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Wen B, Zhang Y, He J, Tan L, Xiao G, Wang Z, Cui W, Wu B, Wang X, He L, Li M, Zhu Z, Sang D, Zeng C, Jia P, Liu F, Liu T. Causal impact of DNA methylation on refracture in elderly individuals with osteoporosis - a prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2024; 25:432. [PMID: 38831438 PMCID: PMC11149363 DOI: 10.1186/s12891-024-07521-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) in the elderly increase refracture risk post-surgery, leading to higher mortality rates. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified susceptibility genes for osteoporosis, but the phenotypic variance explained by these genes has been limited, indicating the need to explore additional causal factors. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, may influence osteoporosis and refracture risk. However, prospective cohorts for assessing epigenetic alterations in Chinese elderly patients are lacking. Here, we propose to conduct a prospective cohort study to investigate the causal network of DNA polymorphisms, DNA methylation, and environmental factors on the development of osteoporosis and the risk of refracture. METHODS We will collect vertebral and peripheral blood from 500 elderly OVCF patients undergoing surgery, extract DNA, and generate whole genome genotype data and DNA methylation data. Observation indicators will be collected and combined with one-year follow-up data. A healthy control group will be selected from a natural population cohort. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of osteoporosis and bone mineral density will be conducted. Differential methylation analysis will compare candidate gene methylation patterns in patients with and without refracture. Multi-omics prediction models using genetic variants and DNA methylation sites will be built to predict OVCF risk. DISCUSSION This study will be the first large-scale population-based study of osteoporosis and bone mineral density phenotypes based on genome-wide data, multi-time point methylation data, and phenotype data. By analyzing methylation changes related to osteoporosis and bone mineral density in OVCF patients, the study will explore the feasibility of DNA methylation in evaluating postoperative osteoporosis intervention effects. The findings may identify new molecular markers for effective anti-osteoporosis treatment and inform individualized prevention and treatment strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION chictr.org.cn ChiCTR2200065316, 02/11/2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingtao Wen
- Department of Orthopedics, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yaning Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Jianhua He
- Department of Orthopedics, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Tan
- Department of Orthopedics, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Guanggui Xiao
- Department of Rehabilitation, the Second Medical Center of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zunliang Wang
- Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Cui
- Department of Orthopedics, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Bingxuan Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xianhai Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Changping District Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lei He
- Department of Orthopedics, Changping District Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Tengzhou Central People's Hospital, Tengzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Zhongjiao Zhu
- Department of Orthopedics, Tengzhou Central People's Hospital, Tengzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Dacheng Sang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Changqing Zeng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Peilin Jia
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- Department of Forensic Sciences, College of Criminal Justice, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Tianzi Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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Ao X, Parisien M, Fillingim RB, Ohrbach R, Slade GD, Diatchenko L, Smith SB. Whole-genome methylation profiling reveals regions associated with painful temporomandibular disorders and active recovery processes. Pain 2024; 165:1060-1073. [PMID: 38015635 PMCID: PMC11018476 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), collectively representing one of the most common chronic pain conditions, have a substantial genetic component, but genetic variation alone has not fully explained the heritability of TMD risk. Reasoning that the unexplained heritability may be because of DNA methylation, an epigenetic phenomenon, we measured genome-wide DNA methylation using the Illumina MethylationEPIC platform with blood samples from participants in the Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study. Associations with chronic TMD used methylation data from 496 chronic painful TMD cases and 452 TMD-free controls. Changes in methylation between enrollment and a 6-month follow-up visit were determined for a separate sample of 62 people with recent-onset painful TMD. More than 750,000 individual CpG sites were examined for association with chronic painful TMD. Six differentially methylated regions were significantly ( P < 5 × 10 -8 ) associated with chronic painful TMD, including loci near genes involved in the regulation of inflammatory and neuronal response. A majority of loci were similarly differentially methylated in acute TMD consistent with observed transience or persistence of symptoms at follow-up. Functional characterization of the identified regions found relationships between methylation at these loci and nearby genetic variation contributing to chronic painful TMD and with gene expression of proximal genes. These findings reveal epigenetic contributions to chronic painful TMD through methylation of the genes FMOD , PM20D1 , ZNF718 , ZFP57 , and RNF39 , following the development of acute painful TMD. Epigenetic regulation of these genes likely contributes to the trajectory of transcriptional events in affected tissues leading to resolution or chronicity of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Ao
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences; Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain; McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Marc Parisien
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences; Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain; McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Roger B. Fillingim
- Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Richard Ohrbach
- Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Gary D. Slade
- Division of Pediatric and Public Health, Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Luda Diatchenko
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences; Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain; McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Shad B. Smith
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Dahrendorff J, Currier G, Uddin M. Leveraging DNA methylation to predict treatment response in major depressive disorder: A critical review. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2024:e32985. [PMID: 38650309 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating and prevalent mental disorder with a high disease burden. Despite a wide array of different treatment options, many patients do not respond to initial treatment attempts. Selection of the most appropriate treatment remains a significant clinical challenge in psychiatry, highlighting the need for the development of biomarkers with predictive utility. Recently, the epigenetic modification DNA methylation (DNAm) has emerged to be of great interest as a potential predictor of MDD treatment outcomes. Here, we review efforts to date that seek to identify DNAm signatures associated with treatment response in individuals with MDD. Searches were conducted in the databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science with the concepts and keywords MDD, DNAm, antidepressants, psychotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and brain stimulation therapies. We identified 32 studies implicating DNAm patterns associated with MDD treatment outcomes. The majority of studies (N = 25) are focused on selected target genes exploring treatment outcomes in pharmacological treatments (N = 22) with a few studies assessing treatment response to electroconvulsive therapy (N = 3). Additionally, there are few genome-scale efforts (N = 7) to characterize DNAm patterns associated with treatment outcomes. There is a relative dearth of studies investigating DNAm patterns in relation to psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation; importantly, most existing studies have limited sample sizes. Given the heterogeneity in both methods and results of studies to date, there is a need for additional studies before existing findings can inform clinical decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Dahrendorff
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Glenn Currier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Monica Uddin
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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Webster AP, Ecker S, Moghul I, Liu X, Dhami P, Marzi S, Paul DS, Kuxhausen M, Lee SJ, Spellman SR, Wang T, Feber A, Rakyan V, Peggs KS, Beck S. Donor whole blood DNA methylation is not a strong predictor of acute graft versus host disease in unrelated donor allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation. Front Genet 2024; 15:1242636. [PMID: 38633407 PMCID: PMC11021570 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1242636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is used to treat many blood-based disorders and malignancies, however it can also result in serious adverse events, such as the development of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). This study aimed to develop a donor-specific epigenetic classifier to reduce incidence of aGVHD by improving donor selection. Genome-wide DNA methylation was assessed in a discovery cohort of 288 HCT donors selected based on recipient aGVHD outcome; this cohort consisted of 144 cases with aGVHD grades III-IV and 144 controls with no aGVHD. We applied a machine learning algorithm to identify CpG sites predictive of aGVHD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of these sites resulted in a classifier with an encouraging area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.91. To test this classifier, we used an independent validation cohort (n = 288) selected using the same criteria as the discovery cohort. Attempts to validate the classifier failed with the AUC falling to 0.51. These results indicate that donor DNA methylation may not be a suitable predictor of aGVHD in an HCT setting involving unrelated donors, despite the initial promising results in the discovery cohort. Our work highlights the importance of independent validation of machine learning classifiers, particularly when developing classifiers intended for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy P. Webster
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kindom
- The University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kindom
| | - Simone Ecker
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kindom
| | - Ismail Moghul
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kindom
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kindom
| | - Pawan Dhami
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kindom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Guy’s Hospital London, London, United Kindom
| | - Sarah Marzi
- Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kindom
| | - Dirk S. Paul
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kindom
| | - Michelle Kuxhausen
- Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, NMDP, Minneapolis, United Kindom
| | - Stephanie J. Lee
- Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United Kindom
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, United Kindom
| | - Stephen R. Spellman
- Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, NMDP, Minneapolis, United Kindom
| | - Tao Wang
- Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United Kindom
- Division of Biostatistics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United Kindom
| | - Andrew Feber
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kindom
- The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kindom
| | - Vardhman Rakyan
- Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kindom
| | - Karl S. Peggs
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kindom
- Department of Haematology, University College London, London, United Kindom
| | - Stephan Beck
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kindom
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Fan W, Mao Y, Wu L, Feng P, Zhang X, Hu J, Jin Y, Yang X, Li H, Liu Q, Peng H. Association between CORIN promoter methylation and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy - A nested case-control study. Placenta 2024; 148:77-83. [PMID: 38417305 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2024.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Corin protein and its coding gene variants have been associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. As a mediator linking fixed genome with the dynamic environment, DNA methylation at the CORIN gene may link corin with HDP but not has been studied. This study aimed to examine whether CORIN promoter methylation and HDP in Chinese pregnant women. METHODS Based on a cohort of Chinese pregnant women, we designed a nested case-control study including 196 cases with HDP and 200 healthy controls. DNA methylation levels in the CORIN promoter were quantified by pyrosequencing using peripheral blood before 20 gestational weeks. The association between DNA methylation in CORIN promoter and HDP was systemically examined by single CpG association analysis, followed by gene-based analysis. Multiple testing was controlled by the false discovery rate (FDR) method. RESULTS The single CpG association analysis found that, among the 5 CpG sites assayed, hypermethylation at one CpG site (Chr4:47839945) was significantly associated with HDP (OR = 1.94, raw P = 0.020), but the significance did not survive for multiple testing correction (FDR-P = 0.100). The gene-based association analysis found that DNA methylation of the 5 CpG sites was jointly associated with HDP (raw P = 0.003). In addition to HDP, CORIN promoter methylation was also significantly associated with dynamic blood pressure during pregnancy (raw P < 0.05). DISCUSSION Hypermethylation in CORIN promoter at early pregnancy was associated with the risk of HDP during late pregnancy in Chinese women. However, further evidence is required to establish the causality between CORIN promoter methylation and HDP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiu Fan
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yuanyuan Mao
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Suzhou, China
| | - Lei Wu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, Suzhou Industrial Park Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suzhou, China
| | - Pei Feng
- Department of Community Health Care, Maternal and Child Health Bureau of Kunshan, Suzhou, China
| | - Xueyang Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jianwei Hu
- Department of Community Health Care, Maternal and Child Health Bureau of Kunshan, Suzhou, China
| | - Yibing Jin
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiangdong Yang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Hongmei Li
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qin Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Suzhou, China.
| | - Hao Peng
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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Wu C, Mou X, Zhang H. Gbdmr: identifying differentially methylated CpG regions in the human genome via generalized beta regressions. BMC Bioinformatics 2024; 25:97. [PMID: 38443825 PMCID: PMC10916021 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-024-05711-y] [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: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation is a biochemical process in which a methyl group is added to the cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) site on DNA molecules without altering the DNA sequence. Multiple CpG sites in a certain genome region can be differentially methylated across phenotypes. Identifying these differentially methylated CpG regions (DMRs) associated with the phenotypes contributes to disease prediction and precision medicine development. RESULTS We propose a novel DMR detection algorithm, gbdmr. In contrast to existing methods under a linear regression framework, gbdmr assumes that DNA methylation levels follow a generalized beta distribution. We compare gbdmr to alternative approaches via simulations and real data analyses, including dmrff, a new DMR detection approach that shows promising performance among competitors, and the traditional EWAS that focuses on single CpG sites. Our simulations demonstrate that gbdmr is superior to the other two when the correlation between neighboring CpG sites is strong, while dmrff shows a higher power when the correlation is weak. We provide an explanation of these phenomena from a theoretical perspective. We further applied the three methods to multiple real DNA methylation datasets. One is from a birth cohort study undertaken on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, and the other two are from the Gene Expression Omnibus database repository. Overall, gbdmr identifies more DMR CpGs linked to phenotypes than dmrff, and the simulated results support the findings. CONCLUSIONS Gbdmr is an innovative method for detecting DMRs based on generalized beta regression. It demonstrated notable advantages over dmrff and traditional EWAS, particularly when adjacent CpGs exhibited moderate to strong correlations. Our real data analyses and simulated findings highlight the reliability of gbdmr as a robust DMR detection tool. The gbdmr approach is accessible and implemented by R on GitHub: https://github.com/chengzhouwu/gbdmr .
