3.5 | Possible effects of hair metabolic changes
associated with DCDA-D twins on physical and neurocognitive development
later in life
To further detect the altered metabolic activities in early life
associated with poor later physical and neurocognitive development, we
performed a correlation analysis between the predicted metabolic
activity in the hair of DCDA-D twins and evaluation indices of physical
and neurocognitive development in infants 2–3 years postpartum. There
was no significant correlation between hair metabolic changes and
physical development in infant 2-3 years (Figure 4C ).
Fortunately, we found significantly positive correlations between the
problem-solving domain and five metabolic pathways including cysteine
and methionine metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, glutathione
metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, and pantothenate and
CoA biosynthesis in DCDA-D twins (p<0.05) (Figure
4C ). Similarly, upregulated aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis also was
associated with better fine motor and communication outcomes.
Unexpectedly, no significant correlation was observed between the
personal-social domain and altered metabolic pathways in our DCDA-D
twins (Figure 4C ). In DCDA-D-S group, the correlation of
problem solving and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, nicotinate and
nicotinamide metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis was r
> 0.6 (p < 0.05) (Figure 4D ).
4 |
DISCUSSION
4.1 | Main
findings
We identified neonatal hair metabolic variations associated with growth
discordance in DCDA twins and related these to longer-term
neurobehavioural outcomes. Significantly downregulated levels of
cysteine, threonine, and leucine were identified in DCDA-D (both larger
and smaller) co-twins relative to DCDA-C twins. In addition, a higher
level of cis-aconitic acid was observed in the DCDA-D smaller twins
relative to their larger co-twin. Three downregulated metabolic pathways
(cysteine and methionine, aminoacyl-tRNA, nicotinate and nicotinamide
metabolism) were correlated with neurocognitive outcomes at 2-3 years of
age (Supplemental figure S1) .