Proposal summaries
B3727 - Youth Vascular Consortium - 17/03/2021
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly one-third of all deaths, and poses a major economic burden to the global healthcare system. Thus, the prevention of CVD is a public health priority and identifying individuals at increased cardiovascular risk at an early stage is of paramount importance for minimising disease progression.
Vascular ageing, the decline in vascular structure and function, is an integrated marker of overall cardiovascular risk burden on the vasculature over time and ultimately leads to end organ damage in the heart, brain and kidney. While age-dependent arterial damage typically appears in the fifth or sixth decade of life, there is wide variability between individuals with some displaying early vascular ageing. Exposure to environmental and genetic factors as early as during childhood or even during foetal life promotes the development and accumulation of subclinical vascular changes that directs an individual towards a trajectory of early vascular ageing. This has led to the concept that vascular age, as opposed to chronological age, may be better related to the prognosis of CVD.
However, research concerning vascular ageing in early life and/or adolescents is sparse despite substantial evidence indicating that the formative years of life play a significant role in contributing to traditional risk factors exhibited in adulthood. It is unclear what is normal vascular ageing in this population and no large-scale study has determined what specific factors contribute to accelerated vascular ageing in early life.
By creating the Vascular Youth Consortium we will be able to address these unkonwns. The findings of which, will be instrumental to clinicians in preventing the development of overt CVD later in life.
B3730 - Exposure to green and blue spaces and working memory in children aged 5-12 - 04/03/2021
Current scientific evidence suggests that exposure to green and blue spaces and infraestructures (e.g. parks, rivers, street trees...) may have an impact on human's health and that this effect might be partiallt explained by the sequestration of air pollutants. The general aim of the project is to analyze the association of various residential green and blue space metrics with working memory in children aged 5-12 years old in European birth cohorts.
B3726 - DNA methylation score development for in utero exposure to paternal smoking - 01/03/2021
The ability of environmental conditions to influence phenotypes in future generations requires that environmental exposures induce changes in the epigenome of male gametes via the transmission of aberrant sperm epigenetic marks following fertilization. Studies have demonstrated that exposure to cannabis and tobacco products alter sperm DNA methylation. Thus, it is important to investigate environmental exposures, including cigarettes and cannabis, and their effect on the male gametes during the crucial pre and periconception window. In addition, there is a need to determine whether these methylation marks are heritable and associated with health outcomes in the progeny, especially given that men are the predominant cannabis and tobacco product consumers, and their use is increasing. Our machine learning-based DNA methylation score is based on cord blood measurements of DNA methylation (Illumina’s Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip) and will reflect exposure to paternal smoking pre and during pregnancy.
B3725 - Exercise and Mental Health in Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions - 04/03/2021
B3723 - Nature vs nurture of type 2 diabetes applying polygenic risk scores to dissect genetic from environmental effects on type 2 dia - 01/03/2021
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a heritable disease leading to an abnormal glucose metabolism, influenced by multiple genetic variants across the genome. Although common in adults, T2D was previously rare in childhood, but its prevalence in this age group has been increasing in the past two decades as a result of the childhood obesity pandemic, accounting for up to 45% of cases of diabetes in youth in certain at-risk populations. The prevalence of prediabetes (an early stage of T2D, which is characterized by elevated blood sugar below the threshold to diagnose T2D) is even higher among obese children. Furthermore, individuals who develop both prediabetes and T2D in childhood and adolescence develop early microvascular complications, whose treatment failure is high. Thus, prevention of young-onset T2D using targeted lifestyle modification presents a particularly important yet difficult challenge. As such, identifying children at increased risk early in their lives is critical for these targeted interventions. Additionally, quantifying the genetic liability to youth-onset T2D could help better understand the respective contributions of environment vs genetics in the etiology of this disease. For instance, it is crucial to understand if among children with increased genetic risk for T2D, a favorable environment can prevent the development of T2D.
T2D has a polygenic nature, with an important heritable component explaining between 20% and 80% of the risk to develop this disease. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) have been demonstrated to have an improving ability to identify adult individuals at significantly high/low predisposition towards polygenic diseases. Therefore, it has become possible to identify adults who will lie at the extreme distribution of a trait, such as risk of T2D. T2D is causally linked to obesity. Obesity, as expressed by the measures of body mass index (BMI), is also a highly heritable polygenic trait. A PRS for adult BMI (Khera et al, Cell 2019) has been able to predict differences in body weight in ALSPAC children as early as at birth, with increasing predictive performance as individuals grow older.