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengzhou Wu
- School of Public Health, University of Memphis, 3720 Alumni Ave, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA
| | - Xichen Mou
- School of Public Health, University of Memphis, 3720 Alumni Ave, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA.
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- School of Public Health, University of Memphis, 3720 Alumni Ave, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA
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Beck HC, Skovgaard AC, Mohammadnejad A, Palstrøm NB, Nielsen PF, Mengel-From J, Hjelmborg J, Rasmussen LM, Soerensen M. A Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteome Study of Twin Pairs Discordant for Incident Acute Myocardial Infarction within Three Years after Blood Sampling Suggests Novel Biomarkers. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2638. [PMID: 38473885 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, yet biomarkers for AMI in the short- or medium-term are lacking. We apply the discordant twin pair design, reducing genetic and environmental confounding, by linking nationwide registry data on AMI diagnoses to a survey of 12,349 twins, thereby identifying 39 twin pairs (48-79 years) discordant for their first-ever AMI within three years after blood sampling. Mass spectrometry of blood plasma identified 715 proteins. Among 363 proteins with a call rate > 50%, imputation and stratified Cox regression analysis revealed seven significant proteins (FDR < 0.05): FGD6, MCAM, and PIK3CB reflected an increased level in AMI twins relative to their non-AMI co-twins (HR > 1), while LBP, IGHV3-15, C1RL, and APOC4 reflected a decreased level in AMI twins relative to their non-AMI co-twins (HR < 1). Additional 50 proteins were nominally significant (p < 0.05), and bioinformatics analyses of all 57 proteins revealed biology within hemostasis, coagulation cascades, the immune system, and the extracellular matrix. A protein-protein-interaction network revealed Fibronectin 1 as a central hub. Finally, technical validation confirmed MCAM, LBP, C1RL, and APOC3. We put forward novel biomarkers for incident AMI, a part of the proteome field where markers are surprisingly rare and where additional studies are highly needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Christian Beck
- Center for Individualized Medicine in Arterial Diseases, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsloews Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Asmus Cosmos Skovgaard
- The Danish Twin Registry and Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Afsaneh Mohammadnejad
- The Danish Twin Registry and Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Nicolai Bjødstrup Palstrøm
- Center for Individualized Medicine in Arterial Diseases, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsloews Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Palle Fruekilde Nielsen
- Center for Individualized Medicine in Arterial Diseases, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsloews Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Jonas Mengel-From
- The Danish Twin Registry and Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Jacob Hjelmborg
- The Danish Twin Registry and Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Lars Melholt Rasmussen
- Center for Individualized Medicine in Arterial Diseases, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsloews Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Mette Soerensen
- The Danish Twin Registry and Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsloews Vej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark
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Mehta D, de Boer I, Sutherland HG, Pijpers JA, Bron C, Bainomugisa C, Haupt LM, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Griffiths LR, Nyholt DR, Terwindt GM. Alterations in DNA methylation associate with reduced migraine and headache days after medication withdrawal treatment in chronic migraine patients: a longitudinal study. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:190. [PMID: 38087366 PMCID: PMC10717674 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01604-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic migraine, a highly disabling migraine subtype, affects nearly 2% of the general population. Understanding migraine chronification is vital for developing better treatment and prevention strategies. An important factor in the chronification of migraine is the overuse of acute headache medication. However, the mechanisms behind the transformation of episodic migraine to chronic migraine and vice versa have not yet been elucidated. We performed a longitudinal epigenome-wide association study to identify DNA methylation (DNAm) changes associated with treatment response in patients with chronic migraine and medication overuse as part of the Chronification and Reversibility of Migraine clinical trial. Blood was taken from patients with chronic migraine (n = 98) at baseline and after a 12-week medication withdrawal period. Treatment responders, patients with ≥ 50% reduction in monthly headache days (MHD), were compared with non-responders to identify DNAm changes associated with treatment response. Similarly, patients with ≥ 50% versus < 50% reduction in monthly migraine days (MMD) were compared. RESULTS At the epigenome-wide significant level (p < 9.42 × 10-8), a longitudinal reduction in DNAm at an intronic CpG site (cg14377273) within the HDAC4 gene was associated with MHD response following the withdrawal of acute medication. HDAC4 is highly expressed in the brain, plays a major role in synaptic plasticity, and modulates the expression and release of several neuroinflammation markers which have been implicated in migraine pathophysiology. Investigating whether baseline DNAm associated with treatment response, we identified lower baseline DNAm at a CpG site (cg15205829) within MARK3 that was significantly associated with MMD response at 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS Our findings of a longitudinal reduction in HDAC4 DNAm status associated with treatment response and baseline MARK3 DNAm status as an early biomarker for treatment response, provide support for a role of pathways related to chromatin structure and synaptic plasticity in headache chronification and introduce HDAC4 and MARK3 as novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Mehta
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Irene de Boer
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi G Sutherland
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Judith A Pijpers
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Charlene Bron
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Charlotte Bainomugisa
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Larisa M Haupt
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Arn M J M van den Maagdenberg
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lyn R Griffiths
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Dale R Nyholt
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia.
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
| | - Gisela M Terwindt
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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9
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Tian H, Qiao H, Han F, Kong X, Zhu S, Xing F, Duan H, Li W, Wang W, Zhang D, Wu Y. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of body composition in Chinese monozygotic twins. Eur J Clin Invest 2023; 53:e14055. [PMID: 37392072 DOI: 10.1111/eci.14055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is currently known about epigenetic alterations associated with body composition in obesity. Thus, we aimed to explore epigenetic relationships between genome-wide DNA methylation levels and three common traits of body composition as measured by body fat percentage (BF%), fat mass (FM) and lean body mass (LBM) among Chinese monozygotic twins. METHODS Generalized estimated equation model was used to regress the methylation level of CpG sites on body composition. Inference about Causation Through Examination Of Familial Confounding was used to explore the evidence of a causal relationship. Gene expression analysis was further performed to validate the results of differentially methylated genes. RESULTS We identified 32, 22 and 28 differentially methylated CpG sites (p < 10-5 ) as well as 20, 17 and eight differentially methylated regions (slk-corrected p < 0.05) significantly associated with BF%, FM and LBM which were annotated to 65 genes, showing partially overlapping. Causal inference demonstrated bidirectional causality between DNA methylation and body composition (p < 0.05). Gene expression analysis revealed significant correlations between expression levels of five differentially methylated genes and body composition (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS These DNA methylation signatures will contribute to increased knowledge about the epigenetic basis of body composition and provide new strategies for early prevention and treatment of obesity and its related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Tian
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Haofei Qiao
- Qingdao Mental Health Centre, Qingdao, China
| | - Fulei Han
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiangjie Kong
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shuai Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Fangjie Xing
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Haiping Duan
- Qingdao Municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao, China
| | - Weilong Li
- Population Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Weijing Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Dongfeng Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yili Wu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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10
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Kocher K, Bhattacharya S, Niforatos-Andescavage N, Almalvez M, Henderson D, Vilain E, Limperopoulos C, Délot EC. Genome-wide neonatal epigenetic changes associated with maternal exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Med Genomics 2023; 16:268. [PMID: 37899449 PMCID: PMC10614377 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-023-01707-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During gestation, stressors to the fetus, including viral exposure or maternal psychological distress, can fundamentally alter the neonatal epigenome, and may be associated with long-term impaired developmental outcomes. The impact of in utero exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic on the newborn epigenome has yet to be described. METHODS This study aimed to determine whether there are unique epigenetic signatures in newborns who experienced otherwise healthy pregnancies that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic (Project RESCUE). The pre-pandemic control and pandemic cohorts (Project RESCUE) included in this study are part of a prospective observational and longitudinal cohort study that evaluates the impact of elevated prenatal maternal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood neurodevelopment. Using buccal swabs collected at birth, differential DNA methylation analysis was performed using the Infinium MethylationEPIC arrays and linear regression analysis. Pathway analysis and gene ontology enrichment were performed on resultant gene lists. RESULTS Widespread differential methylation was found between neonates exposed in utero to the pandemic and pre-pandemic neonates. In contrast, there were no apparent epigenetic differences associated with maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. Differential methylation was observed among genomic sites that underpin important neurological pathways that have been previously reported in the literature to be differentially methylated because of prenatal stress, such as NR3C1. CONCLUSIONS The present study reveals potential associations between exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic during pregnancy and subsequent changes in the newborn epigenome. While this finding warrants further investigation, it is a point that should be considered in any study assessing newborn DNA methylation studies obtained during this period, even in otherwise healthy pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Kocher
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Genomics & Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Surajit Bhattacharya
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Miguel Almalvez
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Diedtra Henderson
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Eric Vilain
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | | | - Emmanuèle C Délot
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, Washington, DC, USA.
