DNA methylation of GFI1 as a mediator of the association between prenatal smoking exposure and ADHD symptoms at 6 years: the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Prenatal smoking exposure has been associated with childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. We assessed whether DNA methylation differences may mediate the association between prenatal smoking exposure and ADHD symptoms at the age of 6 years.

RESULTS:

We selected 1150 mother-infant pairs from the Hokkaido Study on the Environment and Children's Health. Mothers were categorized into three groups according to plasma cotinine levels at the third trimester: non-smokers (≤ 0.21 ng/mL), passive smokers (0.21-11.48 ng/mL), and active smokers (≥ 11.49 ng/mL). The children's ADHD symptoms were determined by the ADHD-Rating Scale at the age of 6 years. Maternal active smoking during pregnancy was significantly associated with an increased risk of ADHD symptoms (odds ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-3.15) compared to non-smoking after adjusting for covariates. DNA methylation of the growth factor-independent 1 transcriptional repressor (GFI1) region, as determined by bisulfite next-generation sequencing of cord blood samples, mediated 48.4% of the total effect of the association between maternal active smoking during pregnancy and ADHD symptoms. DNA methylation patterns of other genes (aryl-hydrocarbon receptor repressor [AHRR], cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily A member 1 [CYP1A1], estrogen receptor 1 [ESR1], and myosin IG [MYO1G]) regions did not exert a statistically significant mediation effect.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings demonstrated that DNA methylation of GFI1 mediated the association between maternal active smoking during pregnancy and ADHD symptoms at the age of 6 years.

• Authors: Kunio Miyake, Chihiro Miyashita, Atsuko Ikeda-Araki, Ryu Miura, Sachiko Itoh, Keiko Yamazaki, Sumitaka Kobayashi, Hideyuki Masuda, Tadao Ooka, Zentaro Yamagata, Reiko Kishi
• Journal: Clinical epigenetics (Clin Epigenetics) Vol. 13 Issue 1 Pg. 74 (04 07 2021) ISSN: 1868-7083 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 33827680 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• DNA-Binding Proteins
• GFI1 protein, human
• Transcription Factors

Topics

• Adult
• Asian People
• Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (chemically induced)
• Child
• DNA Methylation
• DNA-Binding Proteins (genetics)
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation
• Humans
• Japan
• Male
• Maternal Exposure (adverse effects)
• Pregnancy
• Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects (genetics)
• Smoking (adverse effects)
• Transcription Factors