scholarly journals Epigenetic Alterations and Exposure to Air Pollutants: Protocol for a Birth Cohort Study to Evaluate the Association Between Adverse Birth Outcomes and Global DNA Methylation

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. e29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhila Maghbooli ◽  
Arash Hossein-Nezhad ◽  
Majid Ramezani ◽  
Syamak Moattari
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Birth Outcomes ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Global Dna Methylation ◽  
Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations

scholarly journals The University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZ-CHS) BIRTH COHORT study: rationale, design and methods

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerina Duri ◽  
◽  
Felicity Z. Gumbo ◽  
Privilege T. Munjoma ◽  
Precious Chandiwana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Birth Outcomes ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽  
The University ◽  
University Of Zimbabwe

Abstract Background Commencing lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately following HIV diagnosis (Option B+), has greatly improved maternal-infant health. Thus, large and increasing numbers of HIV-infected women are on ART during pregnancy, a situation concurrently increasing numbers of HIV-exposed-uninfected (HEU) infants. Compared to their HIV-unexposed-uninfected (HUU) counterparts, HEU infants show higher rates of adverse birth outcomes, mortality, infectious/non-communicable diseases including impaired growth and neurocognitive development. There is an urgent need to understand the impact of HIV and early life ART exposures, immune-metabolic dysregulation, comorbidities and environmental confounders on adverse paediatric outcomes. Methods Six hundred (600) HIV-infected and 600 HIV-uninfected pregnant women ≥20 weeks of gestation will be enrolled from four primary health centres in high density residential areas of Harare. Participants will be followed up as mother-infant-pairs at delivery, week(s) 1, 6, 10, 14, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 after birth. Clinical, socio-economic, nutritional and environmental data will be assessed for adverse birth outcomes, impaired growth, immune/neurodevelopment, vertical transmission of HIV, hepatitis-B/C viruses, cytomegalovirus and syphilis. Maternal urine, stool, plasma, cord blood, amniotic fluid, placenta and milk including infant plasma, dried blood spot and stool will be collected at enrolment and follow-up visits. The composite primary endpoint is stillbirth and infant mortality within the first two years of life in HEU versus HUU infants. Maternal mortality in HIV-infected versus -uninfected women is another primary outcome. Secondary endpoints include a range of maternal and infant outcomes. Sub-studies will address maternal stress and malnutrition, maternal-infant latent tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori infections, immune-metabolomic dysregulation including gut, breast milk and amniotic fluid dysbiosis. Discussion The University of Zimbabwe-College of Health-Sciences-Birth-Cohort study will provide a comprehensive assessment of risk factors and biomarkers for HEU infants’ adverse outcomes. This will ultimately help developing strategies to mitigate effects of maternal HIV, early-life ART exposures and comorbidities on infants’ mortality and morbidity. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier: NCT04087239. Registered 12 September 2019.

scholarly journals Relatively Low Maternal Aflatoxin Exposure Is Associated with Small-for-Gestational-Age but Not with Other Birth Outcomes in a Prospective Birth Cohort Study of Nepalese Infants

2019 ◽  
Vol 149 (10) ◽  
pp. 1818-1825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Y Andrews-Trevino ◽  
Patrick Webb ◽  
Gerald Shively ◽  
Beatrice L Rogers ◽  
Kedar Baral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Birth Outcomes ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Small For Gestational Age ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽  
Z Scores

ABSTRACT Background Exposure to aflatoxin has garnered increased attention as a possible contributor to adverse birth outcomes. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the relation of maternal aflatoxin exposure with adverse birth outcomes such as birth weight, birth length, anthropometric z scores, low birth weight (LBW), small-for-gestational-age (SGA), stunting, and preterm birth (PTB). Methods This study used maternal and newborn data from the AflaCohort Study, an ongoing birth cohort study in Banke, Nepal (n = 1621). Data on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-lysine adducts in maternal serum were collected once during pregnancy (at mean ± SD: 136 ± 43 d of gestation). Maternal serum AFB1-lysine adduct concentration was measured via HPLC. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to determine if maternal aflatoxin exposure was associated with 1) birth weight and length (primary outcomes) and 2) anthropometric z scores, LBW (weight <2.5 kg), SGA (weight <10th percentile for gestational age and sex), stunting at birth (length-for-age z score less than −2), or PTB (born <37 weeks of gestation) (secondary outcomes). Results The geometric mean of maternal serum AFB1-lysine adduct concentration was 1.37 pg/mg albumin (95% CI: 1.30, 1.44 pg/mg albumin). Twenty percent of infants were of LBW and 32% were SGA. Sixteen percent of infants were stunted at birth. In addition, 13% of infants were born preterm. In logistic multivariate regression models, mean maternal serum AFB1-lysine adduct concentrations were significantly associated with SGA (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.27; P < 0.05). Conclusions Findings from this study suggest a small but significant association between serum AFB1-lysine adduct concentrations in pregnant women and SGA. Maternal aflatoxin exposure was not associated with other birth outcomes. These results highlight the need for future research on a threshold level of aflatoxin exposure needed to produce detectable adverse birth outcomes. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03312049.

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