Epigenetic signatures of maternal-fetal health: insights from cord blood and placenta

The placenta is vital for fetal growth, and its methylation patterns reflect placental function, affecting the fetus and providing insights into disease origins. While cord blood methylation is convenient for assessing the fetal environment, methylation profiles vary by tissue due to variance in cel...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jagadeesh Puvvula, Joseph M. Braun, Emily A. DeFranco, Shuk-Mei Ho, Yuet-Kin Leung, Shouxiong Huang, Xiang Zhang, Ann M. Vuong, Stephani S. Kim, Zana Percy, Aimin Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Epigenetics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15592294.2025.2508067
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850152399098871808
author Jagadeesh Puvvula
Joseph M. Braun
Emily A. DeFranco
Shuk-Mei Ho
Yuet-Kin Leung
Shouxiong Huang
Xiang Zhang
Ann M. Vuong
Stephani S. Kim
Zana Percy
Aimin Chen
author_facet Jagadeesh Puvvula
Joseph M. Braun
Emily A. DeFranco
Shuk-Mei Ho
Yuet-Kin Leung
Shouxiong Huang
Xiang Zhang
Ann M. Vuong
Stephani S. Kim
Zana Percy
Aimin Chen
author_sort Jagadeesh Puvvula
collection DOAJ
description The placenta is vital for fetal growth, and its methylation patterns reflect placental function, affecting the fetus and providing insights into disease origins. While cord blood methylation is convenient for assessing the fetal environment, methylation profiles vary by tissue due to variance in cell populations, function, and life stage. As tissue differences extensively contribute to the DNA methylation patterns, using surrogate samples such as cord blood may result in inconsistent findings. In this study, we aim to quantify the correlation of cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotides (CpGs) between paired cord blood and placenta samples. Using the Infinium Human Methylation 450 K BeadChip, we compared methylation patterns in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC; n = 54), the maternally-facing side of placental tissue (MP; n = 68), and the fetal-facing side of placental tissue (FP; n = 67). Methylation patterns from the FP (6,021 CpGs) were significantly correlated with CBMC compared to the MP (2,862 CpGs). These CpGs were related to the biological (mitotic cell) process and molecular function (ribonucleoprotein complex binding). Our findings quantified CpG site correlation between cord blood and placenta, providing a valuable reference for future studies on placental health that rely on cord blood methylation in the absence of placental biospecimens.
format Article
id doaj-art-73bd84b14d7e4e37b53fede4178870d7
institution OA Journals
issn 1559-2294
1559-2308
language English
publishDate 2025-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Epigenetics
spelling doaj-art-73bd84b14d7e4e37b53fede4178870d72025-08-20T02:25:59ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEpigenetics1559-22941559-23082025-12-0120110.1080/15592294.2025.2508067Epigenetic signatures of maternal-fetal health: insights from cord blood and placentaJagadeesh Puvvula0Joseph M. Braun1Emily A. DeFranco2Shuk-Mei Ho3Yuet-Kin Leung4Shouxiong Huang5Xiang Zhang6Ann M. Vuong7Stephani S. Kim8Zana Percy9Aimin Chen10Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USADepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USADepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USADepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USAPathogen-Host Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USADepartment of Environmental & Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USADepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USAHealth Research, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH, USADepartment of Environmental & Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USADepartment of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USAThe placenta is vital for fetal growth, and its methylation patterns reflect placental function, affecting the fetus and providing insights into disease origins. While cord blood methylation is convenient for assessing the fetal environment, methylation profiles vary by tissue due to variance in cell populations, function, and life stage. As tissue differences extensively contribute to the DNA methylation patterns, using surrogate samples such as cord blood may result in inconsistent findings. In this study, we aim to quantify the correlation of cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotides (CpGs) between paired cord blood and placenta samples. Using the Infinium Human Methylation 450 K BeadChip, we compared methylation patterns in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC; n = 54), the maternally-facing side of placental tissue (MP; n = 68), and the fetal-facing side of placental tissue (FP; n = 67). Methylation patterns from the FP (6,021 CpGs) were significantly correlated with CBMC compared to the MP (2,862 CpGs). These CpGs were related to the biological (mitotic cell) process and molecular function (ribonucleoprotein complex binding). Our findings quantified CpG site correlation between cord blood and placenta, providing a valuable reference for future studies on placental health that rely on cord blood methylation in the absence of placental biospecimens.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15592294.2025.2508067DNA methylationplacentacord blood mononuclear cells
spellingShingle Jagadeesh Puvvula
Joseph M. Braun
Emily A. DeFranco
Shuk-Mei Ho
Yuet-Kin Leung
Shouxiong Huang
Xiang Zhang
Ann M. Vuong
Stephani S. Kim
Zana Percy
Aimin Chen
Epigenetic signatures of maternal-fetal health: insights from cord blood and placenta
Epigenetics
DNA methylation
placenta
cord blood mononuclear cells
title Epigenetic signatures of maternal-fetal health: insights from cord blood and placenta
title_full Epigenetic signatures of maternal-fetal health: insights from cord blood and placenta
title_fullStr Epigenetic signatures of maternal-fetal health: insights from cord blood and placenta
title_full_unstemmed Epigenetic signatures of maternal-fetal health: insights from cord blood and placenta
title_short Epigenetic signatures of maternal-fetal health: insights from cord blood and placenta
title_sort epigenetic signatures of maternal fetal health insights from cord blood and placenta
topic DNA methylation
placenta
cord blood mononuclear cells
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15592294.2025.2508067
work_keys_str_mv AT jagadeeshpuvvula epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT josephmbraun epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT emilyadefranco epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT shukmeiho epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT yuetkinleung epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT shouxionghuang epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT xiangzhang epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT annmvuong epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT stephaniskim epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT zanapercy epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta
AT aiminchen epigeneticsignaturesofmaternalfetalhealthinsightsfromcordbloodandplacenta