Therefore, we posit that, similar to the PRS for BMI, a PRS for adult T2D, in combination with clinical risk factors (such as nutrition and physical activity) may be able to effectively predict individuals presenting abnormal glycemic traits in childhood. Since T2D and prediabetes in both adults and children is causally linked to obesity, we will also test if a PRS for adult BMI predicts abnormal glycemic traits in children. We will then compare the predictive performance of the PRSes and combine them with traditional non-genetic risk factors to enhance T2D risk prediction in youth. Finally, among children at the extremities of the PRS distribution (ie children with the highest and lowest genetic risk for T2D), we will seek to identify which environmental factors mitigate the effects of this genetic risk, and either contribute or prevent the development of T2D. To do this, we will use a large pediatric cohort representing the general population (ALSPAC), as well as a population of children at risk of obesity (QUALITY), both of predominantly European ancestry.
B3722 - Associations of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Body Composition Physical Activity and Sedentary Time with Cardiometabolic risks - 03/05/2021
Components of physical fitness such as physical activity and body composition has been associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents in several cross-sectional and a few longitudinal studies. However, it remains unclear how objectively measured cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary time and body composition associates with individual and clustered cardiometabolic risk factors from childhood (9 years) through young adulthood (24.5 years). Our current projects B3455 and B3622 are investigating the roles of these predictors with vascular outcomes from childhood through young adulthood. For a holistic understanding of the interrelatedness of vascular and cardiometabolic health across early life, we are therefore investigating this further using our current ALPSAC project data.
B3720 - NCS Cohort Project ARQ3 COVID-19 and Healthcare Disruption - 18/02/2021
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a profound effect on all aspects of society. To reduce the spread of the infection, the UK government imposed strong restrictive measures across England, Scotland, and Wales, including the lockdown announced on 23rd March 2020, as well as strict physical distancing rules. These infection control measures, as well as the diversion of resources towards COVID-19 services has resulted in substantial disruption to UK health care and delivery.
Recent reports from NHS digital indicate a 153-fold increase in those waiting 12 months or more for elective treatments, compared to 2020.1 Furthermore, despite a decrease in those attending A&E services, the number of patients waiting over 12 hours for admission was 34% higher in January 2021 than January 2020. Furthermore, disruption to pharmacological treatments has also been reported with delays to accessing medication.
Although restrictive measures were implemented universally to the UK population, it has become apparent that not all those are affected equally, with some individuals impacted more than others.
As a result of the health inequalities, which have been well documented for decades, exist based on sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, there is an increased concern that these groups will be disproportionately impacted in terms of healthcare disruption.
The aim of this project is to investigate sociodemographic predictors of healthcare disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.
B3719 - Maternal asthma and offspring methylation EWAS Meta-analysis of PACE cohorts - 16/02/2021
Background
Asthma is a highly heritable disease with parental asthma being the strongest known risk factor for asthma in the offspring. Maternal asthma is a stronger risk factor than paternal asthma suggesting a role of epigenetic effects. Furthermore, clinical studies have suggested that parental effects might be sex-specific.
B3716 - Ultra-processed food and DNA methylation age acceleration - 15/02/2021
This project will analyse data already transferred under project: B3258 STOP: Science and Technology in childhood
Obesity Policy
Ultra-processed food (UPF) has become increasingly common in the diets of children, particularly in the UK. Consumption of UPF has been linked with obesity, cardio-metabolic disease and some cancers, independently of total energy intake and nutritional composition. Mechanisms through which UPF effects health remain unclear. DNA methylation can be used to compute a measure of biological age using methods developed by Horvath and others. Age acceleration (AA, having a higher DNA methylation age than chronological age) measured in children may reflect developmental processes and epigenetic stability and is strongly related to child obesity. We propose to explore the effects of UPF on AA in ALSPAC children and its role in the development of obesity
B3718 - Relationships between stress ageing and risk-taking behaviour - 15/02/2021
The propensity to take risks is highly variable between individuals. Individuals who suffer stressful experiences early in life tend to show faster physiological development, an effect known as ‘psychosocial age acceleration’. Evolutionary theories predict that individuals who experience accelerated ageing are more likely to become risk-takers, as their likelihood of morbidity and mortality later in life is increased, and they therefore have less to lose and more to gain by taking risks. This predicts a ‘pace-of-life’ syndrome in which individuals exposed to early stress adopt a “live fast, die young” attitude, whereas those under less stress are more risk averse (Ellis et al. 2009; DOI: 10.1007/s12110-009-9063-7). Alternatively, the causality could be reversed – increased risk-taking could increase stress, and thereby accelerate ageing. As of yet, there are hardly any tests of these predictions in humans, and none that investigate causality. In this project, we will test whether groups of people who have inherited different genetic variants for epigenetic age acceleration differ in their risk-taking behaviour; or, conversely, whether those who have inherited different genetic variants for risk-taking behaviour differ in epigenetic markers of ageing.
