1
|
Philibert R, Hollenbeck N, Andersen E, McElroy S, Wilson S, Vercande K, Beach SRH, Osborn T, Gerrard M, Gibbons FX, Wang K. Reversion of AHRR Demethylation Is a Quantitative Biomarker of Smoking Cessation. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:55. [PMID: 27092088 PMCID: PMC4822186 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Smoking is the largest preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Although there are effective pharmacologic and behavioral treatments for smoking cessation, our inability to objectively quantify smokers' progress in decreasing smoking has been a barrier to both clinical and research efforts. In prior work, we and others have shown that DNA methylation at cg05575921, a CpG residue in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR), can be used to determine smoking status and infer cigarette consumption history. In this study, we serially assessed self-report and existing objective markers of cigarette consumption in 35 subjects undergoing smoking cessation therapy, then quantified DNA methylation at cg05575921 at study entry and three subsequent time points. Five subjects who reported serum cotinine and exhaled carbon monoxide verified smoking abstinence for the 3 months prior to study exit averaged a 5.9% increase in DNA methylation at cg05575921 (p < 0.004) over the 6-month study. Although the other 30 subjects did not achieve smoking cessation at the 6-month time point, their self-reported reduction of cigarette consumption (mean = 6 cigarettes/day) was associated with a 2.8% increase DNA methylation at cg05575921 (p < 0.05). Finally, a survey of subjects as they exited the study demonstrated strong support for the clinical use of epigenetic biomarkers. We conclude that AHRR methylation status is a quantifiable biomarker for progress in smoking cessation that could have substantial impact on both smoking cessation treatment and research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Philibert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Behavioral Diagnostics, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Nancy Hollenbeck
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA , USA
| | | | - Shyheme McElroy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA , USA
| | - Scott Wilson
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA , USA
| | - Kyra Vercande
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA , USA
| | - Steven R H Beach
- Department of Psychology, Center for Family Research, University of Georgia , Athens, GA , USA
| | | | - Meg Gerrard
- Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut , Storrs, CT , USA
| | | | - Kai Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Philibert RA, Beach S, Brody GH. The DNA methylation signature of smoking: an archetype for the identification of biomarkers for behavioral illness. NEBRASKA SYMPOSIUM ON MOTIVATION. NEBRASKA SYMPOSIUM ON MOTIVATION 2014; 61:109-27. [PMID: 25306781 PMCID: PMC4543297 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0653-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Smoking is perhaps the foremost public health challenge in the United States and in the world. In a series of rapidly emerging studies, we and others have demonstrated that cigarette smoking is associated with changes in the DNA methylation signature of peripheral blood cells. The changes associated with this type of substance use are both dose and time dependent. These changes in DNA methylation are also accompanied by changes in gene transcription and protein expression whose patterns are furthermore indicative of increased vulnerability to other forms of complex illness. In the past, our efforts to translate this knowledge into actionable information has been stymied by a lack of methods through which to systematically to assess these changes. The rapid advance of DNA methylation assessment technologies changes that dynamic and presents the possibility that methylation-based clinical tools to aid the ascertainment of smoking status or effectiveness of treatment can be developed. In this chapter, we will review the latest advances in this field and discuss how these advances allow us insight as to methods through which to prevent smoking and shed insight into optimizing strategies through which to identify biomarkers for other behavioral illnesses which share similar contributions from environmental and gene- environmental interaction effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - S.R.H. Beach
- The Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Gene H. Brody
- The Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| |
Collapse
|