- Department of Genomics & Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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11
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Perez-Garcia J, Pino-Yanes M, Plender EG, Everman JL, Eng C, Jackson ND, Moore CM, Beckman KB, Medina V, Sharma S, Winnica DE, Holguin F, Rodríguez-Santana J, Villar J, Ziv E, Seibold MA, Burchard EG. Epigenomic response to albuterol treatment in asthma-relevant airway epithelial cells. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:156. [PMID: 37784136 PMCID: PMC10546710 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01571-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Albuterol is the first-line asthma medication used in diverse populations. Although DNA methylation (DNAm) is an epigenetic mechanism involved in asthma and bronchodilator drug response (BDR), no study has assessed whether albuterol could induce changes in the airway epithelial methylome. We aimed to characterize albuterol-induced DNAm changes in airway epithelial cells, and assess potential functional consequences and the influence of genetic variation and asthma-related clinical variables. RESULTS We followed a discovery and validation study design to characterize albuterol-induced DNAm changes in paired airway epithelial cultures stimulated in vitro with albuterol. In the discovery phase, an epigenome-wide association study using paired nasal epithelial cultures from Puerto Rican children (n = 97) identified 22 CpGs genome-wide associated with repeated-use albuterol treatment (p < 9 × 10-8). Albuterol predominantly induced a hypomethylation effect on CpGs captured by the EPIC array across the genome (probability of hypomethylation: 76%, p value = 3.3 × 10-5). DNAm changes on the CpGs cg23032799 (CREB3L1), cg00483640 (MYLK4-LINC01600), and cg05673431 (KSR1) were validated in nasal epithelia from 10 independent donors (false discovery rate [FDR] < 0.05). The effect on the CpG cg23032799 (CREB3L1) was cross-tissue validated in bronchial epithelial cells at nominal level (p = 0.030). DNAm changes in these three CpGs were shown to be influenced by three independent genetic variants (FDR < 0.05). In silico analyses showed these polymorphisms regulated gene expression of nearby genes in lungs and/or fibroblasts including KSR1 and LINC01600 (6.30 × 10-14 ≤ p ≤ 6.60 × 10-5). Additionally, hypomethylation at the CpGs cg10290200 (FLNC) and cg05673431 (KSR1) was associated with increased gene expression of the genes where they are located (FDR < 0.05). Furthermore, while the epigenetic effect of albuterol was independent of the asthma status, severity, and use of medication, BDR was nominally associated with the effect on the CpG cg23032799 (CREB3L1) (p = 0.004). Gene-set enrichment analyses revealed that epigenomic modifications of albuterol could participate in asthma-relevant processes (e.g., IL-2, TNF-α, and NF-κB signaling pathways). Finally, nine differentially methylated regions were associated with albuterol treatment, including CREB3L1, MYLK4, and KSR1 (adjusted p value < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study revealed evidence of epigenetic modifications induced by albuterol in the mucociliary airway epithelium. The epigenomic response induced by albuterol might have potential clinical implications by affecting biological pathways relevant to asthma.
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Grants
- R01 ES015794 NIEHS NIH HHS
- R01 HL120393 NHLBI NIH HHS
- R01ES015794, R21ES24844 NIEHS NIH HHS
- UM1 HG008901 NHGRI NIH HHS
- R01MD010443, R56MD013312 NIMHD NIH HHS
- R01 HL135156 NHLBI NIH HHS
- R01 HL128439 NHLBI NIH HHS
- R01 HL117004 NHLBI NIH HHS
- R21 ES024844 NIEHS NIH HHS
- R01 HL117626 NHLBI NIH HHS
- R56 MD013312 NIMHD NIH HHS
- R01 MD010443 NIMHD NIH HHS
- R01 HL155024 NHLBI NIH HHS
- R01HL155024-01, HHSN268201600032I, 3R01HL-117626-02S1, HHSN268201800002I, 3R01HL117004-02S3, 3R01HL-120393-02S1, R01HL117004, R01HL128439, R01HL135156, X01HL134589 NHLBI NIH HHS
- HHSN268201600032C NHLBI NIH HHS
- U24 HG008956 NHGRI NIH HHS
- Ministerio de Universidades
- Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- National Human Genome Research Institute
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
- The Centers for Common Disease Genomics of the Genome Sequencing Program
- Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program
- Sandler Family Foundation
- American Asthma Foundation
- Amos Medical Faculty Development Program from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Harry Wm. and Diana V. Hind Distinguished Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences II
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Perez-Garcia
- Genomics and Health Group, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology, and Genetics, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
| | - Maria Pino-Yanes
- Genomics and Health Group, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology, and Genetics, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Elizabeth G Plender
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Jamie L Everman
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Celeste Eng
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nathan D Jackson
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Camille M Moore
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Kenneth B Beckman
- University of Minnesota Genomics Center (UMNGC), Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Sunita Sharma
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Daniel Efrain Winnica
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Fernando Holguin
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Jesús Villar
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Multidisciplinary Organ Dysfunction Evaluation Research Network (MODERN), Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at the St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elad Ziv
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Max A Seibold
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Esteban G Burchard
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
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12
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Rahman SR, Lozier JD. Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) populations from spatial-environmental range extremes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14901. [PMID: 37689750 PMCID: PMC10492822 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41896-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Unraveling molecular mechanisms of adaptation to complex environments is crucial to understanding tolerance of abiotic pressures and responses to climatic change. Epigenetic variation is increasingly recognized as a mechanism that can facilitate rapid responses to changing environmental cues. To investigate variation in genetic and epigenetic diversity at spatial and thermal extremes, we use whole genome and methylome sequencing to generate a high-resolution map of DNA methylation in the bumble bee Bombus vosnesenskii. We sample two populations representing spatial and environmental range extremes (a warm southern low-elevation site and a cold northern high-elevation site) previously shown to exhibit differences in thermal tolerance and determine positions in the genome that are consistently and variably methylated across samples. Bisulfite sequencing reveals methylation characteristics similar to other arthropods, with low global CpG methylation but high methylation concentrated in gene bodies and in genome regions with low nucleotide diversity. Differentially methylated sites (n = 2066) were largely hypomethylated in the northern high-elevation population but not related to local sequence differentiation. The concentration of methylated and differentially methylated sites in exons and putative promoter regions suggests a possible role in gene regulation, and this high-resolution analysis of intraspecific epigenetic variation in wild Bombus suggests that the function of methylation in niche adaptation would be worth further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeffrey D Lozier
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
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13
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Tsalenchuk M, Gentleman SM, Marzi SJ. Linking environmental risk factors with epigenetic mechanisms in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:123. [PMID: 37626097 PMCID: PMC10457362 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00568-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, with a complex risk structure thought to be influenced by interactions between genetic variants and environmental exposures, although the full aetiology is unknown. Environmental factors, including pesticides, have been reported to increase the risk of developing the disease. Growing evidence suggests epigenetic changes are key mechanisms by which these environmental factors act upon gene regulation, in disease-relevant cell types. We present a systematic review critically appraising and summarising the current body of evidence of the relationship between epigenetic mechanisms and environmental risk factors in PD to inform future research in this area. Epigenetic studies of relevant environmental risk factors in animal and cell models have yielded promising results, however, research in humans is just emerging. While published studies in humans are currently relatively limited, the importance of the field for the elucidation of molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis opens clear and promising avenues for the future of PD research. Carefully designed epidemiological studies carried out in PD patients hold great potential to uncover disease-relevant gene regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, to advance this burgeoning field, we recommend broadening the scope of investigations to include more environmental exposures, increasing sample sizes, focusing on disease-relevant cell types, and recruiting more diverse cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tsalenchuk
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Sarah J Marzi
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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14
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van Dongen J, Willemsen G, de Geus EJC, Boomsma DI, Neale MC. Effects of smoking on genome-wide DNA methylation profiles: A study of discordant and concordant monozygotic twin pairs. eLife 2023; 12:e83286. [PMID: 37643467 PMCID: PMC10501767 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Smoking-associated DNA methylation levels identified through epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) are generally ascribed to smoking-reactive mechanisms, but the contribution of a shared genetic predisposition to smoking and DNA methylation levels is typically not accounted for. Methods We exploited a strong within-family design, that is, the discordant monozygotic twin design, to study reactiveness of DNA methylation in blood cells to smoking and reversibility of methylation patterns upon quitting smoking. Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip data were available for 769 monozygotic twin pairs (mean age = 36 years, range = 18-78, 70% female), including pairs discordant or concordant for current or former smoking. Results In pairs discordant for current smoking, 13 differentially methylated CpGs were found between current smoking twins and their genetically identical co-twin who never smoked. Top sites include multiple CpGs in CACNA1D and GNG12, which encode subunits of a calcium voltage-gated channel and G protein, respectively. These proteins interact with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, suggesting that methylation levels at these CpGs might be reactive to nicotine exposure. All 13 CpGs have been previously associated with smoking in unrelated individuals and data from monozygotic pairs discordant for former smoking indicated that methylation patterns are to a large extent reversible upon smoking cessation. We further showed that differences in smoking level exposure for monozygotic twins who are both current smokers but differ in the number of cigarettes they smoke are reflected in their DNA methylation profiles. Conclusions In conclusion, by analysing data from monozygotic twins, we robustly demonstrate that DNA methylation level in human blood cells is reactive to cigarette smoking. Funding We acknowledge funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse grant DA049867, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO): Biobanking and Biomolecular Research Infrastructure (BBMRI-NL, NWO 184.033.111) and the BBRMI-NL-financed BIOS Consortium (NWO 184.021.007), NWO Large Scale infrastructures X-Omics (184.034.019), Genotype/phenotype database for behaviour genetic and genetic epidemiological studies (ZonMw Middelgroot 911-09-032); Netherlands Twin Registry Repository: researching the interplay between genome and environment (NWO-Groot 480-15-001/674); the Avera Institute, Sioux Falls (USA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH R01 HD042157-01A1, MH081802, Grand Opportunity grants 1RC2 MH089951 and 1RC2 MH089995); epigenetic data were generated at the Human Genomics Facility (HuGe-F) at ErasmusMC Rotterdam. Cotinine assaying was sponsored by the Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam. DIB acknowledges the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science Professor Award (PAH/6635).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny van Dongen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Gonneke Willemsen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Eco JC de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Michael C Neale
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondUnited States
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15
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Fernando KK, Craig JM, Dawson SL. Relationships between the maternal prenatal diet and epigenetic state in infants: a systematic review of human studies. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2023; 14:540-555. [PMID: 37496159 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174423000211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Most human studies investigating the relationship between maternal diet in pregnancy and infant epigenetic state have focused on macro- and micro-nutrient intake, rather than the whole diet. This makes it difficult to translate the evidence into practical prenatal dietary recommendations.To review the evidence on how the prenatal diet relates to the epigenetic state of infants measured in the first year of life via candidate gene or genome-wide approaches.Following the PRISMA guidelines, this systematic literature search was completed in August 2020, and updated in August 2021 and April 2022. Studies investigating dietary supplementation were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed, and the certainty of results was analysed with consideration of study quality and validity.Seven studies were included, encompassing 6852 mother-infant dyads. One study was a randomised controlled trial and the remaining six were observational studies. There was heterogeneity in dietary exposure measures. Three studies used an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) design and four focused on candidate genes from cord blood samples. All studies showed inconsistent associations between maternal dietary measures and DNA methylation in infants. Effect sizes of maternal diet on DNA methylation ranged from very low (< 1%) to high (> 10%). All studies had limitations and were assessed as having moderate to high risk of bias.The evidence presented here provides very low certainty that dietary patterns in pregnancy relate to epigenetic state in infants. We recommend that future studies maximise sample sizes and optimise and harmonise methods of dietary measurement and pipelines of epigenetic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathya K Fernando
- Department of Immunology & Pathology, Alfred Health and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
- IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Australia
| | - Samantha L Dawson
- Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
- IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Australia
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16
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Kim HJ, Bang M, Park CI, Lee SH. Altered DNA Methylation of the Serotonin Transporter Gene Associated with Early Life Stress and White Matter Microalterations in Korean Patients with Panic Disorder. Neuropsychobiology 2023; 82:210-219. [PMID: 37231896 DOI: 10.1159/000530313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Changes in the DNA methylation of 5-HTTLPR are associated with the pathophysiology of panic disorder (PD). This study was conducted to investigate the association between stressful life events and the level of 5-HTTLPR methylation in patients with PD. We also examined whether these factors were associated with white matter alterations in psychological trauma-related regions. METHODS The participants comprised 232 patients with PD and 93 healthy adults of Korean descent. DNA methylation levels of five cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites in the 5-HTTLPR region were analyzed. Voxel-wise statistical analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data was performed within the trauma-related regions. RESULTS PD patients showed significantly lower levels of the DNA methylation at 5-HTTLPR 5 CpG sites than healthy controls. In patients with PD, the DNA methylation levels at 5-HTTLPR 5 CpG sites showed significant negative association with the parental separation-related psychological distress, and positive correlations with the fractional anisotropy values of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) which might be related to trait anxiety. CONCLUSION Early life stress was significantly associated with DNA methylation levels at 5-HTTLPR related to the decreased white matter integrity in the SLF region in PD. Decreased white matter connectivity in the SLF might be related to trait anxiety and is vital to the pathophysiology of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Ju Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Minji Bang
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Chun Il Park
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hyuk Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
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17
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Mohanraj L, Lapato DM, Toor A, Swift-Scanlan T. DNA Methylation Research in Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Population. Biol Res Nurs 2023; 25:220-226. [PMID: 36242509 DOI: 10.1177/10998004221132251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Despite increased sophistication in DNA methylation (DNAm) measurement and methods, conducting studies in specific populations such as the hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) population, presents unique challenges and study design considerations. In this article, we explain the motivation for investigating DNAm in the HCT population, highlighting important study design features and key findings in a longitudinal prospective pilot study of DNAm in 32 patients undergoing autologous HCT in Central Virginia, USA. We also discuss limitations and challenges to generating robust results. We observed that HCT does not prevent high-quality DNA from being extracted from whole blood for DNAm research and that longitudinal prospective studies that span pre- and 2-months post-HCT are feasible. Critically, we did not observe significant impacts of cancer diagnosis, time since transplant, age, or chromosomal sex on overall DNAm data dimensionality. These observations demonstrate that while extreme care is required to ensure generalizable, accurate, and interpretable results, researchers should not avoid HCT-DNAm research simply for fear that the transplant procedure or presence of a cancer diagnosis will prevent meaningful conclusions from being drawn. DNAm is an attractive biomarker that is understudied in patients undergoing HCT and needs to expand to improve precise prediction of HCT outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lathika Mohanraj
- Department of Adult Health and Nursing Systems, 16197VCU School of Nursing, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Dana M Lapato
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, VCU School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Amir Toor
- Department of Internal Medicine, VCU School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Theresa Swift-Scanlan
- Endowed Professor and Director, Biobehavioral Research Lab, 16197VCU School of Nursing, Richmond, VA, USA
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Joustra V, Hageman IL, Satsangi J, Adams A, Ventham NT, de Jonge WJ, Henneman P, D’Haens GR, Li Yim AYF. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Peripheral Blood DNA Methylation Studies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J Crohns Colitis 2023; 17:185-198. [PMID: 35998097 PMCID: PMC10024549 DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjac119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Over the past decade, the DNA methylome has been increasingly studied in peripheral blood of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] patients. However, a comprehensive summary and meta-analysis of peripheral blood leukocyte [PBL] DNA methylation studies has thus far not been conducted. Here, we systematically reviewed all available literature up to February 2022 and summarized the observations by means of meta-analysis. METHODS We conducted a systematic search and critical appraisal of IBD-associated DNA methylation studies in PBL using the biomarker-based cross-sectional studies [BIOCROSS] tool. Subsequently, we performed meta-analyses on the summary statistics obtained from epigenome-wide association studies [EWAS] that included patients with Crohn's disease [CD], ulcerative colitis [UC] and/or healthy controls [HC]. RESULTS Altogether, we included 15 studies for systematic review. Critical appraisal revealed large methodological and outcome heterogeneity between studies. Summary statistics were obtained from four studies based on a cumulative 552 samples [177 CD, 132 UC and 243 HC]. Consistent differential methylation was identified for 256 differentially methylated probes [DMPs; Bonferroni-adjusted p ≤ 0.05] when comparing CD with HC and 103 when comparing UC with HC. Comparing IBD [CD + UC] with HC resulted in 224 DMPs. Importantly, several of the previously identified DMPs, such as VMP1/TMEM49/MIR21 and RPS6KA2, were consistently differentially methylated across all studies. CONCLUSION Methodological homogenization of IBD epigenetic studies is needed to allow for easier aggregation and independent validation. Nonetheless, we were able to confirm previous observations. Our results can serve as the basis for future IBD epigenetic biomarker research in PBL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jack Satsangi
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Alex Adams
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas T Ventham
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Wouter J de Jonge
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Peter Henneman
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Human Genetics, Genome Diagnostics Laboratory, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Geert R D’Haens
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Andrew Y F Li Yim
- Corresponding author: Andrew Y. F. Li Yim, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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19
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Dong Q, Chen C, Song N, Qin N, Plonski NM, Finch ER, Shelton K, Easton J, Mulder H, Plyer E, Neale G, Walker E, Li Q, Huang IC, Zhang J, Wang H, Hudson MM, Robison LL, Ness KK, Wang Z. Distinct DNA methylation signatures associated with blood lipids as exposures or outcomes among survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the St. Jude lifetime cohort. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:32. [PMID: 36855205 PMCID: PMC9976538 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01447-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation (DNAm) plays an important role in lipid metabolism, however, no epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of lipid levels has been conducted among childhood cancer survivors. Here, we performed EWAS analysis with longitudinally collected blood lipid data from survivors in the St. Jude lifetime cohort study. METHODS Among 2052 childhood cancer survivors of European ancestry (EA) and 370 survivors of African ancestry (AA), four types of blood lipids, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG), were measured during follow-up beyond 5-years from childhood cancer diagnosis. For the exposure EWAS (i.e., lipids measured before blood draw for DNAm), the DNAm level was an outcome variable and each of the blood lipid level was an exposure variable; vice versa for the outcome EWAS (i.e., lipids measured after blood draw for DNAm). RESULTS Among EA survivors, we identified 43 lipid-associated CpGs in the HDL (n = 7), TC (n = 3), and TG (n = 33) exposure EWAS, and 106 lipid-associated CpGs in the HDL (n = 5), LDL (n = 3), TC (n = 4), and TG (n = 94) outcome EWAS. Among AA survivors, we identified 15 lipid-associated CpGs in TG exposure (n = 6), HDL (n = 1), LDL (n = 1), TG (n = 5) and TC (n = 2) outcome EWAS with epigenome-wide significance (P < 9 × 10-8). There were no overlapping lipids-associated CpGs between exposure and outcome EWAS among EA and AA survivors, suggesting that the DNAm changes of different CpGs could be the cause or consequence of blood lipid levels. In the meta-EWAS, 12 additional CpGs reached epigenome-wide significance. Notably, 32 out of 74 lipid-associated CpGs showed substantial heterogeneity (Phet < 0.1 or I2 > 70%) between EA and AA survivors, highlighting differences in DNAm markers of blood lipids between populations with diverse genetic ancestry. Ten lipid-associated CpGs were cis-expression quantitative trait methylation with their DNAm levels associated with the expression of corresponding genes, out of which seven were negatively associated. CONCLUSIONS We identified distinct signatures of DNAm for blood lipids as exposures or outcomes and between EA and AA survivors, revealing additional genes involved in lipid metabolism and potential novel targets for controlling blood lipids in childhood cancer survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Dong
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
- School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nan Song
- College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Na Qin
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Noel-Marie Plonski
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Emily R Finch
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Kyla Shelton
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - John Easton
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Heather Mulder
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Emily Plyer
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Geoffrey Neale
- Hartwell Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Emily Walker
- Hartwell Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - I-Chan Huang
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jinghui Zhang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hui Wang
- School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Melissa M Hudson
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Leslie L Robison
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Kirsten K Ness
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Zhaoming Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 735, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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20
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Gentilini D, Muzza M, de Filippis T, Vigone MC, Weber G, Calzari L, Cassio A, Di Frenna M, Bartolucci M, Grassi ES, Carbone E, Olivieri A, Persani L. Stochastic epigenetic mutations as possible explanation for phenotypical discordance among twins with congenital hypothyroidism. J Endocrinol Invest 2023; 46:393-404. [PMID: 36071330 PMCID: PMC9859866 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-022-01915-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The elevated frequency of discordance for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) phenotype between monozygotic twins suggests the involvement of non-mendelian mechanisms. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of epigenetics in CH pathogenesis. METHODS A genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed on the peripheral blood of 23 twin pairs (10 monozygotic and 13 dizygotic), 4 concordant and 19 discordant pairs for CH at birth. RESULTS Differential methylation analysis did not show significant differences in methylation levels between CH cases and controls, but a different methylation status of several genes may explain the CH discordance of a monozygotic twin couple carrying a monoallelic nonsense mutation of DUOX2. In addition, the median number of hypo-methylated Stochastic Epigenetic Mutations (SEMs) resulted significantly increased in cases compared to controls. The prioritization analysis for CH performed on the genes epimutated exclusively in the cases identified SLC26A4, FOXI1, NKX2-5 and TSHB as the genes with the highest score. The analysis of significantly SEMs-enriched regions led to the identification of two genes (FAM50B and MEG8) that resulted epigenetically dysregulated in cases. CONCLUSION Epigenetic modifications may potentially account for CH pathogenesis and explain discordance among monozygotic twins.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Gentilini
- Bioinformatics and Statistical Genomics Unit, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, 20095, Milan, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - M Muzza
- Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Research, Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy
| | - T de Filippis
- Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Research, Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy
| | - M C Vigone
- Department of Pediatrics, Endocrine Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - G Weber
- Department of Pediatrics, Endocrine Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - L Calzari
- Bioinformatics and Statistical Genomics Unit, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, 20095, Milan, Italy
| | - A Cassio
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - M Di Frenna
- Department of Pediatrics, Endocrine Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - M Bartolucci
- Department of Maternal and Child Sciences and Urology, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - E S Grassi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Experimental Medicine, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - E Carbone
- Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Research, Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy
| | - A Olivieri
- Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases and Aging, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - L Persani
- Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Research, Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Experimental Medicine, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy.
