Epigenetic signature of exposure to maternal Trypanosoma cruzi infection in cord blood cells from uninfected newborns.

Aims: To assess the epigenetic effects of in utero exposure to maternal Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

Methods

We performed an epigenome-wide association study to compare the DNA methylation patterns of umbilical cord blood cells from uninfected babies from chagasic and uninfected mothers. DNA methylation was measured using Infinium EPIC arrays.

Results

We identified a differential DNA methylation signature of fetal exposure to maternal T. cruzi infection, in the absence of parasite transmission, with 12 differentially methylated sites in B cells and CD4+ T cells, including eight protein-coding genes.

Conclusion

These genes participate in hematopoietic cell differentiation and the immune response and may be involved in immune disorders. They also have been associated with several developmental disorders and syndromes.