GSE203169
Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) methylation profiles of placenta and umbilical cord blood with or without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)
Objective: To explore the characteristics and underlying molecular mechanisms of genome-scale expression profiles of women with- or without- gestational diabetes mellitus and their offspring.  Materials and Methods: We recruited a group of 21 pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 20 healthy pregnant women as controls. For each pregnant women, RRBS were performed using the placenta and paired neonatal umbilical cord blood specimens. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified. Then, functional enrichment analysis was performed to differential methylated genes (DMGs) separately or interactively in placenta and umbilical cord blood.  Results: Through the comparison of GDM and healthy samples, 2779  and 141 DMRs were identified from placenta and umbilical cord blood, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the placenta methylation and expression profiles of GDM women mirrored the molecular characteristics of “type II diabetes” and “insulin resistance”. Methylation-altered genes in umbilical cord blood were associated with pathways “type II diabetes” and “cholesterol metabolism”. DMGs illustrated significant overlaps among placenta and umbilical cord blood samples, and the overlapping DMGs were associated with cholesterol metabolism.  Conclusions: Our research demonstrated the epigenomic alternations of GDM mothers and offspring. Our findings emphasized the importance of epigenetic modifications in the communication between pregnant women with GDM and offspring, and provided reference for the prevention, control, treatment, and intervention of perinatal deleterious events of GDM and neonatal complications. Overall design: RRBS methylation profiles of placenta and paired umbilical cord blood from 21 pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 20 healthy pregnant women