title: Micronucleus, cell-free DNA, and plasma glycan composition in the newborns of healthy and diabetic mothers.
abstract: Diabetes is associated with certain environmental exposures, heritable factors, and metabolic conditions of intrauterine development due to diabetes in the mother. We evaluated genomic damage, cell-free DNA, N-glycosylation of umbilical cord plasma proteins (PG), and nuclear division index (NDI) as possible prognostic biomarkers of health risk in the newborns of mothers with treated pregestational diabetes (NBDM; 22 mothers), compared these parameters with those from newborns of healthy mothers (NBHM; 89 mothers), and associated the results with the mothers' lifestyle in both groups, based on a detailed questionnaire. Genomic damage was estimated by the in vitro micronucleus (MN) assay. NDI was detected on MN slides. Glycans were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography that separates the plasma N-glycome into 46 glycan peaks. Cell-free DNA was analyzed by real-time PCR. For the association between biomarkers and individual characteristics, generalized linear/nonlinear analysis was performed. No significant difference was found between NBHM and NBDM for cell-free DNA levels. There was no association between cell-free DNA levels and lifestyle. MN frequency was significantly higher in NBDM than in NBHM (median, 0.6 vs. 0.3%, p<0.001). MN frequency and NDI were significantly associated with residence (urban vs. rural). PG differed significantly between NBHM and NBDM (p<0.001). A significant association was found between PG and increase of MN frequency (p<0.001). As both MN frequency and altered N-glycosylation are associated with cancer risk, our study indicates need for further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska c 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: afucic@imi.hr.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fucic
authors.affiliation: University Clinical Centre "Zagreb", Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Vedrana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guszak
authors.affiliation: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Toma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keser
authors.affiliation: University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Croatia.
authors.forename: Jasenka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: University Clinical Centre "Zagreb", Zagreb, Croatia; Medical School, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Emilja
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Juretić
authors.affiliation: Children Hospital "Srebrnjak", Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Davor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Plavec
authors.affiliation: Institute Rudjer Boskovic, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ranko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stojković
authors.affiliation: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gornik
authors.affiliation: Genos Glycoscience Research Laboratory, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Gordan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lauc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002474:Cell-Free System; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides; D004247:DNA
keywords: Cell-free DNA; Diabetes; Glycan; Micronucleus assay; Newborn