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Evaluation of DNA methylation status at differentially methylated regions in IVF-conceived newborn twins
1Center of Reproductive Medicine, Women's Hospital, Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Objective:
To examine the effect of assisted reproductive technology on the stability of DNA methylation at differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in twins conceived by IVF.
Design:
Prospective clinical observational study.
Setting:
IVF center, university-affiliated teaching hospital.
Patient(S):
Fifty-nine pairs of twins were recruited, including 29 pairs conceived through IVF and 30 pairs of naturally conceived twins.
Intervention(S):
Collection of umbilical cord blood samples.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
DNA was extracted from umbilical cord blood. Two maternally methylated regions (KvDMR1 and PEG1) and one paternally methylated region (H19/IGF2 DMR) were analyzed using bisulfite-based technologies.
Result(S):
Although H19/IGF2 DMR and KvDMR1 showed slightly more variable levels of methylation in IVF cases than in spontaneous cases, methylation indices did not reveal significant differences at three DMRs between IVF-conceived and naturally conceived twins.
Conclusion(S):
Our results suggest no significant increase in imprint variability at these DMRs, but the greater variance in the IVF twins has a biologically meaningful consequence and may be a topic for future investigation. Large cohorts are needed to systematically assess the potential epigenetic risk in twins conceived with IVF.
