Epigenomic profiling of preterm infants reveals DNA methylation differences at sites associated with neural function.

DNA methylation (DNAm) plays a determining role in neural cell fate and provides a molecular link between early-life stress and neuropsychiatric disease. Preterm birth is a profound environmental stressor that is closely associated with alterations in connectivity of neural systems and long-term neuropsychiatric impairment. The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between preterm birth and DNAm, and to investigate factors that contribute to variance in DNAm. DNA was collected from preterm infants (birth<33 weeks gestation) and healthy controls (birth>37 weeks), and a genome-wide analysis of DNAm was performed; diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data were acquired from the preterm group. The major fasciculi were segmented, and fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity and tract shape were calculated. Principal components (PC) analysis was used to investigate the contribution of MRI features and clinical variables to variance in DNAm. Differential methylation was found within 25 gene bodies and 58 promoters of protein-coding genes in preterm infants compared with controls; 10 of these have neural functions. Differences detected in the array were validated with pyrosequencing. Ninety-five percent of the variance in DNAm in preterm infants was explained by 23 PCs; corticospinal tract shape associated with 6th PC, and gender and early nutritional exposure associated with the 7th PC. Preterm birth is associated with alterations in the methylome at sites that influence neural development and function. Differential methylation analysis has identified several promising candidate genes for understanding the genetic/epigenetic basis of preterm brain injury.

Assessment of nutritional status of children under five years of age, pregnant women, and lactating women living in relief camps after the tsunami in Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: A strong earthquake that hit Aceh on December 26, 2004, triggered a powerful tsunami, resulting in an unprecedented catastrophe in Sri Lanka. The initial phase of the disaster was marked by limited access to food coupled with an inadequate supply of safe water and poor environmental hygiene and sanitation, all of which placed children at increased risk for undernutrition. OBJECTIVE: To assess the nutritional status of children under five years of age, pregnant women, and lactating women residing in 40 relief camps after the tsunami. METHODS: A cross-sectional, 30-cluster study was performed. Thirty children under five from each cluster (camp) and all pregnant and lactating women in selected camps were studied. Data were collected by interviews with the primary caregivers of the children, interviews with key informants in the camps, direct observation, and focus group discussions with mothers. Weight, height, or length was measured on children and pregnant women. Mid-upper-arm circumference of lactating women was measured. RESULTS: A total of 878 children were assessed, of whom 16.1%, 20.2%, and 34.7% were wasted, stunted, and underweight, respectively. The prevalence of each indicator was higher in boys than in girls. During the 2 weeks before the survey, 69.5% of the children had acute respiratory tract infections and 17.9% had diarrhea. Although the general food distribution was well in place, the food supply lacked diversity, and 70.9% of the children did not get appropriate supplementary food. The prevalence of undernutrition among pregnant women (n = 168) was 37%. Thirty-one percent of lactating women (n = 97) were underweight, and 20% were overweight. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of both acute and chronic undernutrition among children in the camps is significantly higher than the national Sri Lankan average. There is a need to establish nutritional surveillance systems to monitor the nutritional status of displaced and nondisplaced children and mothers.

Vitamin E deficiency in phrynoderma cases from Sri Lanka.

Phrynoderma cases were identified in a village close to Colombo in Sri Lanka. The alpha-tocopherol level in plasma was 3.3 +/- 0.6 mumol/L among the phrynoderma patients (n = 11) and 13.0 +/- 2.3 mumol/L among the control subjects (p less than 0.002). A test on glutathione reductase activity in erythrocytes revealed a stronger riboflavin deficiency among patients than among control subjects (p less than 0.005). No significant differences were found between the groups with regard to plasma levels of retinol, retinol-binding protein, vitamin B-12, folic acid, thiamin, selenium, zinc, or essential fatty acid pattern. Primary malnutrition may partly explain the deficiency of alpha-tocopherol and riboflavin observed in phrynoderma cases.