Epigenome-wide association study of serum folate in maternal peripheral blood leukocytes

• Published in: Epigenomics Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 39 - 52
• Main Authors: Fragoso-Bargas, Nicolas, Page, Christian M, Joubert, Bonnie R, London, Stephanie J, Lee-Ødegård, Sindre, Opsahl, Julia O, Sletner, Line, Jenum, Anne K, Qvigstad, Elisabeth, Prasad, Rashmi B, Moen, Gunn-Helen, Birkeland, Kåre I, Sommer, Christine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Future Medicine Ltd 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Basic Medicine; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; epigenetic epidemiology; epigenetics; Epigenome; EPIPREG; EWAS; Fetal Blood - metabolism; folate; Folic Acid - metabolism; Genome-Wide Association Study - methods; Leukocytes; Medical and Health Sciences; Medical Genetics; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinsk genetik; Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper; MoBa; pregnancy; epigenetic epidemiology; folate; EWAS; MoBa; pregnancy; DNA methylation; EPIPREG; epigenetics
• ISSN: 1750-1911; 1750-192X; 1750-192X
• DOI: 10.2217/epi-2022-0427

To perform an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of serum folate in maternal blood. Cross-ancestry (Europeans = 302, South Asians = 161) and ancestry-specific EWAS in the EPIPREG cohort were performed, followed by methyl quantitative trait loci analysis and association with cardiometabolic phenotypes. Replication was attempted using maternal folate intake and blood methylation data from the MoBa study and verified if the findings were significant in a previous EWAS of maternal serum folate in cord blood. cg19888088 (cross-ancestry) in , cg01952260 (Europeans) and cg07077240 (South Asians) in were associated with serum folate. cg19888088 and cg01952260 were associated with diastolic blood pressure. cg07077240 was associated with variants in . The findings were not replicated and were not significant in cord blood. This research article identified CpG sites associated with serum folate levels in maternal peripheral blood leukocytes. The findings provide new insights about the epigenomic component of serum folate levels.