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Hillary RF, Ng HK, McCartney DL, Elliott HR, Walker RM, Campbell A, Huang F, Direk K, Welsh P, Sattar N, Corley J, Hayward C, McIntosh AM, Sudlow C, Evans KL, Cox SR, Chambers JC, Loh M, Relton CL, Marioni RE, Yousefi PD, Suderman M. Blood-based epigenome-wide analyses of chronic low-grade inflammation across diverse population cohorts. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100544. [PMID: 38692281 PMCID: PMC11099341 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of age-related disease states. The effectiveness of inflammatory proteins including C-reactive protein (CRP) in assessing long-term inflammation is hindered by their phasic nature. DNA methylation (DNAm) signatures of CRP may act as more reliable markers of chronic inflammation. We show that inter-individual differences in DNAm capture 50% of the variance in circulating CRP (N = 17,936, Generation Scotland). We develop a series of DNAm predictors of CRP using state-of-the-art algorithms. An elastic-net-regression-based predictor outperformed competing methods and explained 18% of phenotypic variance in the Lothian Birth Cohort of 1936 (LBC1936) cohort, doubling that of existing DNAm predictors. DNAm predictors performed comparably in four additional test cohorts (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, Health for Life in Singapore, Southall and Brent Revisited, and LBC1921), including for individuals of diverse genetic ancestry and different age groups. The best-performing predictor surpassed assay-measured CRP and a genetic score in its associations with 26 health outcomes. Our findings forge new avenues for assessing chronic low-grade inflammation in diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Hong Kiat Ng
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Clinical Sciences Building, Singapore 308232, Singapore
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Hannah R Elliott
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
| | - Rosie M Walker
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Felicia Huang
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK
| | - Kenan Direk
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Paul Welsh
- School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, BHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Naveed Sattar
- School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, BHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Janie Corley
- Lothian Birth Cohort Studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Caroline Hayward
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK
| | - Cathie Sudlow
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Imaging and UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre, Health Data Research UK, London NW1 2BE, UK; Health Data Research UK, London NW1 2BE, UK
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohort Studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - John C Chambers
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Clinical Sciences Building, Singapore 308232, Singapore; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, UK
| | - Marie Loh
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Clinical Sciences Building, Singapore 308232, Singapore; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, UK; National Skin Centre, Singapore 308205, Singapore; Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Caroline L Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
| | - Paul D Yousefi
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK.
| | - Matthew Suderman
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK.
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Smith HM, Moodie JE, Monterrubio-Gómez K, Gadd DA, Hillary RF, Chybowska AD, McCartney DL, Campbell A, Redmond P, Page D, Taylor A, Corley J, Harris SE, Valdés Hernández M, Muñoz Maniega S, Bastin ME, Wardlaw JM, Deary IJ, Boardman JP, Mullin DS, Russ TC, Cox SR, Marioni RE. Epigenetic scores of blood-based proteins as biomarkers of general cognitive function and brain health. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:46. [PMID: 38528588 PMCID: PMC10962132 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01661-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic Scores (EpiScores) for blood protein levels have been associated with disease outcomes and measures of brain health, highlighting their potential usefulness as clinical biomarkers. They are typically derived via penalised regression, whereby a linear weighted sum of DNA methylation (DNAm) levels at CpG sites are predictive of protein levels. Here, we examine 84 previously published protein EpiScores as possible biomarkers of cross-sectional and longitudinal measures of general cognitive function and brain health, and incident dementia across three independent cohorts. RESULTS Using 84 protein EpiScores as candidate biomarkers, associations with general cognitive function (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally) were tested in three independent cohorts: Generation Scotland (GS), and the Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 and 1936 (LBC1921 and LBC1936, respectively). A meta-analysis of general cognitive functioning results in all three cohorts identified 18 EpiScore associations (absolute meta-analytic standardised estimates ranged from 0.03 to 0.14, median of 0.04, PFDR < 0.05). Several associations were also observed between EpiScores and global brain volumetric measures in the LBC1936. An EpiScore for the S100A9 protein (a known Alzheimer disease biomarker) was associated with general cognitive functioning (meta-analytic standardised beta: - 0.06, P = 1.3 × 10-9), and with time-to-dementia in GS (Hazard ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.44, P = 0.003), but not in LBC1936 (Hazard ratio 1.11, P = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS EpiScores might make a contribution to the risk profile of poor general cognitive function and global brain health, and risk of dementia, however these scores require replication in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Smith
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna E Moodie
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karla Monterrubio-Gómez
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Danni A Gadd
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Aleksandra D Chybowska
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Danielle Page
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adele Taylor
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Janie Corley
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maria Valdés Hernández
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James P Boardman
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Donncha S Mullin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tom C Russ
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Gaylord A, Cohen A, Kupsco A. Biomarkers of aging through the life course: A Recent Literature Update. CURRENT OPINION IN EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 2:7-17. [PMID: 38130910 PMCID: PMC10732539 DOI: 10.1097/pxh.0000000000000018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of review The development of biomarkers of aging has greatly advanced epidemiological studies of aging processes. However, much debate remains on the timing of aging onset and the causal relevance of these biomarkers. In this review, we discuss the most recent biomarkers of aging that have been applied across the life course. Recent findings The most recently developed aging biomarkers that have been applied across the life course can be designated into three categories: epigenetic clocks, epigenetic markers of chronic inflammation, and mitochondrial DNA copy number. While these have been applied at different life stages, the development, validation, and application of these markers has been largely centered on populations of older adults. Few studies have examined trajectories of aging biomarkers across the life course. As the wealth of molecular and biochemical data increases, emerging biomarkers may be able to capture complex and system-specific aging processes. Recently developed biomarkers include novel epigenetic clocks; clocks based on ribosomal DNA, transcriptomic profiles, proteomics, metabolomics, and inflammatory markers; clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential gene mutations; and multi-omics approaches. Summary Attention should be placed on aging at early and middle life stages to better understand trajectories of aging biomarkers across the life course. Additionally, novel biomarkers will provide greater insight into aging processes. The specific mechanisms of aging reflected by these biomarkers should be considered when interpreting results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Gaylord
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alan Cohen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- PRIMUS Research Group, Department of Family Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Research Center on Aging and Research Center of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Butler Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Allison Kupsco
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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