Associations Between Obesity-Related Gene Expression in Maternal and Cord Blood and Newborn Adiposity: Findings from the Araraquara Cohort Study

Background/objectives Genes involved in the regulation of metabolism, adipose tissue deposition, inflammation, and the appetite-satiety axis may play an important role in fetal development, and possibly induce permanent metabolic changes and fat accumulation. In this study we investigated: (1) obesity-related gene expression in maternal and cord blood of overweight/obese and normal-weight pregnant women; (2) associations between obesity-related gene expression in maternal and cord blood; and (3) associations of gene expression in each of maternal and cord blood with newborn adiposity. Subjects/methods Twenty-five overweight/obese and 32 normal-weight pregnant women were selected from the Araraquara Cohort Study according to their pre-pregnancy BMI. Maternal and cord blood gene expression of LEPR, STAT3, PPARG, TLR4, IL-6, IL-10, FTO, MC4R, TNF-α , and NFκB were investigated by relative real-time PCR quantification. The body composition of the newborns was assessed by air displacement plethysmography. Associations between maternal and cord blood gene expression and markers of newborn adiposity (weight, BMI, and fat mass%) were explored by linear regression models controlling for maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, maternal gestational weight gain, gestational age, and newborn sex. Results There was higher TLR4, NFκB , and TNF-a expression, and lower IL-6 expression, in overweight/obese pregnant women and their respective newborns compared with normal-weight women and their newborns ( p < 0.001). Maternal PPARG gene expression was associated with both weight and fat mass % of the newborns, and cord blood IL-10 expression was associated with BMI and fat mass %, controlling for confounders. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the relationship of maternal and cord blood gene expression with adiposity markers of the newborn. Our results provide evidence for the contribution of maternal and cord blood gene expression—particularly maternal PPARG and TLR4 expression, and cord blood IL-10 expression—to newborn weight, BMI, and fat mass %.