A team of scientists at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad have discovered that genetic variants that increase homocysteine levels (biochemical molecule) in pregnant women can help predict low birth weight and future risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiac diseases in children.

In a research conducted for 20 long years, the scientists found that kids born to mothers with high homocysteine levels during pregnancy are obese and insulin resistant and have inferred that such children at high risk to develop diabetes in future.

According to the scientists, homocysteine is a key metabolite in one carbon metabolism that influences DNA methylation to regulate gene expression. Vitamin B12 and foliate are the major determinants in addition to several other factors like diet, smoke, stage of pregnancy for are responsible for increased homocysteine level in pregnant women.

Giving details about the findings, CCMB director Ch. Mohan Rao, said that Indian population is becoming highly diabetic and the country is already known as ‘Diabetes Capital of World’ with every fifth Indian suffering from type 2 diabetes (T2D). Although several genes were linked to T2D, together they explain only 10-12 per cent of the risk of diabetes.

With both low and heavy birth weight babies facing an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, scientists have looked into genetic factors responsible for high levels of homocysteine during pregnancy. They found that a genetic mutation increased the biochemical molecule’s levels leading to children with low birth weight, thereby increasing the risk of diabetes in them.

The study was lead by Dr. G R Chandak from CCMB Hyderabad and Dr Chittaranjan S Yajnik from KEM Hospital and Research Centre (KEMHRC) from Pune. Both the scientists are working further on developmental origins of health and adult disease (DOHAD) which will further provide an opportunity for intervention before and during pregnancy that has implications for future generations.

While giving a presentation on the study, Dr. Chandak said that 20 per cent people in India have the  genetic variant. He said that giving vitamin B12 along with folate would reduce its concentration levels and bring about a balance in its metabolic activities. However, In India, pregnant women have adequate folate due to vegetarian food and supplements, but lack in vitamin B12 due to low intake of non-vegetarian food because of which the there is a high risk of increasing homocysteine levels.