Paternally Inherited Phenotypes in Cholestasis (PIP-C) V2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation of the effect of raised serum bile acids on the epigenome of sperm and the association with the metabolic health of the children of men with cholestasis: a case-control study.
IRAS ID
182833
Contact name
Kate Bramham
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Kings College London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
For some years we have known that the health of fathers at the time a baby is conceived has an influence on the health of their children. Many of the studies looking at this effect have investigated fathers with obesity and other metabolic disorders. These disorders are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes in the children. More recently, studies have been undertaken to establish the mechanism by which this risk is inherited by the children. Studies of sperm have identified that changes in the structure and function of the sperm play a role.
Our group is interested in cholestatic liver diseases, which are a group of conditions characterised by elevated levels of bile acids in the blood. We are also interested in the long-term effects of elevated levels of bile acids. We have recently established that children born to women who have cholestasis during pregnancy are at an increased risk of obesity later in life. We would now like to investigate whether there is a similar effect on the health of children if their father has cholestasis.
Our study has two arms. Firstly, we will investigate the structure and function of sperm from men with cholestasis and compare this to the structure and function of sperm from healthy men (Sperm Epigenome Study). Secondly, we will evaluate the health of the adolescent / young adult children of men who had cholestasis at the time of conception and compare this to the health of adolescent / young adult children born to men who were healthy at the time of conception (Outcomes Study).
REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0632
Date of REC Opinion
8 Aug 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion