Gene Expression Differences Based on Low Total 25(OH)D and Low VDBP Status with a Preterm Birth

Preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks' gestation) is a persistent problem in the United States that affects non-Hispanic Black women at much higher rates than White women. Several biomarkers have been associated with PTB, including vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and low levels of vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP). However, no biomarker has been found to predict PTB. To identify a predictive biomarker of PTB, gene expression differences were determined in Black women with PTB and full-term births and between women with high and low levels of plasma vitamin D and high and low VDBP levels. In this pilot study of 19 pregnant women from the Biosocial Impact on Black Births (BIBB) study, we found that 47 genes were upregulated and 16 genes were downregulated in women with PTB as compared with women who had a full-term birth, 361 genes were downregulated and 61 genes were upregulated in women with VDD as compared with those that had vitamin D sufficiency, and 44 genes were upregulated and 295 were downregulated in women with low VDBP. Several genes expressed by neutrophils were downregulated in the PTB, VDD, and low VDBP groups. These findings support the idea that vitamin D and VDBP status may be important clinical markers influencing the gene expression of genes associated with PTB.