Objective To explore the effect of cadmium exposure in utero on global DNA methylation of newborns.
Methods A total of 300 puerperae who gave birth in a selected maternal and child health center from 2011 to 2012 were enrolled in the study to collect umbilical arterial blood samples. Cadmium concentrations in umbilical arterial blood were detected by ICP/MS. Global DNA methylation levels in umbilical arterial blood were quantified by LC-MS/MS. The correlations between the cadmium concentration and the global DNA methylation levels were assessed by Spearman correlation analysis and multiple linear step-wise regression analysis.
Results The cadmium concentrations were 0.02-2.61 μg/L in the umbilical arterial blood samples, and the quartiles were 0.08, 0.16, and 0.30 μg/L, respectively. No correlation was observed between the umbilical arterial blood cadmium levels and the global DNA methylation by Spearman correlation analysis (r=-0.106, P=0.068). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that after excluding selected confounding factors the umbilical arterial blood cadmium level was negatively correlated to the global DNA methylation level (P < 0.05).
Conclusion In utero cadmium exposure might be associated with lower global DNA methylation level in newborns.
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