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21
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Tazelaar GHP, Hop PJ, Seelen M, van Vugt JJFA, van Rheenen W, Kool L, van Eijk KR, Gijzen M, Dooijes D, Moisse M, Calvo A, Moglia C, Brunetti M, Canosa A, Nordin A, Pardina JSM, Ravits J, Al-Chalabi A, Chio A, McLaughlin RL, Hardiman O, Van Damme P, de Carvalho M, Neuwirth C, Weber M, Andersen PM, van den Berg LH, Veldink JH, van Es MA. Whole genome sequencing analysis reveals post-zygotic mutation variability in monozygotic twins discordant for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 122:76-87. [PMID: 36521271 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.11.010] [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: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a heterogeneous, fatal neurodegenerative disease, characterized by motor neuron loss and in 50% of cases also by cognitive and/or behavioral changes. Mendelian forms of ALS comprise approximately 10-15% of cases. The majority is however considered sporadic, but also with a high contribution of genetic risk factors. To explore the contribution of somatic mutations and/or epigenetic changes to disease risk, we performed whole genome sequencing and methylation analyses using samples from multiple tissues on a cohort of 26 monozygotic twins discordant for ALS, followed by in-depth validation and replication experiments. The results of these analyses implicate several mechanisms in ALS pathophysiology, which include a role for de novo mutations, defects in DNA damage repair and accelerated aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gijs H P Tazelaar
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J Hop
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Meinie Seelen
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Joke J F A van Vugt
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Wouter van Rheenen
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Lindy Kool
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Kristel R van Eijk
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marleen Gijzen
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dennis Dooijes
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Matthieu Moisse
- Neurology Department University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI) KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andrea Calvo
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Moglia
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy
| | - Maura Brunetti
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy
| | - Antonio Canosa
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy
| | - Angelica Nordin
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - John Ravits
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute and United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Neurology, King's College Hospital, London, UK
| | - Adriano Chio
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy
| | - Russell L McLaughlin
- Population Genetics Laboratory, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Dublin, Republic of Ireland; Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Neurology Department University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI) KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mamede de Carvalho
- Department of Neurosciences, Hospital de Santa Maria-CHLN, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Physiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Christoph Neuwirth
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit / ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St.Gallen, St.Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Markus Weber
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit / ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St.Gallen, St.Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Michael A van Es
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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22
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Crider KS, Wang A, Ling H, Potischman N, Bailey RL, Lichen Y, Pfeiffer CM, Killian JK, Rose C, Sampson J, Zhu L, Berry RJ, Linet M, Yu W, Su LJ. Maternal Periconceptional Folic Acid Supplementation and DNA Methylation Patterns in Adolescent Offspring. J Nutr 2023; 152:2669-2676. [PMID: 36196007 PMCID: PMC9839994 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Folate, including the folic acid form, is a key component of the one-carbon metabolic pathway used for DNA methylation. Changes in DNA methylation patterns during critical development periods are associated with disease outcomes and are associated with changes in nutritional status in pregnancy. The long-term impact of periconceptional folic acid supplementation on DNA methylation patterns is unknown. OBJECTIVES To determine the long-term impact of periconceptional folic acid supplementation on DNA methylation patterns, we examined the association of the recommended dosage (400 μg/d) and time period (periconceptional before pregnancy through first trimester) of folic acid supplementation with the DNA methylation patterns in the offspring at age 14-17 y compared with offspring with no supplementation. METHODS Two geographic sites in China from the 1993-1995 Community Intervention Program of folic acid supplementation were selected for the follow-up study. DNA methylation at 402,730 CpG sites was assessed using saliva samples from 89 mothers and 179 adolescents (89 male). The mean age at saliva collection was 40 y among mothers (range: 35-54 y) and 15 y among adolescents (range: 14-17 y). Epigenome-wide analyses were conducted to assess the interactions of periconceptional folic acid exposure, the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR)-C677T genotype, and epigenome-wide DNA methylation controlling for offspring sex, geographic region, and background cell composition in the saliva. RESULTS In the primary outcome, no significant differences were observed in epigenome-wide methylation patterns between adolescents exposed and those non-exposed to maternal periconceptional folic acid supplementation after adjustment for potential confounders [false discovery rate (FDR) P values < 0.05]. The MTHFR-C677T genotype did not modify this lack of association (FDR P values < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Overall, there were no differences in DNA methylation between adolescents who were exposed during the critical developmental window and those not exposed to the recommended periconceptional/first-trimester dosage of folic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista S Crider
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, US CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Arick Wang
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, US CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hao Ling
- US CDC China Office, Beijing, China
| | | | - Regan L Bailey
- Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Yang Lichen
- National Center for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Christine M Pfeiffer
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, US CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - J Keith Killian
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charles Rose
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, US CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua Sampson
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Li Zhu
- School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China (retired)
| | - Robert J Berry
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, US CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Martha Linet
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Wang Yu
- Director General (former), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - L Joseph Su
- Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Program, Division of Epidemiology, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR, USA
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23
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Wattacheril JJ, Raj S, Knowles DA, Greally JM. Using epigenomics to understand cellular responses to environmental influences in diseases. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010567. [PMID: 36656803 PMCID: PMC9851565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
It is a generally accepted model that environmental influences can exert their effects, at least in part, by changing the molecular regulators of transcription that are described as epigenetic. As there is biochemical evidence that some epigenetic regulators of transcription can maintain their states long term and through cell division, an epigenetic model encompasses the idea of maintenance of the effect of an exposure long after it is no longer present. The evidence supporting this model is mostly from the observation of alterations of molecular regulators of transcription following exposures. With the understanding that the interpretation of these associations is more complex than originally recognised, this model may be oversimplistic; therefore, adopting novel perspectives and experimental approaches when examining how environmental exposures are linked to phenotypes may prove worthwhile. In this review, we have chosen to use the example of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a common, complex human disease with strong environmental and genetic influences. We describe how epigenomic approaches combined with emerging functional genetic and single-cell genomic techniques are poised to generate new insights into the pathogenesis of environmentally influenced human disease phenotypes exemplified by NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia J. Wattacheril
- Department of Medicine, Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Srilakshmi Raj
- Division of Genomics, Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - David A. Knowles
- New York Genome Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - John M. Greally
- Division of Genomics, Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
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24
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Wu Y, Tian H, Wang W, Li W, Duan H, Zhang D. DNA methylation and waist-to-hip ratio: an epigenome-wide association study in Chinese monozygotic twins. J Endocrinol Invest 2022; 45:2365-2376. [PMID: 35882828 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-022-01878-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Epigenetic signatures such as DNA methylation may be associated with specific obesity traits. We performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) by combining with the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)-discordant monozygotic (MZ) twin design in an attempt to identify genetically independent DNA methylation marks associated with abdominal obesity in Northern Han Chinese and to determine the causation underlying. METHODS A total of 60 WHR discordant MZ twin pairs were selected from the Qingdao Twin Registry, China. Generalized estimated equation (GEE) model was used to regress the methylation level of CpG sites on WHR. The Inference about Causation through Examination of FAmiliaL CONfounding (ICE FALCON) was used to assess the temporal relationship between methylation and WHR. Gene expression analysis was conducted to validate the results of differentially methylated analyses. RESULTS EWAS identified 92 CpG sites with the level of P < 10 - 4 which were annotated to 32 genes, especially CADPS2, TUSC5, ZCCHC14, CORO7, COL23A1, CACNA1C, CYP26B1, and BCAT1. ICE FALCON showed significant causality between DNA methylation of several genes and WHR (P < 0.05). In region-based analysis, 14 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) located at 15 genes (slk-corrected P < 0.05) were detected. The gene expression analysis identified the significant correlation between expression levels of 5 differentially methylated genes and WHR (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our study identifies the associations between specific epigenetic variations and WHR in Northern Han Chinese. These DNA methylation signatures may have value as diagnostic biomarkers and provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Wu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, NO. 308 Ningxia Road, 266071, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
| | - H Tian
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, NO. 308 Ningxia Road, 266071, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - W Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, NO. 308 Ningxia Road, 266071, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - W Li
- Population Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Duan
- Qingdao Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - D Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, NO. 308 Ningxia Road, 266071, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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Childhood Trauma and Epigenetics: State of the Science and Future. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:661-672. [PMID: 36242743 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00381-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is a great deal of interest regarding the biological embedding of childhood trauma and social exposures through epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation (DNAm), but a comprehensive understanding has been hindered by issues of limited reproducibility between studies. This review presents a summary of the literature on childhood trauma and DNAm, highlights issues in the field, and proposes some potential solutions. RECENT FINDINGS Investigations of the associations between DNAm and childhood trauma are commonly performed using candidate gene approaches, specifically involving genes related to neurological and stress pathways. Childhood trauma is defined in a wide range of ways in several societal contexts. However, although variations in DNAm are frequently found in stress-related genes, unsupervised epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have shown limited reproducibility both between studies and in relating these changes to exposures. The reproducibility of childhood trauma DNAm studies, and the field of social epigenetics in general, may be improved by increasing sample sizes, standardizing variables, making use of effect size thresholds, collecting longitudinal and intervention samples, appropriately accounting for known confounding factors, and applying causal analysis wherever possible, such as "two-step epigenetic Mendelian randomization."
