Vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy and early signs of atherosclerosis at school-age

• Published in: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) Vol. 40; no. 9; pp. 5133 - 5140
• Main Authors: Monasso, Giulietta S., Felix, Janine F., Heil, Sandra G., de Rijke, Yolanda B., Gaillard, Romy, Jaddoe, Vincent W.V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2021
• Subjects: Adult; Atherosclerosis - epidemiology; Atherosclerosis - etiology; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Child; Distensibility; Female; Fetal Blood - chemistry; Folate; Folic Acid - blood; Homocysteine; Homocysteine - blood; Humans; Intima-media thickness; Male; Maternal Exposure - adverse effects; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - epidemiology; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - etiology; Prospective Studies; Vitamin B 12 - blood; Vitamin B12; SDS; Intima-media thickness; Vitamin B12; Homocysteine; Child; Folate; Distensibility
• ISSN: 0261-5614; 1532-1983
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.08.001

Suboptimal circulating vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations during fetal life seem to be associated with cardiometabolic health at school-age. We examined whether fetal exposure to lower circulating vitamin B12 and folate concentrations and higher circulating homocysteine concentrations is also associated with early signs of atherosclerosis at school-age. This study among 3826 school-age children and their mothers was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study from early pregnancy onwards. We examined the associations of early-pregnancy and cord blood serum total and active B12 and plasma folate and homocysteine concentrations with common carotid artery intima-media thickness and distensibility in the children aged ten years. As compared to normal early-pregnancy serum total B12 concentrations (≥145 pmol/L), low serum total B12 concentrations (<145 pmol/L) were associated with higher carotid intima-media thickness in the children at school-age (difference 0.09 standard deviations score (SDS); 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01, 0.16). As compared to normal early-pregnancy plasma folate concentrations (≥8 nmol/L), low plasma folate concentrations (<8 nmol/L) were associated with lower carotid distensibility in the children at school-age (difference −0.16 SDS; 95% CI: −0.28, −0.04). Early-pregnancy circulating total and active B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations measured continuously were not associated with carotid intima-media thickness or carotid distensibility in the children at school-age. One SDS higher plasma homocysteine concentrations measured in cord blood at birth was associated with a −0.05 SDS (95% CI: −0.09, −0.02) lower carotid distensibility at school-age. Cord blood total and active B12 and folate concentrations were not associated with carotid intima-media thickness or carotid distensibility at school-age. Circulating total B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations during fetal life seem to be associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis at school-age. Further studies need to examine the causality and mechanisms underlying these associations.