SLC6A4 Promoter Region Methylation and Socio-Emotional Stress Response in Very Preterm and Full-Term Infants

Abstract

Aim: The present study is part of a prospective micro-longitudinal research project and reports on the association between SLC6A4 methylation and socio-emotional stress response in very preterm (VPT) and full-term (FT) infants. Materials & methods:SLC6A4 methylation was assessed at birth and discharge in 32 VPT infants, and at birth in 27 FT infants. Socio-emotional stress response (i.e., negative emotionality) was assessed at 3 months (corrected age). Results: Negative emotionality was higher in VPTs compared with FT counterpart. In VPT infants only, stress response was associated with SLC6A4 methylation status at discharge, which was predictive of greater negative emotionality. Conclusion: The present study extends previous reports, suggesting that altered SLC6A4 methylation associates with greater socio-emotional stress sensitivity in 3-month-old VPT infants.

Keywords::

• DNA methylation
• Face-Face-Still-Face paradigm
• negative emotionality
• serotonin transporter
• SLC6A4
• stress response
• very preterm infants

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2217/epi-2016-0010

Acknowledgements

The authors thank F Bernasconi, P de Simone and H Tasca for their help in FFSF coding, and S Beri and G Menozzi for their help in epigenetics data analysis. The authors are also grateful to the staff of Pediatric and Obstetric Units of the Sacra Famiglia Hospital of Erba (Como, Italy). Finally, the authors would like to thank all the families, since they made this study possible.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This research was supported by funds from the Italian Health Ministry for a research on epigenetic mechanisms involved in preterm birth and early stress exposure (Ricerca Corrente 2012: Studio della reattività dell’asse ipotalamo ipofisario in bambini nati fortemente pretermine: fattori genetici e meccanismi epigenetici associati allo stress sociale). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

The writing of the paper occurred during a visiting period of Livio Provenzi at the Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada), which was fully funded by the Banca del Monte di Lombardia, thanks to the Progetto Professionalità grant.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by funds from the Italian Health Ministry for a research on epigenetic mechanisms involved in preterm birth and early stress exposure (Ricerca Corrente 2012: Studio della reattività dell’asse ipotalamo ipofisario in bambini nati fortemente pretermine: fattori genetici e meccanismi epigenetici associati allo stress sociale). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. The writing of the paper occurred during a visiting period of Livio Provenzi at the Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada), which was fully funded by the Banca del Monte di Lombardia, thanks to the Progetto Professionalità grant.