B3717 - European resource for research into the early life origins of asthma allergy and eczema across the life course EU Child Cohor - 17/02/2021
Since 2003, novel birth cohorts arose and prevalences of asthma, allergy and eczema have not been studied. Combining these data might lead to better understanding of a.o. the impact of these conditions. The aim of our project is to describe the harmonization process of asthma, allergy, and eczema, and relevant related data. We will perform a meta-analysis using individual participant data of cohorts participating in the EU Child Cohort Network and describe the prevalences of wheezing, asthma, upper and lower respiratory tract infections, lung function values, inhalant allergy, inhalant allergic sensitization, food allergy, food allergic sensitization, itchy rash and eczema measured at each age from birth until adolescence while taking country of cohort and main subject characteristics into account. Additionally,we provide a framework for further research into early life stressors, genetic, epigenetic, and microbiome pathways on the risk of developing respiratory and related outcomes.
B3715 - COVID-19 specific antibody testing in ALSPAC G0/G1 - 11/02/2021
The study aims to estimate how many people in ALSPAC have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. We don’t know yet if having antibodies gives someone long-lasting protection from the virus. The results of this study may help guide public health policy and the government’s plan for its antibody testing strategy.
Other population-based research studies in the UK are also asking their participants to complete the same antibody test. Analysing the information from ALSPAC alongside these other studies will allow a greater understanding of variations across ethnicity, age, socio-economic status and geography. We can use these antibody test results in several ways alongside information already collected in ALSPAC. Such as
information on COVID-19 symptoms, (already collected via questionnaires) medical outcomes, (through record linkage), and data from other clinics and questionnaire that could be related.
B3713 - Nutrition and immunity in pregnancy maternal responses and consequences for offspring - 08/02/2021
During pregnancy, the immune system faces a particular challenge of protecting mother and vulnerable offspring. Mothers rely on nutrients to maintain their physiological condition and immune system, as well as to nourish developing young. A key question is: when mothers face challenges to their physiological state, how do they adjust energy allocation to protect themselves and their young? When does this result in adverse outcomes, such as pre-term birth? To date, most research on pregnancy and immunity involves longitudinal studies in humans or experiments on laboratory rodents. We have a solid understanding of how nutrition or inflammation in pregnancy influences birth timing, offspring physiology and behaviour. Surprisingly few studies have, however, considered the interaction between nutrition and inflammation. This project will aim to fill this gap by using a diverse toolkit: evolutionary models, experiments in insect models of pregnancy, and analyses of human cohort studies.
B3714 - Hypersensitivities and Aversions across the 5-senses - 09/03/2021
Most people have a comfortable tolerance for information received via their sense organs (i.e., sounds, tastes, smells etc.) while others have SENSORY SENSITIVITIES (i.e., over-reactivity, such as when sounds feel too loud) or SENSORY AVERSIONS (negative emotional responses, e.g., when sounds trigger anger, e.g., to the sound of chewing). Our prior proposal (approved and ongoing) investigates AUDITORY sensitivities (hyperacusis and misophonia; where sounds cause pain, or distress/anger respectively). However, sound-difficulties are just one branch of a broader profile which can affect multiple senses, and cause considerable negative impact in day to day life. For example, broad sensory sensitivities play a significant role in anxiety disorder (sometimes via neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism). With poor well-being and anxiety placing substantial financial burden on society (e.g., £12 billion invested annually by the NHS), our study aims to better understand sensory sensitivities and aversions with a questionnaire that identifies those ALSPAC participants who have such difficulties across multiple senses. The wealth of ALSPAC back-data will then allow us to “reach back” into their childhood, to explore their early development in terms of wellbeing, mental health, mood and feelings (DAWBA, Strengths and difficulties, mood and feelings, PANAS, Locus of control, anxiety) as well as their cognitive skills (eg., attention tasks), and schooling attainment (school key stage linked data). We predict that adults with sensory sensitivities/aversions were likely already expressing poorer mental well-being at a younger age, and may have heightened scores on tasks such as attention-to-detail and obsessive control, and potentially lower scores on school attendance and attainment.