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Qin X, Wang Y, Pedersen NL, Tang B, Hägg S. Dynamic patterns of blood lipids and DNA methylation in response to statin therapy. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:153. [PMID: 36443870 PMCID: PMC9706978 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01375-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Statins are lipid-lowering drugs and starting treatment has been associated with DNA methylation changes at genes related to lipid metabolism. However, the longitudinal pattern of how statins affect DNA methylation in relation to lipid levels has not been well investigated. METHODS We conducted an epigenetic association study in a longitudinal Swedish twin sample in previously reported lipid-related CpGs (cg10177197, cg17901584 and cg27243685). First, we applied a mixed-effect model to assess the association between blood lipids (total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), total triglyceride (TG)) and DNA methylation. Then, we performed a piecewise latent linear-linear growth curve model (LGCM) to explore the long-term changing pattern of lipids and methylation in response to statin treatment. Finally, we used a bivariate autoregressive latent trajectory model with structured residuals (ALT-SR) to analyze the cross-lagged effects in different lipid-CpG pairs in statin users and non-users. RESULTS We replicated the associations between TC, LDL, HDL and DNA methylation level in cg17901584 and cg27243685 (P values ranged from 4.70E-12 to 1.84E-04). From the piecewise LGCM, we showed that TC and LDL significantly decreased in statin users before treatment started and then remained stable. For non-statin users, we only found a slightly significant decreasing trend for TC and TG. We observed a similar dynamic pattern for methylation levels at cg27243685 and cg17901584. Before statin initiation, cg27243685 showed a significantly increasing trend and cg17901584 a decreasing trend, but post-treatment, there were no additional changes. From the ALT-SR model, we found TG levels to be significantly associated with the DNA methylation level of cg27243685 at the next measurement in statin users (estimate = 0.383, 95% CI: 0.173, 0.594, P value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal blood lipid and DNA methylation levels change after statin treatment initiation, where the latter is mostly a response to alterations in lipid levels and not vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Qin
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, 38# Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191 China ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 12A, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yunzhang Wang
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 12A, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nancy L. Pedersen
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 12A, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bowen Tang
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 12A, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Hägg
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 12A, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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Aroke EN, Hobson JM, Ptacek T, Jackson P, Goodin BR. Genome-wide DNA methylation study identifies significant epigenomic changes associated with internalized stigma in adults with non-specific chronic low back pain. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2022; 3:1021963. [PMID: 36518098 PMCID: PMC9742283 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2022.1021963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-specific chronic low back pain (cLBP) represents a common musculoskeletal condition with no identifiable cause. It cannot be diagnosed with conventional neuroimaging techniques such as computerized tomography (CT). The diagnostic uncertainty that characterizes non-specific cLBP can lead to stigmatizing responses from others that can become internalized Among individuals with non-specific cLBP, internalized stigma is associated with greater pain intensity and disability. Yet, no study has examined the biological mechanism linking high internalized stigma to worse outcomes in individuals with non-specific cLBP. We aimed to identify differentially methylated loci (DML), enrichment pathways, and associated network interactions among individuals with non-specific cLBP experiencing low vs. high internalized stigma. We examined DNA methylation in whole blood samples from 48 adults, ages 19-85, using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). After controlling for age, sex, race, and multiple testing, differentially methylated loci (DML) differed in adults with low vs. high internalized stigma by at least 10% and q < 0.01 in 3,665 CpG sites: 2,280 hypomethylated and 1,385 hypermethylated. Gene ontology (GO) analyses of the annotated genes from these sites revealed significant enrichment of 274 biological processes, 29 cellular components, and 24 molecular functions (adjusted p < 0.05). The top enriched molecular functions regulate protein binding and DNA binding of transcription factor activity. Pathway analyses indicated that many functional genomic pathways, including Hippo Signaling, Melanogenesis, and Pathways in Cancer, were enriched with differentially methylated genes. Also, there was a significant interaction between relevance pathways such as P53, mTOR, PI3K-Akt, and Wnt signaling pathways. These pathways have previously been associated with neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and stress-related conditions. Thus, findings point to possible stress-induced DNAm changes as the link between high levels of internalized stigma and worse outcomes in adults with non-specific cLBP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin N. Aroke
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Joanna M. Hobson
- Biobehavioral Pain Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Travis Ptacek
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Pamela Jackson
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Burel R. Goodin
- Biobehavioral Pain Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Center for Addiction and Pain Prevention and Intervention (CAPPI), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Shedden-Mora MC, Jessen B, Schmidt-Lauber C, Löwe B, Rösch M, Dannemeyer H, Gloy J, Van den Bergh O, Huber TB. Predictors of somatic symptom persistence in patients with chronic kidney disease (SOMA.CK): study protocol for a mixed-methods cohort study. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e067821. [PMID: 36396319 PMCID: PMC9677007 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Seven of 10 patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) experience burdensome persistent somatic symptoms (PSS). Despite the high prevalence and relevance for quality of life, disease progression and mortality, the pathogenesis of PSS in CKD remains poorly understood. The SOMA.CK study aims to investigate biopsychosocial predictors and their interactions for PSS in non-dialysis CKD and to develop a multivariate prognostic prediction model for PSS in CKD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The study is a mixed-methods cohort study with assessments at baseline, 6 and 12 months. It aims to include 330 patients with CKD stages G2-4 (eGFR=15-89 mL/min/1.73 m2). Primary outcome is the CKD-specific somatic symptom burden assessed with the CKD Symptom Burden Index. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, general somatic symptom burden and functioning. The interplay of biomedical (eg, biomarkers, epigenetics), treatment-related (eg, therapies and medication) and psychosocial variables (eg, negative affectivity, expectations) will be investigated to develop a prognostic prediction model for PSS. In an embedded mixed-methods approach, an experimental study in 100 patients using an affective picture paradigm will test the effect of negative affect induction on symptom perception. An embedded longitudinal qualitative study in 40-50 newly diagnosed patients will use thematic analysis to explore mechanisms of symptom development after receiving a CKD diagnosis. SOMA.CK is part of the interdisciplinary research unit 'Persistent SOMAtic Symptoms ACROSS Diseases'. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hamburg Medical Association (2020-10195-BO-ff). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, scientific conferences, the involvement of our patient advisory board and the lay public. Focusing on subjective symptom burden instead of objective disease markers will fundamentally broaden the understanding of PSS in CKD and pave the path for the development of mechanism-based tailored interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN16137374.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike C Shedden-Mora
- Department of Psychology, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Birte Jessen
- Department of Psychology, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Bernd Löwe
- Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Joachim Gloy
- Nephrocare Hamburg-Suederelbe GmbH, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Omer Van den Bergh
- Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tobias B Huber
- III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Koeck RM, Busato F, Tost J, Zandstra H, Remy S, Langie S, Gielen M, van Golde R, Dumoulin JCM, Brunner H, Zamani Esteki M, van Montfoort APA. At age 9, the methylome of assisted reproductive technology children that underwent embryo culture in different media is not significantly different on a genome-wide scale. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:2709-2721. [PMID: 36206092 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deac213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Can we detect DNA methylation differences between ART children that underwent embryo culture in different media? SUMMARY ANSWER We identified no significant differences in site-specific or regional DNA methylation between the different culture medium groups. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Embryo culture in G3 or K-SICM medium leads to differences in embryonic, neonatal and childhood outcomes, including growth and weight. The methylome may mediate this association as the period of in vitro culture of ART treatments coincides with epigenetic reprogramming. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study was conducted as a follow-up to a previous culture medium comparison study in which couples were pseudo-randomized to embryo culture in G3 or K-SICM medium. Of the resultant singletons, 120 (n = 65 G3, n = 55 K-SICM), were recruited at age 9. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The ART children provided a saliva sample from which the methylome was analysed using the Infinium MethylationEPIC array. After quality and context filtering, 106 (n = 57 G3, n = 49 K-SICM) samples and 659 708 sites were retained for the analyses. Differential methylation analyses were conducted using mixed effects linear models corrected for age, sex, sample plate and cell composition. These were applied to all cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) sites, various genomic regions (genes, promoters, CpG Islands (CGIs)) and as a targeted analysis of imprinted genes and birth weight-associated CpG sites. Differential variance was assessed using the improved epigenetic variable outliers for risk prediction analysis (iEVORA) algorithm and methylation outliers were identified using a previously defined threshold (upper or lower quartile plus or minus three times the interquartile range, respectively). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE After correcting for multiple testing, we did not identify any significantly differentially methylated CpG sites, genes, promoters or CGIs between G3 and K-SICM children despite a lenient corrected P-value threshold of 0.1. Targeted analyses of (sites within) imprinted genes and birth weight-associated sites also did not identify any significant differences. The number of DNA methylation outliers per sample was comparable between the culture medium groups. iEVORA identified 101 differentially variable CpG sites of which 94 were more variable in the G3 group. LARGE SCALE DATA Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) GSE196432. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION To detect significant methylation differences with a magnitude of <10% between the groups many more participants would be necessary; however, the clinical relevance of such small differences is unclear. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The results of this study are reassuring, suggesting that if there is an effect of the culture medium on DNA methylation (and methylation-mediated diseases risk), it does not differ between the two media investigated here. The findings concur with other methylome studies of ART neonates and children that underwent embryo culture in different media, which also found no significant methylome differences. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Study funded by March of Dimes (6-FY13-153), EVA (Erfelijkheid Voortplanting & Aanleg) specialty programme (grant no. KP111513) of Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+) and the Horizon 2020 innovation (ERIN) (grant no. EU952516) of the European Commission. The authors do not report any conflicts of interest relevant to this study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Dutch Trial register-NL4083.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka M Koeck
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Florence Busato
- Laboratory for Epigenetics & Environment, CEA-Centre National de Recherche en Genomique Humaine, Evry, France
| | - Jorg Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics & Environment, CEA-Centre National de Recherche en Genomique Humaine, Evry, France
| | - Heleen Zandstra
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sylvie Remy
- Health Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Sabine Langie
- Health Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium.,Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, The Netherlands
| | - Marij Gielen
- Department of Epidemiology and Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Ron van Golde
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - John C M Dumoulin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Han Brunner
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Masoud Zamani Esteki
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Aafke P A van Montfoort
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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30
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Peripheral Blood DNA Methylation Profiles Do Not Predict Endoscopic Post-Operative Recurrence in Crohn's Disease Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810467. [PMID: 36142381 PMCID: PMC9503775 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prediction of endoscopic post-operative recurrence (POR) in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients following ileocolonic resection (ICR) using clinical risk factors alone has thus far been inadequate. While peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) DNA methylation has shown promise as a tool for predicting recurrence in cancer, no data in CD patients exists. Therefore, this study explored the association and predictive value of PBL DNA methylation in CD patients following ICR. From a cohort of 117 CD patients undergoing ICR, epigenome-wide PBL methylation profiles from 25 carefully selected patients presenting either clear endoscopic remission (n = 12) or severe recurrence (n = 13) were assessed using the Illumina MethylationEPIC (850K) array. No statistically significant differentially methylated positions (DMPs) or regions (DMRs) associated with endoscopic POR were identified (FDR p ≤ 0.05), further evidenced by the low accuracy (0.625) following elastic net classification analysis. Nonetheless, interrogating the most significant differences in methylation suggested POR-associated hypermethylation in the MBNL1, RAB29 and LEPR genes, respectively, which are involved in intestinal fibrosis, inflammation and wound healing. Notably, we observed a higher estimated proportion of monocytes in endoscopic POR compared to remission. Altogether, we observed limited differences in the genome-wide DNA methylome among CD patients with and without endoscopic POR. We therefore conclude that PBL DNA methylation is not a feasible predictive tool in post-operative CD.
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31
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Whole blood DNA methylation analysis reveals respiratory environmental traits involved in COVID-19 severity following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4597. [PMID: 35933486 PMCID: PMC9357033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32357-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause an inflammatory syndrome (COVID-19) leading, in many cases, to bilateral pneumonia, severe dyspnea, and in ~5% of these, death. DNA methylation is known to play an important role in the regulation of the immune processes behind COVID-19 progression, however it has not been studied in depth. In this study, we aim to evaluate the implication of DNA methylation in COVID-19 progression by means of a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis combined with DNA genotyping. The results reveal the existence of epigenomic regulation of functional pathways associated with COVID-19 progression and mediated by genetic loci. We find an environmental trait-related signature that discriminates mild from severe cases and regulates, among other cytokines, IL-6 expression via the transcription factor CEBP. The analyses suggest that an interaction between environmental contribution, genetics, and epigenetics might be playing a role in triggering the cytokine storm described in the most severe cases.
