Vitamin D levels during pregnancy are associated with offspring telomere length: a longitudinal mother-child study
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 May 19;dgac320. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac320 PDF is behind a paywall
Kwun Kiu Wong 1, Feifei Cheng 1, Di Mao 2, Cadmon K P Lim 1, Claudia H T Tam 1, Chi Chiu Wang 2 3 4 5, Lai Yuk Yuen 2, Michael H M Chan 6, Chung Shun Ho 6, Mugdha V Joglekar 7 8, Anandwardhan A Hardikar 7 8, Alicia J Jenkins 1 8, Boyd E Metzger 9, William L Lowe 9, Wing Hung Tam 2, Ronald C W Ma 1 5 10 11
Context: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a biomarker of biological aging and is associated with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Insufficient maternal vitamin D was associated with increased risk for many diseases and adverse later life outcomes.
Objective: This study investigates the relationship between vitamin D levels and offspring LTL at early life.
Design: Observational longitudinal cohort study.
Setting: Hospital-based cohort study.
Population: Eligible mother-child pairs from the HAPO Hong Kong Field Centre, with 853 offspring at age 6.96 ± 0.44 (mean ± SD) years.
Main outcomes measures: LTL was measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction while serum vitamin D metabolites 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3 and 3-epi-25(OH)D3 were measured in maternal blood (at gestation 24-32 weeks) and cord blood by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Results: LTL at follow-up was significantly shorter in boys compared to girls (p<0.001) at age 7. Childhood LTL was negatively associated with childhood BMI (β ± SE=-0.016 ± 0.007)(p=0.02) and HOMA-IR (β ± SE=-0.065 ± 0.021)(p=0.002). Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between 25(OH)D and LTL, with covariate adjustments. Childhood LTL was positively correlated with total maternal 25(OH)D (0.048 ± 0.017)(p=0.004) and maternal 3-epi-25(OH)D3 (0.05 ± 0.017)(p=0.003), even after adjustment for covariates. A similar association was also noted for cord 3-epi-25(OH)D3 (0.037 ± 0.018)(p=0.035) after adjustment for offspring sex and age.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest 25(OH)D3 and 3-epi-25(OH)D3 in utero may impact on childhood LTLs, highlighting a potential link between maternal vitamin D and biological aging.
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