title: DNA Methylation Patterns in Peripheral Blood of Pregnant Women With Group B Streptococcus Colonization.
abstract: The primary risk factor for neonatal Group B streptococcus (GBS) infection, which is the leading cause of infectious neonatal morbidity and mortality, is maternal colonization. However, no definitive maternal risk factors for GBS colonization have been identified and no systematic efforts have been made to prevent maternal colonization. The purpose of this exploratory secondary analysis was to evaluate genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in maternal peripheral blood early in pregnancy for association with GBS colonization status in the third trimester. Genome-wide DNA methylation was analyzed from 18 nulliparous GBS-positive and -negative women (n = 9/group) recruited for a previous study. No statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics or DNA methylation in peripheral blood were identified between GBS-positive and -negative women in early pregnancy. The results suggest that DNA methylation patterns in peripheral blood are not associated with risk for GBS colonization.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA mlwright@vcu.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA.
authors.forename: Jody L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ralph
authors.affiliation: Ascend Learning, Burlington, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Denise M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Korniewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: DNA methylation; Streptococcus agalactiae; pregnancy complications