Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41246799›Full record

ArticleEpigenomics2026

Blood and adipose tissue DNA methylation in adults born preterm with a very low birth weight - a sibling comparison study.

Helena H Hauta-Alus, Justiina Ronkainen, Juho Kuula, Darina Czamara, Anni Heiskala, Samuel Sandboge, Johan Björkqvist, Nina Kaseva, Katri Räikkönen, Kirsi H Pietiläinen and 2 more

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Article in Epigenomics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Helena H Hauta-AlusClinical Medicine Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-3487-7834
Justiina RonkainenResearch Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.ORCID 0000-0001-7375-8099
Juho KuulaPublic Health Research Team, Population Health Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-5793-9196
Darina CzamaraDepartment of Genes and Environment, Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-7381-904X
Anni HeiskalaResearch Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.ORCID 0009-0009-2342-2488
Samuel SandbogePublic Health Research Team, Population Health Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0003-1354-4026
Johan BjörkqvistPublic Health Research Team, Population Health Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-1087-5674
Nina KasevaPublic Health Research Team, Population Health Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0003-4648-0022
Katri RäikkönenDepartment of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0003-3124-3470
Kirsi H PietiläinenObesity Research Unit, Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-8522-1288
Sylvain SebertResearch Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.ORCID 0000-0001-6681-6983
Eero KajantieClinical Medicine Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.ORCID 0000-0001-7081-8391

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPreterm birth and very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) increase risks for poor health outcomes, potentially mediated by epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation (DNAm). We hypothesized that DNAm differs between VLBW adults and their siblings in blood and adipose tissue.

methodsWe studied 75 adults born preterm with VLBW and 73 same-sex sibling controls from the Adults Born Preterm Sibling Study. DNAm at cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) sites in blood and adipose tissue was assessed using Illumina EPIC 850K at a mean age of 29 years. Biological pathways were investigated with QIAGEN ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA).

resultsNo differences were observed in blood DNAm. In adipose tissue, 458 CpG sites were differentially methylated (FDR

conclusionOur results suggest tissue-specific DNAm differences in VLBW adults compared to their siblings. The changes cluster in pathways related to lipid metabolism, neurodevelopment, and cardiometabolic regulation, suggesting lasting tissue-specific epigenetic modifications in VLBW adults.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueDNA MethylationInfant, Very Low Birth WeightPremature BirthAdultCpG IslandsEpigenesis, GeneticFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornInfant, PrematureMaleSiblingsadipose tissueDNA methylationEpigenome-wide association studies (EWAS)preterm birthvery low birth weight (VLBW)

Identifiers

PMID41246799
PMCPMC12826731

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