Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with changes in placental gene co-expression networks.
Sci Rep
; 14(1): 2687, 2024 02 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38302628
ABSTRACT
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can result in a range of adverse postnatal outcomes among exposed children. However, identifying at-risk children is challenging given the difficulty to confirm prenatal alcohol exposure and the lack of early diagnostic tools. Placental surveys present an important opportunity to uncover early biomarkers to identify those at risk. Here, we report the first transcriptome-wide evaluation to comprehensively evaluate human placental pathways altered by fetal alcohol exposure. In a prospective longitudinal birth cohort in Cape Town, South Africa, we performed bulk tissue RNAseq in placenta samples from 32 women reporting heavy drinking during pregnancy and 30 abstainers/light drinkers. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential gene expression analysis were performed to assess associations between fetal alcohol exposure and placental gene expression patterns at a network-wide and single gene level, respectively. The results revealed altered expression in genes related to erythropoiesis and angiogenesis, which are implicated in established postnatal phenotypes related to alcohol exposure, including disruptions in iron homeostasis, growth, and neurodevelopment. The reported findings provide insights into the molecular pathways affected by prenatal alcohol exposure and highlight the potential of placental biomarkers for detecting and understanding the effects of alcohol on fetal development.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Placenta
/
Efectos Tardíos de la Exposición Prenatal
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
País/Región como asunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Rep
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos