Agnes Linnér1, Malin Almgren2. 1. Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. 2. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
The perinatal period is a time of fast physiological change, including epigenetic programming. Adverse events may lead to epigenetic changes, with implications for health and disease. Our review covers the basics of clinical epigenetics and explores the latest research, including the role of epigenetic processes in complex disease phenotypes, such as neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative and immunological disorders. Some studies suggest that epigenetic alterations are linked to early life environmental stressors, including mode of delivery, famine, psychosocial stress, severe institutional deprivation and childhood abuse. CONCLUSION: Epigenetic modifications due to perinatal environmental exposures can lead to lifelong, but potentially reversible, phenotypic alterations and disease.
The perinatal period is a time of fast physiological change, including epigenetic programming. Adverse events may lead to epigenetic changes, with implications for health and disease. Our review covers the basics of clinical epigenetics and explores the latest research, including the role of epigenetic processes in complex disease phenotypes, such as neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative and immunological disorders. Some studies suggest that epigenetic alterations are linked to early life environmental stressors, including mode of delivery, famine, psychosocial stress, severe institutional deprivation and childhood abuse. CONCLUSION: Epigenetic modifications due to perinatal environmental exposures can lead to lifelong, but potentially reversible, phenotypic alterations and disease.
Authors: Linda Dieckmann; Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen; Tuomas Kvist; Jari Lahti; Peter E DeWitt; Cristiana Cruceanu; Hannele Laivuori; Sara Sammallahti; Pia M Villa; Sanna Suomalainen-König; Johan G Eriksson; Eero Kajantie; Katri Raikkönen; Elisabeth B Binder; Darina Czamara Journal: Clin Epigenetics Date: 2021-04-29 Impact factor: 6.551