Associations of Placental Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers with Glucolipid Metabolism in Children: A Birth Cohort Study in China

Abstract

Background The maternal intrauterine immune environment may affect offspring long‐term health. We aimed to investigate the association between the intrauterine placental immunological milieu and glycolipid metabolic health in children. Methods and Results This study enrolled 1803 mother–child pairs from the Ma'anshan birth cohort (2013–2014). Placental mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin‐1β [IL‐1β], IL‐10, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1, tumor necrosis factor‐α, IL‐4, IL‐6, IL‐8, C‐reactive protein, and interferon‐γ) and oxidative stress biomarkers (heme oxygenase‐1, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1alpha, and glucose‐related protein 78) was quantified using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Fasting blood glucose, insulin, triglycerides, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol were assessed at 5 to 6 years old. Statistical analyses included multiple linear regression, binary logistic regression, restricted cubic spline model, and the Bayesian kernel machine regression model. Placental inflammatory cytokines (IL‐1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1, C‐reactive protein, IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10) and oxidative stress biomarkers (heme oxygenase‐1, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1alpha, glucose‐related protein 78) showed positive associations with children's fasting blood glucose levels. Heme oxygenase‐1 and glucose‐related protein 78 exhibited negative correlations with children's fasting insulin levels. Elevated IL‐6, heme oxygenase‐1, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1alpha, and glucose‐related protein 78 were associated with increased risk of prediabetes in children. Overall upregulation of placental proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress factors mRNA expression correlated with higher prediabetes risk in children. Bayesian kernel machine regression analysis indicated a joint positive effect of the 12 placental inflammation and oxidative stress mixtures on children's risk of high fasting blood glucose. Conclusions This exploratory study underscores significant correlations between maternal intrauterine placental inflammation, oxidative stress markers, and offspring fasting blood glucose and insulin levels. These findings highlight the potential role of intrauterine holistic immunity in shaping offspring glucose metabolism health.