B3707 - Assessing young adult e-cigarette use and perceptions - 02/02/2021
Smoking is the world's leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality, killing over seven million people annually. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. E-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking, can successfully deliver nicotine, and can help some smokers quit. However, their long-term health effects are unknown, and there are concerns about e-cigarette use among non-smokers, including long-term use, nicotine dependence and potentially transitions to smoking.
This project aims to examine the patterns and predictors of e-cigarette use and smoking among young people in ALSPAC, with a focus on perceptions and attitudes towards use.
B3712 - Effect of being a persistent picky eater on eating behaviour in school-aged children - 01/02/2021
Picky eating behaviour is young children causes parents and carers an immense amount of stress. In most children, the behaviour gradually disappears from school age onwards with no lasting ill effects. There is, however, a small group of children for whom the behaviour becomes 'ingrained' and lasts beyond this age. We'd like to look at these children in comparison with children who don't have this longer-lasting picky eating behaviour to look at the effects on their eating habits during later primary school years. We'd also like to find out how parents' worry about their child's eating as a toddler affects the child's eating behaviour at school age in these children.
B3709 - Analysis of developmental relations between co-occurring mental health problems to inform interventions - 02/02/2021
Mental health problems represent one of the leading drivers of overall disease burden. Half of all lifetime psychiatric disorders present before adulthood, with a point prevalence of between 10% and 20% of children and adolescents experiencing mental health difficulties. In addition, more than 40 percent of youths with a lifetime psychiatric disorder go on to develop at least one additional mental illness concurrently or later in life. This adds significant complexity to diagnosis and interventions and further increases the likelihood of negative outcomes, such as criminality, low educational attainment and unemployment. A developmental perspective that investigates the interrelations between multiple mental health issues from early life up until adulthood is likely to offer important insights into why mental health problems commonly co-occur and can consequently inform prevention strategies. In the current project, using state-of-the art statistical techniques, we propose to analyse the developmental relations of mental health problems. We will further examine potential factors linking mental health problems together such as genetic predispositions to mental health problems, perinatal risk factors, and school problems. The results of this project will have important clinical implications. In particular, they will shed light on potential risk factors that drive the development of co-occurring mental health problems, give insights into which symptoms are likely to precede other symptoms and further help identify other factors that might exacerbate the development of co-occurring mental health problems. Thus, findings will inform early intervention strategies for preventing the development of secondary mental health disorders.
B3711 - Proteomics of eczema substudy - 08/02/2021
Complex traits such as eczema are a significant burden on sufferers, their families and the health service. Dissecting the molecular mechanism (eg. DNA, RNA and proteins) in clinical samples of individuals with different subtyped of disease is essential for understanding, detecting, preventing and treating disease onset and progression. The ALSPAC eczema substudy has recruited 256 individuals to specifically study the molecular signatures of eczema subtypes. Skin and blood samples from these individuals are being prepared for RNA expression and DNA methylation profiling. We now propose to extend this to proteomic profiling (using the Olink Explore inflammation panel) of the plasma samples which have already been collected. Analysis of these proteins across subtypes of disease (and in combination with expression and methylation data) will allow us to more fully characterise the molecular signatures of eczema. This will in turn identify biomarkers that could be useful for detection and prediction of disease (and disease progression), as well as identifying proteins which might make for novel drug targets.
B3708 - Using Multiverse Analysis to Investigate the Relationship Between Breast-Feeding and IQ - 16/02/2021
Often a large number of equally plausible possible analysis options are available to researchers. Multiverse analysis is a proposed way of overcoming this problem where all plausible analyses are conducted and the results of all are interpreted in the context of each other. This information can be used as a measure of the reliability of a result, which in turn is useful for scientific advancement and deciding policy. However, multiverse analysis can be time consuming and complex. This project will use ALSPAC data to test and inform the building of an R/python package to conduct multiverse analysis, which is currently being built. This package will make multiverse analysis easier to conduct, encouraging greater adoption of this technique across the health sciences.
B3706 - Risk behaviours and mental health outcomes Investigation of possible genetic overlap - 01/02/2021
Modifiable risk behaviours include smoking, alcohol intake, drug use, poor diet, and physical inactivity. Participation in risk behaviours in adolescence is associated with poorer mental health at age 18. Participation in risk behaviours and poor mental health are both independently associated with poorer health outcomes later in life and reduced life expectancy. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants associated with participation in risk behaviours, depression, anxiety and wellbeing. Given the associations between risk behaviours and mental health outcomes, it is important to understand the genetic overlap between these.