ESPE Abstracts (2021) 94 P2-236

1Pediatrics, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Salt, Spain; 2Pediatrics, Dr. Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain; 3Department of Physical Therapy, EUSES University of Girona, Salt, Spain; 4Department of Development & Regeneration, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; 5Endocrinology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain


Background and Aims: Gestational obesity can cause metabolic programming in the offspring. Epigenetic modifications of DNA have been suggested as potential mechanisms underlying this programming. FRAT-1 is a gene involved in the WNT signaling pathway, which is an important regulator of adipose tissue development. The objective of this work was to study the methylation status of FRAT-1 in placentas of women with either normal weight or gestational obesity and its association with endocrine-metabolic parameters in the offspring at 6 years of age.

Methodology: A global methylation array (Infinium® Methylation EPIC BeadChip) was made in placental samples from 24 pregnant mothers with normal weight and gestational obesity. Two CpGs in FRAT-1 were significantly associated with increased maternal weight during gestation (FDR = 2.20x10-6 and OR = 0.91; FDR = 2.17x10-6 and OR = 0.94). The methylation status of these CpGs in FRAT-1 was validated by pyrosequencing in a cohort of 64 pregnant women (39 with normal weight and 24 with gestational obesity) and its association with endocrine-metabolic parameters [weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and body composition] in the offspring at 6 years of age was assessed.

Results: FRAT-1 methylation status was significantly associated with a lower percentage of total fat mass SDS (r = –0.274; p = 0.037) at 6 years of age. In women with gestational obesity, FRAT-1 methylation was negatively associated with weight-SDS, BMI-SDS, and visceral fat mass-SDS (r from –0.409 to –0.599; all P <0.05). In multivariate analysis, adjusted for confounding variables, the placental methylation status of FRAT-1 was a predictor of the percentage of fat mass-SDS at 6 years of age (β = –0.263; p = 0.041; R2 = 0.140); as well as of weight-SDS (β = –0.552; p = 0.030; R2 = 0.060), BMI-SDS (β = –0.713; p = 0.003; R2 = 0.232) and visceral fat-SDS (β = –0.452; p = 0.042; R2 = 0.319) in the offspring of mothers with gestational obesity.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the methylation of the FRAT-1 may play a role in regulating the body composition of the offspring at 6 years of age. This methylation may explain, at least in part, the metabolic programming in the offspring caused by gestational obesity.

Volume 94

59th Annual ESPE (ESPE 2021 Online)

Online,
22 Sep 2021 - 26 Sep 2021

European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology 

Browse other volumes

Article tools

My recent searches

No recent searches.