Balancing Nutrients for Better Outcomes: From Pregnancy to Early Childhood (Oral Session 5)

(OR05-01-25) Novel Insights Into Choline and Methyl Donor Nutrients: Mitigating Inflammation During Pregnancy

Sunday, June 1, 2025

8:30 AM – 8:42 AM ET

Location: S220 E-G

Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition

Presenting Author(s)

Elisabeth A. Larson, Msc.

PhD Candidate
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York, United States

Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Co-Author(s)

EO

Emily Oken

Harvard University, United States
WP

Wei Perng, PhD

University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, Colorado, United States
AL

Angie Lam

Cornell University, United States
AS

Aleha Syed

Cornell University, United States
SR

Sheryl Rifas-Shiman, MPH

Harvard University, United States
KS

Karen Switkowski

Harvard University, United States
LS

Laura Smith, PhD

Assistant Professor
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York, United States
Catherine J. Field, PhD RD

Professor
University of Alberta
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Objectives: Prenatal inflammation contributes to maternal morbidity and mortality. Evidence in non-pregnant humans and animals suggest dietary choline attenuates inflammation, but this remains unexplored in human pregnancy. Leveraging data from two pregnancy cohorts, we aim to explore associations of mid-pregnancy choline intake with inflammation biomarkers, examining potential modifying effects of other methyl donor nutrients.

Methods: We analyzed data from Project Viva (697 participants, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) and APrON (1450 participants, Alberta, CA). In Project Viva, we assessed maternal diet via Food Frequency Questionnaire, and inflammatory markers (Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, C-Reactive Protein (CRP)) in maternal blood. In APrON, we assessed diet via 24-hour recall, and high sensitivity CRP in maternal blood. To assess relationships between choline intake and inflammatory markers, we used Tobit regression models in Project Viva, and spline regression models for nonlinear associations in ApRON, considering interactions with other methyl donor nutrients.

Results: Project Viva data showed no main effect of choline on inflammation. However, higher intake of choline in conjunction with higher intake of other methyl donor nutrients was related to lower IL-6 (e.g. betaine, β interaction =-0.08, 95% CI = -0.14, -0.02). APrON data revealed an inverse association between choline and hs-CRP, specifically at spline 2 (β = -1.38, 95% CI = -2.25, -0.51) and spline 3 (β = -1.0, 95% CI = -1.78, -0.22). Due to the location of the first knot at 450 mg choline, This indicates that the inverse relationship only occurs at higher choline intakes, in particular, at levels above the current recommendations for intake during pregnancy.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest increased choline intake may be a strategy to mitigate prenatal inflammation, and further experimental work is warranted.

Funding Sources: Research supported by National Institutes of Health award 2 T32 HD087137, R01HD034568 and R24ES030894, Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Foundation, Canadian Institutes for Health Research.