PUFA status and methylmercury exposure are not associated with leukocyte telomere length in mothers or their children in the seychelles child development study

• Background: Leukocyte telomere length (TL) is associated with age-related diseases and early mortality, but there is a lack of data on the determinants of TL in early life. Evidence suggests that dietary intake ofmarine n-3 (v-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is protective of telomere attrition, yet the effect of methylmercury exposure, also found in fish, on TL is unknown. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between prenatal PUFA status, methylmercury exposure, and TL in mothers and children in the SCDS (Seychelles Child Development Study), for whom fish consumption is high. Methods: Blood samples collected from 229 mothers (at 28 wk gestation and delivery) and children (at 5 y of age) in the SCDS first nutrition cohort were analyzed for PUFA concentrations. Prenatal mercury was measured in maternal hair collected at delivery. Postnatalmercury was alsomeasured in children's hair samples with the use of a cumulativemetric derived from values obtained at 3-5 y of age. Relative TL wasmeasured in blood obtained from mothers at delivery, in cord blood, and in children at 5 y of age by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Linear regression models were used to investigate the associations between PUFA status, methylmercury exposure, and TL. Results: Neither prenatal PUFA status or methylmercury exposure was associated with TL of the mother or child or with TL attrition rate. However, a higher prenatal n-6:n-3 PUFA ratiowas significantly associated with longer TLs in the mothers (β = 0.001, P = 0.048). Child PUFA status andmethylmercury exposurewere not associated with child TL. However, higher family Hollingshead socioeconomic status (SES) scores at 9 mo of agewere significantly associatedwith longer TLs in cord blood (β = 0.005, P=0.03). Conclusions: We found no evidence that PUFA status or methylmercury exposure are determinants of TL in either the mother or child. However, our results support the hypothesis that family SES may be associated with child TL.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Health and Environmental Health (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Fish consumption

Maternal infant nutrition

Methylmercury exposure

Polyunsaturated fatty acid status

Pregnancy

Seychelles Child Development Study

Telomere length

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