Pregnant women’s cognitive appraisal of a natural disaster affects DNA methylation in their children 13 years later: Project Ice Storm

AbstractDermatoglyphic asymmetry of fingertip ridge counts is more frequent in schizophrenia patients than normal controls, and may reflect disruptions in fetal development during Weeks 14–22 when fingerprints develop. However, there are no data in humans linking specific adverse events at specific times to dermatoglyphic asymmetries. Our objective was to determine whether prenatal exposure to a natural disaster (1998 Quebec ice storm) during Weeks 14–22 would result in increased dermatoglyphic asymmetry in children, and to determine the roles of maternal objective stress exposure, subjective stress reaction, and postdisaster cortisol. Ridge counts for homologous fingers were scored for 77 children (20 target exposed [Weeks 14–22] and 57 nontarget exposed [exposed during other gestation weeks]). Children in the target group had more than 0.50 SD greater asymmetry than the nontarget group. Within the target group, children whose mothers had high subjective ice storm stress had significantly greater asymmetry than those with lower stress mothers, and maternal postdisaster cortisol had a significant negative correlation with the children's dermatoglyphic asymmetry (r = −.56). Prenatal maternal stress during the period of fingerprint development results in greater dermatoglyphic asymmetry in their children, especially in the face of greater maternal distress.

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DNA methylation mediates the impact of exposure to prenatal maternal stress on BMI and central adiposity in children at age 13½ years: Project Ice Storm

Epigenetics ◽

10.1080/15592294.2015.1063771 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 749-761 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

Lei Cao-Lei ◽

Kelsey N Dancause ◽

Guillaume Elgbeili ◽

Renaud Massart ◽

Moshe Szyf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Maternal Stress ◽

Ice Storm ◽

Central Adiposity ◽

Prenatal Maternal Stress ◽

The Impact

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ISDN2014_0055: Prenatal maternal stress from a natural disaster predicts hippocampus volumes in males at age 11: Project Ice Storm

International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience ◽

10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2015.04.042 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 47 (Part_A) ◽

pp. 12-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Dufoix ◽

A. Charil ◽

D.P. Laplante ◽

T. Paus ◽

J. Pruessner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Disaster ◽

Maternal Stress ◽

Ice Storm ◽

Prenatal Maternal Stress

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Prenatal Maternal Stress from a Natural Disaster Alters Urinary Metabolomic Profiles in Project Ice Storm Participants

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-018-31230-x ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Eric J. Paxman ◽

Naveenjyote S. Boora ◽

Douglas Kiss ◽

David P. Laplante ◽

Suzanne King ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Disaster ◽

Maternal Stress ◽

Ice Storm ◽

Prenatal Maternal Stress

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DNA methylation mediates the effect of exposure to prenatal maternal stress on cytokine production in children at age 13½ years: Project Ice Storm

Clinical Epigenetics ◽

10.1186/s13148-016-0219-0 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Lei Cao-Lei ◽

Franz Veru ◽

Guillaume Elgbeili ◽

Moshe Szyf ◽

David P. Laplante ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Cytokine Production ◽

Maternal Stress ◽

Ice Storm ◽

Prenatal Maternal Stress

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Effect of Natural Disaster-Related Prenatal Maternal Stress on Child Development and Health: A Meta-Analytic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18168332 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (16) ◽

pp. 8332

Author(s):

Sandra Lafortune ◽

David P. Laplante ◽

Guillaume Elgbeili ◽

Xinyuan Li ◽

Stéphanie Lebel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Child Development ◽

Natural Disaster ◽

Maternal Stress ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Third Party ◽

Ice Storm ◽

Prenatal Maternal Stress ◽

Analytic Review ◽

Analytical Review ◽

Meta Analyses

The evidence supporting the idea that natural disaster-related prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) influences the child’s development has been accumulating for several years. We conducted a meta-analytical review to quantify this effect on different spheres of child development: birth outcomes, cognitive, motor, physical, socio-emotional, and behavioral development. We systematically searched the literature for articles on this topic (2756 articles retrieved and 37 articles included in the systematic review), extracted the relevant data to calculate the effect sizes , and then performed a meta-analysis for each category of outcomes (30 articles included across the meta-analyses) and meta-regressions to determine the effect of some factors of interest on the association between PNMS and child development: type of PNMS (objective, psychological, cognitive, diet), type of natural disaster (ice storm, flood/cyclone), type of report (maternal, third-party observer, medical), timing of exposure (preconception exposure included or not) and child age at assessment (under 10 or 10 years and older). We found that PNMS significantly influences all spheres of child development. Higher PNMS levels were associated with longer gestational age, larger newborns, and higher BMI and adiposity levels, as well as worse cognitive, motor, socio-emotional, and behavioral outcomes.

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DNA methylation in satellite repeats disorders

Essays in Biochemistry ◽

10.1042/ebc20190028 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (6) ◽

pp. 757-771 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Claire Francastel ◽

Frédérique Magdinier

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Human Genome ◽

Repetitive Dna ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Satellite Repeats ◽

Tremendous Progress ◽

Genes Encoding ◽

Dna Elements ◽

Near Future

Abstract Despite the tremendous progress made in recent years in assembling the human genome, tandemly repeated DNA elements remain poorly characterized. These sequences account for the vast majority of methylated sites in the human genome and their methylated state is necessary for this repetitive DNA to function properly and to maintain genome integrity. Furthermore, recent advances highlight the emerging role of these sequences in regulating the functions of the human genome and its variability during evolution, among individuals, or in disease susceptibility. In addition, a number of inherited rare diseases are directly linked to the alteration of some of these repetitive DNA sequences, either through changes in the organization or size of the tandem repeat arrays or through mutations in genes encoding chromatin modifiers involved in the epigenetic regulation of these elements. Although largely overlooked so far in the functional annotation of the human genome, satellite elements play key roles in its architectural and topological organization. This includes functions as boundary elements delimitating functional domains or assembly of repressive nuclear compartments, with local or distal impact on gene expression. Thus, the consideration of satellite repeats organization and their associated epigenetic landmarks, including DNA methylation (DNAme), will become unavoidable in the near future to fully decipher human phenotypes and associated diseases.

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