Epigenome-wide analysis of neonatal CD4 T-cell DNA methylation sites potentially affected by maternal fish oil supplementation

Abstract

Supplementation of fish oil rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) during pregnancy has been shown to confer favorable health outcomes in the offspring. In a randomized controlled trial, we have previously shown that n-3 PUFA supplementation in pregnancy was associated with modified immune responses and some markers of immune maturation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these heritable effects are unclear. To determine whether the biological effects of maternal n-3 PUFA supplementation are mediated through DNA methylation, we analyzed CD4+ T-cells purified from cryo-banked cord blood samples from a previously conducted clinical trial. Of the 80 mother-infant pairs..