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32
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Koeck RM, Busato F, Tost J, Consten D, van Echten-Arends J, Mastenbroek S, Wurth Y, Remy S, Langie S, Nawrot TS, Plusquin M, Alfano R, Bijnens EM, Gielen M, van Golde R, Dumoulin JCM, Brunner H, van Montfoort APA, Zamani Esteki M. Methylome-wide analysis of IVF neonates that underwent embryo culture in different media revealed no significant differences. NPJ Genom Med 2022; 7:39. [PMID: 35768464 PMCID: PMC9243125 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-022-00310-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing number of children born are conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF), which has been linked to an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, as well as altered growth profiles and cardiometabolic differences in the resultant individuals. Some of these outcomes have also been shown to be influenced by the use of different IVF culture media and this effect is hypothesised to be mediated epigenetically, e.g. through the methylome. As such, we profiled the umbilical cord blood methylome of IVF neonates that underwent preimplantation embryo development in two different IVF culture media (G5 or HTF), using the Infinium Human Methylation EPIC BeadChip. We found no significant methylation differences between the two groups in terms of: (i) systematic differences at CpG sites or regions, (ii) imprinted sites/genes or birth weight-associated sites, (iii) stochastic differences presenting as DNA methylation outliers or differentially variable sites, and (iv) epigenetic gestational age acceleration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka M Koeck
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Florence Busato
- Laboratory for Epigenetics & Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Genomique Humaine, CEA - institut de Biologie François Jacob, Université Paris Saclay, 91000, Evry, France
| | - Jorg Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics & Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Genomique Humaine, CEA - institut de Biologie François Jacob, Université Paris Saclay, 91000, Evry, France
| | - Dimitri Consten
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, St. Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital, Hilvarenbeekseweg 60, 5022, GC, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Jannie van Echten-Arends
- Section of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Mastenbroek
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105, AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Wurth
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, St. Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital, Hilvarenbeekseweg 60, 5022, GC, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Sylvie Remy
- Health Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium
| | - Sabine Langie
- Health Unit, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium.,Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven University (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michelle Plusquin
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Rossella Alfano
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Esmée M Bijnens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.,Department of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marij Gielen
- Department of Epidemiology and Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Ron van Golde
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - John C M Dumoulin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Han Brunner
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Aafke P A van Montfoort
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Masoud Zamani Esteki
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands. .,Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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Flynn R, Washer S, Jeffries AR, Andrayas A, Shireby G, Kumari M, Schalkwyk LC, Mill J, Hannon E. Evaluation of nanopore sequencing for epigenetic epidemiology: a comparison with DNA methylation microarrays. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:3181-3190. [PMID: 35567415 PMCID: PMC9476619 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Most epigenetic epidemiology to date has utilized microarrays to identify positions in the genome where variation in DNA methylation is associated with environmental exposures or disease. However, these profile less than 3% of DNA methylation sites in the human genome, potentially missing affected loci and preventing the discovery of disrupted biological pathways. Third generation sequencing technologies, including Nanopore sequencing, have the potential to revolutionise the generation of epigenetic data, not only by providing genuine genome-wide coverage but profiling epigenetic modifications direct from native DNA. Here we assess the viability of using Nanopore sequencing for epidemiology by performing a comparison with DNA methylation quantified using the most comprehensive microarray available, the Illumina EPIC array. We implemented a CRISPR-Cas9 targeted sequencing approach in concert with Nanopore sequencing to profile DNA methylation in three genomic regions to attempt to rediscover genomic positions that existing technologies have shown are differentially methylated in tobacco smokers. Using Nanopore sequencing reads, DNA methylation was quantified at 1779 CpGs across three regions, providing a finer resolution of DNA methylation patterns compared to the EPIC array. The correlation of estimated levels of DNA methylation between platforms was high. Furthermore, we identified 12 CpGs where hypomethylation was significantly associated with smoking status, including 10 within the AHRR gene. In summary, Nanopore sequencing is a valid option for identifying genomic loci where large differences in DNAm are associated with a phenotype and has the potential to advance our understanding of the role differential methylation plays in the aetiology of complex disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Flynn
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Washer
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Aaron R Jeffries
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandria Andrayas
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Shireby
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, United Kingdom
| | - Meena Kumari
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Colchester CO3 3LG, United Kingdom
| | - Leonard C Schalkwyk
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Mill
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, United Kingdom
| | - Eilis Hannon
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, United Kingdom
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Wang KZ, Chaudhary Z, Qian J, Adanty C, Graff-Guerrero A, Gerretsen P, Zai CC, De Luca V. Differential Methylation Analysis of Suicidal Ideation Severity in Schizophrenia with the Illumina MethylationEPIC Array. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:809. [PMID: 35627945 PMCID: PMC9141768 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10050809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a multitude of factors that makes difficult to identify those at risk for suicide, especially among schizophrenia patients. Suicide cannot be explained by genetics alone, therefore epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation are thought to play a role. DNA methylation could be a valuable tool in helping predict those at-risk individuals. This cross-sectional study comprised 112 subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and were grouped according to the current suicidal ideation severity. DNA methylation across the genome was measured with the Infinium® MethylationEPIC BeadChip. We utilized the dmpFinder and bumphunter functions within the Bioconductor minfi package to identify differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs), respectively. Following quality control, we removed one sample from the analysis and reported the most significant DMPs and DMRs associated with suicidal ideation severity. All positions and regions identified in this analysis were only found to have suggestive levels of significance at the genome-wide level. The present study was one of the first to investigate genome-wide methylation and suicidal ideation severity. While there were many strengths of our study, including investigating both differentially methylated positions and regions, further larger-scale studies are necessary to replicate, support, and validate our findings presented here.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Vincenzo De Luca
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; (K.Z.W.); (Z.C.); (J.Q.); (C.A.); (A.G.-G.); (P.G.); (C.C.Z.)
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35
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Odintsova VV, Suderman M, Hagenbeek FA, Caramaschi D, Hottenga JJ, Pool R, Dolan CV, Ligthart L, van Beijsterveldt CEM, Willemsen G, de Geus EJC, Beck JJ, Ehli EA, Cuellar-Partida G, Evans DM, Medland SE, Relton CL, Boomsma DI, van Dongen J. DNA methylation in peripheral tissues and left-handedness. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5606. [PMID: 35379837 PMCID: PMC8980054 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08998-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Handedness has low heritability and epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed as an etiological mechanism. To examine this hypothesis, we performed an epigenome-wide association study of left-handedness. In a meta-analysis of 3914 adults of whole-blood DNA methylation, we observed that CpG sites located in proximity of handedness-associated genetic variants were more strongly associated with left-handedness than other CpG sites (P = 0.04), but did not identify any differentially methylated positions. In longitudinal analyses of DNA methylation in peripheral blood and buccal cells from children (N = 1737), we observed moderately stable associations across age (correlation range [0.355–0.578]), but inconsistent across tissues (correlation range [− 0.384 to 0.318]). We conclude that DNA methylation in peripheral tissues captures little of the variance in handedness. Future investigations should consider other more targeted sources of tissue, such as the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika V Odintsova
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, AR&D Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Matthew Suderman
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Fiona A Hagenbeek
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Doretta Caramaschi
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jouke-Jan Hottenga
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - René Pool
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Conor V Dolan
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lannie Ligthart
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Catharina E M van Beijsterveldt
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gonneke Willemsen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eco J C de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Erik A Ehli
- Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Sioux Falls, USA
| | - Gabriel Cuellar-Partida
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - David M Evans
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - Sarah E Medland
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Caroline L Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, AR&D Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jenny van Dongen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, AR&D Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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36
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Zhang Y, Liu C. Evaluating the challenges and reproducibility of studies investigating DNA methylation signatures of psychological stress. Epigenomics 2022; 14:405-421. [PMID: 35170363 PMCID: PMC8978984 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2021-0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychological stress can increase the risk of a wide range of negative health outcomes. Studies have been completed to determine if DNA methylation changes occur in the human brain because of stress and are associated with long-term effects and disease, but results have been inconsistent. Human candidate gene studies (150) and epigenome-wide association studies (67) were systematically evaluated to assess how DNA methylation is impacted by stress during the prenatal period, early childhood and adulthood. The association between DNA methylation of NR3C1 exon 1F and child maltreatment and early life adversity was well demonstrated, but other genes did not exhibit a clear association. The reproducibility of individual CpG sites in epigenome-wide association studies was also poor. However, biological pathways, including stress response, brain development and immunity, have been consistently identified across different stressors throughout the life span. Future studies would benefit from the increased sample size, longitudinal design, standardized methodology, optimal quality control, and improved statistical procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- Medical Department, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Ecology and Population Health in Northwest Minority Areas, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, China
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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37
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Henneman P, Mul AN, Li Yim AY, Krzyzewska IM, Alders M, Adelia A, Mizee MR, Mannens MM. Prenatal NeuN+ neurons of Down syndrome display aberrant integrative DNA methylation and gene expression profiles. Epigenomics 2022; 14:375-390. [PMID: 35232286 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2021-0523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: To detect expression quantitative trait methylation (eQTM) loci within the cerebrum of prenatal Down syndrome (DS) and controls. Material & methods: DNA methylation gene expression profiles were acquired from NeuN+ nuclei, obtained from cerebrum sections of DS and controls. Linear regression models were applied to both datasets and were subsequently applied in an integrative analysis model to detect DS-associated eQTM loci. Results & conclusion: Widespread aberrant DNA methylation and gene expression were observed in DS. A substantial number of differentially methylated loci were replicated according to a previously reported study. Subsequent integrative analyses (eQTM) yielded numerous associated DS loci. the authors associated DNA methylation, gene expression and eQTM loci with DS that may underlie particular DS phenotypical characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Henneman
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Adri N Mul
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Yf Li Yim
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Izabela M Krzyzewska
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Mariëlle Alders
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Adelia Adelia
- Neuroimmunology Research Group & Netherlands Brain Bank, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Mark R Mizee
- Neuroimmunology Research Group & Netherlands Brain Bank, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel M Mannens
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
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38
