothers for dyad-analysis comparison. DHFR DD-children had delayed ALL onset compared to WW-children (7.5 ± 4.8 vs. 5.2 ± 3.7 years; P = 0.002) as well as MTHFR 1298 CC-children compared to AA-children (8.03 ± 4.8 vs. 5.78 ± 4.1 years; P = 0.006), and according to the strong linkage disequilibrium between MTHFR 677 T-allele and 1298C-allele, MTHFR TT-children showed early mean age of onset though not significant. Offspring of MTHFR 677 TT-mothers had earlier ALL onset compared to offspring of 677 CC-mothers (5.4 ± 3.3 vs. 7 ± 5.3 years; P = 0.017). DHFR/MTHFR 677 polymorphism combination influenced onset age by comparing DD/CC vs. WW/TT children (8.1 ± 5.7 vs. 4.7 ± 2.1 years; P = 0.017). Moreover, mother-child genotype combination gave 5.5-years delayed onset age in favor of DD-offspring of 677 CC-mothers vs. WW-offspring of 677 TT-mothers, and it was further confirmed including any D-carrier children and any 677 T-carrier mothers (P = 0.00052). Correction for multiple comparisons maintained statistical significance for DHFR ins/del and MTHFR A1298C polymorphisms. Unexpectedly, among the very-early onset group (<2.89 years; 25th), DD-genotype inversely clustered in children and mothers (4.8% vs. 23.8% respectively), and accordingly ALL offspring of homozygous DD-mothers had increased risk to have early-onset (adjusted OR (odds ratio) = 3.08; 1.1–8.6; P = 0.03). The opposite effect DHFR promoter variant has in tuning ALL onset-time depending on who is the carrier (i.e., mother or child) might suggest a parent-origin-effect of the D-allele or a two-faced epigenetic role driven by unbalanced folate isoform availability during the in-utero leukemogenesis responsible for the wide postnatal childhood ALL latency.

COVID-19 and Individual Genetic Susceptibility/Receptivity: Role of ACE1/ACE2 Genes, Immunity, Inflammation and Coagulation. Might the Double X-Chromosome in Females Be Protective against SARS-CoV-2 Compared to the Single X-Chromosome in Males?

“…Moreover, a difference in the open or closed conformation of the ACE2 receptor together with the glycosylation rate of some amino acid residues in the PD domain could affect ACE2-SARS-CoV-2 interaction [105,108], as demonstrated by chloroquine treatment of SARS-CoV patients, in which chloroquine inhibited virus infection by interfering with the terminal glycosylation of ACE2 receptor [109]. Accordingly, we have previous experience of dimeric/tetrameric molecules in which selected SNPs seemed to have higher detrimental effects on the molecule structure and activation when combined heterozygous haplotypes were co-inherited in the same carrier rather than in homozygous polymorphic individuals [110][111][112][113][114][115][116].…”

p53/NF-kB Balance in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: From OMICs, Genomics and Pharmacogenomics Insights to Tailored Therapeutic Perspectives (COVIDomics)

“…CYP3A4/5 , CYP2B6 , CYP2C8 , CYP2C9 , CYP2C19 , CYP2D6 ) and are characterized by a wide geographic variability ( Zhou et al, 2017 ; Biswas et al, 2020 ; Sukprasong et al, 2021 ) interacting with large part of those drugs specifically used in COVID-19 ( Sukasem et al, 2013 ; Biswas et al, 2022 ). Interestingly, many clinical complications of COVID-19 belong to the same group of comorbidities responsible for the poor prognosis, and drugs acting as anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic (anti-coagulant and anti-aggregant), anti-hypertensive or with lipid-lowering action, have marked pharmacogenomics features resembling those belonging to the lipoproteins and homocysteine homeostasis genes ( Parmeggiani et al, 2008 ; Gemmati et al, 2009 ; Gemmati et al, 2016 ; Tisato et al, 2019 ; Cappadona et al, 2021 ; Tisato et al, 2021 ; Biswas et al, 2022 ).…”

Genetics and Epigenetics of One-Carbon Metabolism Pathway in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Sex-Specific Brain Epigenome?

“…Overall, folate is crucial during neurodevelopment and it represents an efficient mediator of the crosstalk between genetics and epigenetics [40,46]. Deficiencies or unbalancing of the mutual levels of the different intracellular folate isoforms may negatively act during fetal growth and promote pediatric cancers, leukemia, neurodevelopmental disorders [47][48][49][50][51].…”