MiRNAs differentially expressed by next-generation sequencing in cord blood buffy coat samples of boys and girls. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lizarraga, Daneida; Huen, Karen; Combs, Mary; Escudero-Fung, Maria; Eskenazi, Brenda; Holland, Nina
• Is Part Of: Epigenomics. Volume 8:Number 12(2016)
• Page Start: 1619
• Page End: 1635
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: cord blood -- early life -- epigenetics -- filtering -- miRNA -- miRNAome -- newborns -- next-generation sequencing -- normalization procedures -- sex differences; Epigenesis -- Periodicals; Genomics -- Periodicals; Chromatin -- Periodicals; DNA -- Periodicals; 572.87
• DOI: 10.2217/epi-2016-0031
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-1911

Abstract

Aim: Differences in children's development and susceptibility to diseases and exposures have been observed by sex, yet human studies of sex differences in miRNAs are limited.Materials & methods: The genome-wide miRNA expression was characterized by sequencing-based EdgeSeq assay in cord blood buffy coats from 89 newborns, and 564 miRNAs were further analyzed.Results: Differential expression of most miRNAs was higher in boys. Neurodevelopment, RNA metabolism and metabolic ontology terms were enriched among miRNA targets. The majority of upregulated miRNAs (86%) validated by nCounter maintained positive-fold change values; however, only 21% reached statistical significance by false discovery rate.Conclusion: Accounting for host factors like sex may improve the sensitivity of epigenetic analyses for epidemiological studies in early childhood.