Methylation of the telomerase gene promoter region in umbilical cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased telomerase expression levels and shortened telomere length

ObjectiveThis study speculates that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may reduce fetal telomere length (TL),which may be related to modification of methylation in the promoter region of the telomerase (TE) gene promoter region.MethodsIn this study, umbilical cord blood samples from patients with a...

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Main Authors: Shuhua Liu, Liping Xu, Yan Cheng, Dehong Liu, Bin Zhang, Xianxia Chen, Mingming Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Endocrinology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1502329/full
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author Shuhua Liu
Shuhua Liu
Shuhua Liu
Liping Xu
Liping Xu
Yan Cheng
Yan Cheng
Dehong Liu
Dehong Liu
Dehong Liu
Bin Zhang
Bin Zhang
Bin Zhang
Xianxia Chen
Xianxia Chen
Xianxia Chen
Xianxia Chen
Mingming Zheng
Mingming Zheng
Mingming Zheng
author_facet Shuhua Liu
Shuhua Liu
Shuhua Liu
Liping Xu
Liping Xu
Yan Cheng
Yan Cheng
Dehong Liu
Dehong Liu
Dehong Liu
Bin Zhang
Bin Zhang
Bin Zhang
Xianxia Chen
Xianxia Chen
Xianxia Chen
Xianxia Chen
Mingming Zheng
Mingming Zheng
Mingming Zheng
author_sort Shuhua Liu
collection DOAJ
description ObjectiveThis study speculates that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may reduce fetal telomere length (TL),which may be related to modification of methylation in the promoter region of the telomerase (TE) gene promoter region.MethodsIn this study, umbilical cord blood samples from patients with and without GDM (N = 100 each) were analyzed by prospective case-control. The TL, TE expression levels, and methylation levels of TERT and TERC gene promoter regions in two groups were measured. The significance of the methylation level of each CpG locus employed logistic regression analysis of R software, and the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to control the influence of confounding factors. Correlation analysis was performed by the Spearman.ResultsThe TL and TE expression levels of the offspring of GDM patients were decreased despite adjusting for PBMI, PWG, and TG. A total of two CpG islands were screened in the promoter region of the TERT gene and three fragments (TERT_2, TERT_3, and TERT_4) containing a total of 70 CpG sites were designed. Additionally, four CpG sites of the TERT gene in the GDM group (TERT_2_40, TERT_2_47, TERT_3_46, and TERT_3_212) showed increased methylation levels compared with the control group (all P < 0.05). In the promoter region of the TERC gene, one CpG island containing 19 CpG loci was screened and designed, and the methylation levels of the two CpG sites were significantly different in TERC_1_67 (0.65 ± 0.21 versus 0.57 ± 0.30; P = 0.040) and TERC_1_120 (0.68 ± 0.23 versus 0.59 ± 0.27; P = 0.014). The methylation levels of TERC gene fragments of GDM patients were significantly higher than those of the control group (0.69 ± 0.06 versus 0.65 ± 0.08, P = 0.001).ConclusionThis study revealed that GDM may induce decreased TE expression by increasing the methylation levels of TE genes promoter region, thereby reducing the TL.
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spelling doaj-art-06095c8a965f48648007d01c5ad2eca82025-08-20T02:57:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Endocrinology1664-23922025-03-011610.3389/fendo.2025.15023291502329Methylation of the telomerase gene promoter region in umbilical cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased telomerase expression levels and shortened telomere lengthShuhua Liu0Shuhua Liu1Shuhua Liu2Liping Xu3Liping Xu4Yan Cheng5Yan Cheng6Dehong Liu7Dehong Liu8Dehong Liu9Bin Zhang10Bin Zhang11Bin Zhang12Xianxia Chen13Xianxia Chen14Xianxia Chen15Xianxia Chen16Mingming Zheng17Mingming Zheng18Mingming Zheng19Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hefei Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Anhui Women and Children’s Medical Center, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal and Child Medical Center of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal and Child Medical Center of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaFifth School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal and Child Medical Center of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaFifth School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hefei Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Anhui Women and Children’s Medical Center, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal and Child Medical Center of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hefei Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Anhui Women and Children’s Medical Center, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal and Child Medical Center of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hefei Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Anhui Women and Children’s Medical Center, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal and Child Medical Center of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaFifth School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hefei Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Anhui Women and Children’s Medical Center, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal and Child Medical Center of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaObjectiveThis study speculates that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may reduce fetal telomere length (TL),which may be related to modification of methylation in the promoter region of the telomerase (TE) gene promoter region.MethodsIn this study, umbilical cord blood samples from patients with and without GDM (N = 100 each) were analyzed by prospective case-control. The TL, TE expression levels, and methylation levels of TERT and TERC gene promoter regions in two groups were measured. The significance of the methylation level of each CpG locus employed logistic regression analysis of R software, and the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to control the influence of confounding factors. Correlation analysis was performed by the Spearman.ResultsThe TL and TE expression levels of the offspring of GDM patients were decreased despite adjusting for PBMI, PWG, and TG. A total of two CpG islands were screened in the promoter region of the TERT gene and three fragments (TERT_2, TERT_3, and TERT_4) containing a total of 70 CpG sites were designed. Additionally, four CpG sites of the TERT gene in the GDM group (TERT_2_40, TERT_2_47, TERT_3_46, and TERT_3_212) showed increased methylation levels compared with the control group (all P < 0.05). In the promoter region of the TERC gene, one CpG island containing 19 CpG loci was screened and designed, and the methylation levels of the two CpG sites were significantly different in TERC_1_67 (0.65 ± 0.21 versus 0.57 ± 0.30; P = 0.040) and TERC_1_120 (0.68 ± 0.23 versus 0.59 ± 0.27; P = 0.014). The methylation levels of TERC gene fragments of GDM patients were significantly higher than those of the control group (0.69 ± 0.06 versus 0.65 ± 0.08, P = 0.001).ConclusionThis study revealed that GDM may induce decreased TE expression by increasing the methylation levels of TE genes promoter region, thereby reducing the TL.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1502329/fullgestational diabetes mellitustelomere lengthtelomeraseTERTTERCmethylation
spellingShingle Shuhua Liu
Shuhua Liu
Shuhua Liu
Liping Xu
Liping Xu
Yan Cheng
Yan Cheng
Dehong Liu
Dehong Liu
Dehong Liu
Bin Zhang
Bin Zhang
Bin Zhang
Xianxia Chen
Xianxia Chen
Xianxia Chen
Xianxia Chen
Mingming Zheng
Mingming Zheng
Mingming Zheng
Methylation of the telomerase gene promoter region in umbilical cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased telomerase expression levels and shortened telomere length
Frontiers in Endocrinology
gestational diabetes mellitus
telomere length
telomerase
TERT
TERC
methylation
title Methylation of the telomerase gene promoter region in umbilical cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased telomerase expression levels and shortened telomere length
title_full Methylation of the telomerase gene promoter region in umbilical cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased telomerase expression levels and shortened telomere length
title_fullStr Methylation of the telomerase gene promoter region in umbilical cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased telomerase expression levels and shortened telomere length
title_full_unstemmed Methylation of the telomerase gene promoter region in umbilical cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased telomerase expression levels and shortened telomere length
title_short Methylation of the telomerase gene promoter region in umbilical cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased telomerase expression levels and shortened telomere length
title_sort methylation of the telomerase gene promoter region in umbilical cord blood of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with decreased telomerase expression levels and shortened telomere length
topic gestational diabetes mellitus
telomere length
telomerase
TERT
TERC
methylation
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1502329/full
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