Association between adiposity and insulin receptor gene expression in mononuclear blood cells in mother-child dyads

Abstract

Introduction: Due to the importance of maternal health on the children, investigating early biomarkers of glucose homeostasis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) could be useful to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases.

The objective was to search associations between anthropometric, adiposity and glucose homeostasis variables, including insulin receptor (RIn) gene expression in PBMC, in mothers with pregestacional normal-weight and overweight/obesity (OW/ OB) and their children.

Materials and Methods: A longitudinal study was carried out evaluating 62 mother-child dyads. At 10 days postpartum, anthropometric variables, adiposity and glucose homeostasis variables (glucose, insulin and insulin receptor (RIn) gene expression in PBMC) were measured in the mothers. Anthropometric variables were measured in the infants at 10 days and 6 months of life, including glucose homeostasis variables in the latter. The protocol was approved by the ethics committee.

Results: RIn gene expression was lower in OW/OB mothers and negatively correlated with pregestational body mass index (BMI) (r = -0.51, p = 0.011) and with children zBMI at 10d (r = -0.40, p = 0.049). In mothers and children, adiposity correlated negatively with RIn (r = -0.69, p < 0.001 and r = -0.74, p = <0.009).

Conclusions: RIn gene expression in PBMC could be a sensitive biomarker of glucose metabolism in mothers and children, useful for early detection of metabolic disorders.