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Fujisawa TX, Nishitani S, Makita K, Yao A, Takiguchi S, Hamamura S, Shimada K, Okazawa H, Matsuzaki H, Tomoda A. Association of Epigenetic Differences Screened in a Few Cases of Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder With Brain Structures. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:799761. [PMID: 35145374 PMCID: PMC8823258 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.799761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined the relationship between DNA methylation differences and variations in brain structures involved in the development of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). First, we used monozygotic (MZ) twins discordant (2 pairs of 4 individuals, 2 boys, mean age 12.5 years) for ADHD to identify candidate DNA methylation sites involved in the development of ADHD. Next, we tried to replicate these candidates in a case-control study (ADHD: N = 18, 15 boys, mean age 10.0 years; Controls: N = 62, 40 boys, mean age 13.9 years). Finally, we examined how methylation rates at those sites relate to the degree of local structural alterations where significant differences were observed between cases and controls. As a result, we identified 61 candidate DNA methylation sites involved in ADHD development in two pairs of discordant MZ twins, among which elevated methylation at a site in the sortilin-related Vps10p domain containing receptor 2 (SorCS2) gene was replicated in the case-control study. We also observed that the ADHD group had significantly reduced gray matter volume (GMV) in the precentral and posterior orbital gyri compared to the control group and that this volume reduction was positively associated with SorCS2 methylation. Furthermore, the reduced GMV regions in children with ADHD are involved in language processing and emotional control, while SorCS2 methylation is also negatively associated with emotional behavioral problems in children. These results indicate that SorCS2 methylation might mediate a reduced GMV in the precentral and posterior orbital gyri and therefore influence the pathology of children with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi X. Fujisawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
- *Correspondence: Takashi X. Fujisawa,
| | - Shota Nishitani
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kai Makita
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Akiko Yao
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Takiguchi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan
| | - Shoko Hamamura
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan
| | - Koji Shimada
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
- Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Okazawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
- Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Hideo Matsuzaki
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan
| | - Akemi Tomoda
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan
- *Correspondence: Takashi X. Fujisawa,
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39
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Bhat B, Jones GT. Data Analysis of DNA Methylation Epigenome-Wide Association Studies (EWAS): A Guide to the Principles of Best Practice. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2458:23-45. [PMID: 35103960 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2140-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Array-based EWAS have become an increasingly popular technique to identify population epigenetic effects, particularly in humans. With the arrival of nonhuman species arrays, such as the mouse, this is likely to become an even more widely used technology. This chapter provides the less experienced researcher a guide to the analysis of data from the most widely used platform, the Illumina Infinium Methylation assay. This includes an overview of quality filtering, data normalization, analysis options, and techniques to improve the interpretation of results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basharat Bhat
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Gregory T Jones
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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40
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Bakulski KM, Dou JF, Feinberg JI, Aung MT, Ladd-Acosta C, Volk HE, Newschaffer CJ, Croen LA, Hertz-Picciotto I, Levy SE, Landa R, Feinberg AP, Fallin MD. Autism-Associated DNA Methylation at Birth From Multiple Tissues Is Enriched for Autism Genes in the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:775390. [PMID: 34899183 PMCID: PMC8655859 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.775390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Pregnancy measures of DNA methylation, an epigenetic mark, may be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) development in children. Few ASD studies have considered prospective designs with DNA methylation measured in multiple tissues and tested overlap with ASD genetic risk loci. Objectives: To estimate associations between DNA methylation in maternal blood, cord blood, and placenta and later diagnosis of ASD, and to evaluate enrichment of ASD-associated DNA methylation for known ASD-associated genes. Methods: In the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI), an ASD-enriched risk birth cohort, genome-scale maternal blood (early n = 140 and late n = 75 pregnancy), infant cord blood (n = 133), and placenta (maternal n = 106 and fetal n = 107 compartments) DNA methylation was assessed on the Illumina 450k HumanMethylation array and compared to ASD diagnosis at 36 months of age. Differences in site-specific and global methylation were tested with ASD, as well as enrichment of single site associations for ASD risk genes (n = 881) from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) database. Results: No individual DNA methylation site was associated with ASD at genome-wide significance, however, individual DNA methylation sites nominally associated with ASD (P < 0.05) in each tissue were highly enriched for SFARI genes (cord blood P = 7.9 × 10-29, maternal blood early pregnancy P = 6.1 × 10-27, maternal blood late pregnancy P = 2.8 × 10-16, maternal placenta P = 5.6 × 10-15, fetal placenta P = 1.3 × 10-20). DNA methylation sites nominally associated with ASD across all five tissues overlapped at 144 (29.5%) SFARI genes. Conclusion: DNA methylation sites nominally associated with later ASD diagnosis in multiple tissues were enriched for ASD risk genes. Our multi-tissue study demonstrates the utility of examining DNA methylation prior to ASD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Bakulski
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - John F Dou
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Jason I Feinberg
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Max T Aung
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Heather E Volk
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Craig J Newschaffer
- College of Health and Human Development, Penn State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Lisa A Croen
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, CA, United States
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Susan E Levy
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rebecca Landa
- Kennedy Krieger Institute Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Andrew P Feinberg
- Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Biostatistics, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Margaret D Fallin
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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41
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Campagna MP, Xavier A, Lechner-Scott J, Maltby V, Scott RJ, Butzkueven H, Jokubaitis VG, Lea RA. Epigenome-wide association studies: current knowledge, strategies and recommendations. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:214. [PMID: 34863305 PMCID: PMC8645110 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01200-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The aetiology and pathophysiology of complex diseases are driven by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The variability in risk and outcomes in these diseases are incompletely explained by genetics or environmental risk factors individually. Therefore, researchers are now exploring the epigenome, a biological interface at which genetics and the environment can interact. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the role of epigenetic mechanisms in complex disease pathophysiology. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWASes) investigate the association between a phenotype and epigenetic variants, most commonly DNA methylation. The decreasing cost of measuring epigenome-wide methylation and the increasing accessibility of bioinformatic pipelines have contributed to the rise in EWASes published in recent years. Here, we review the current literature on these EWASes and provide further recommendations and strategies for successfully conducting them. We have constrained our review to studies using methylation data as this is the most studied epigenetic mechanism; microarray-based data as whole-genome bisulphite sequencing remains prohibitively expensive for most laboratories; and blood-based studies due to the non-invasiveness of peripheral blood collection and availability of archived DNA, as well as the accessibility of publicly available blood-cell-based methylation data. Further, we address multiple novel areas of EWAS analysis that have not been covered in previous reviews: (1) longitudinal study designs, (2) the chip analysis methylation pipeline (ChAMP), (3) differentially methylated region (DMR) identification paradigms, (4) methylation quantitative trait loci (methQTL) analysis, (5) methylation age analysis and (6) identifying cell-specific differential methylation from mixed cell data using statistical deconvolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pia Campagna
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alexandre Xavier
- Centre for Information Based Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Jeannette Lechner-Scott
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Division of Medicine, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Vicky Maltby
- Centre for Information Based Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Rodney J Scott
- Centre for Information Based Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
- Division of Molecular Medicine, New South Wales Health Pathology North, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Helmut Butzkueven
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Vilija G Jokubaitis
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rodney A Lea
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
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42
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Konigsberg IR, Barnes B, Campbell M, Davidson E, Zhen Y, Pallisard O, Boorgula MP, Cox C, Nandy D, Seal S, Crooks K, Sticca E, Harrison GF, Hopkinson A, Vest A, Arnold CG, Kahn MG, Kao DP, Peterson BR, Wicks SJ, Ghosh D, Horvath S, Zhou W, Mathias RA, Norman PJ, Porecha R, Yang IV, Gignoux CR, Monte AA, Taye A, Barnes KC. Host methylation predicts SARS-CoV-2 infection and clinical outcome. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2021; 1:42. [PMID: 35072167 PMCID: PMC8767772 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-021-00042-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, most clinical testing has focused on RT-PCR1. Host epigenome manipulation post coronavirus infection2-4 suggests that DNA methylation signatures may differentiate patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection from uninfected individuals, and help predict COVID-19 disease severity, even at initial presentation. METHODS We customized Illumina's Infinium MethylationEPIC array to enhance immune response detection and profiled peripheral blood samples from 164 COVID-19 patients with longitudinal measurements of disease severity and 296 patient controls. RESULTS Epigenome-wide association analysis revealed 13,033 genome-wide significant methylation sites for case-vs-control status. Genes and pathways involved in interferon signaling and viral response were significantly enriched among differentially methylated sites. We observe highly significant associations at genes previously reported in genetic association studies (e.g. IRF7, OAS1). Using machine learning techniques, models built using sparse regression yielded highly predictive findings: cross-validated best fit AUC was 93.6% for case-vs-control status, and 79.1%, 80.8%, and 84.4% for hospitalization, ICU admission, and progression to death, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In summary, the strong COVID-19-specific epigenetic signature in peripheral blood driven by key immune-related pathways related to infection status, disease severity, and clinical deterioration provides insights useful for diagnosis and prognosis of patients with viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain R. Konigsberg
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | | | - Monica Campbell
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Elizabeth Davidson
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Yingfei Zhen
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Olivia Pallisard
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | | | - Corey Cox
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Debmalya Nandy
- Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Souvik Seal
- Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Kristy Crooks
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Evan Sticca
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Genelle F. Harrison
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Andrew Hopkinson
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Alexis Vest
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Cosby G. Arnold
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Michael G. Kahn
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - David P. Kao
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Brett R. Peterson
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Stephen J. Wicks
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Debashis Ghosh
- Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Wanding Zhou
- The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Rasika A. Mathias
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Paul J. Norman
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | | | - Ivana V. Yang
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | | | - Andrew A. Monte
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | | | - Kathleen C. Barnes
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
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Maltby VE, Lea RA, Monif M, Fabis-Pedrini MJ, Buzzard K, Kalincik T, Kermode AG, Taylor B, Hodgkinson S, McCombe P, Butzkueven H, Barnett M, Lechner-Scott J. Efficacy of Cladribine Tablets as a Treatment for People With Multiple Sclerosis: Protocol for the CLOBAS Study (Cladribine, a Multicenter, Long-term Efficacy and Biomarker Australian Study). JMIR Res Protoc 2021; 10:e24969. [PMID: 34665152 PMCID: PMC8564661 DOI: 10.2196/24969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cladribine tablets (marketed as Mavenclad) are a new oral therapy, which has recently been listed on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme in Australia for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). The current dosing schedule is for 2 courses given a year apart, which has been shown to be effective for treatment of MS for up to 4 years in 75% of patients (based on annualized relapse rate). However, the reinitiation of therapy after year 4 has not been studied. Objective This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cladribine tablets over a 6-year period, according to no evidence of disease activity 3. Methods This will be a multicenter, 6-year, phase IV, low interventional, observational study that incorporates clinical, hematological, biochemical, epigenetic, radiological and cognitive biomarkers of disease. Participants considered for treatment with cladribine as part of their routine clinical care will be consented to take part in the study. They will be monitored at regular intervals during the initial course of medication administration in years 1 and 2. After year 3, patients will have the option of redosing, if clinically indicated, or to switch to another disease-modifying therapy. Throughout the duration of the study, we will assess blood-based biomarkers including lymphocyte subsets, serum neurofilament light chain, DNA methylation, and RNA analysis as well as magnetic resonance imaging findings (brain volume and/or lesion load) and cognitive performance. Results This study has been approved by the Hunter New England Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee. Recruitment began in March of 2019 and was completed by June 2021. Conclusions This will be the first long-term efficacy trial of cladribine, which offers reinitiation of therapy in the 3rd year, based on disease activity, after the initial 2 courses. We expect that this study will indicate whether any of the assessed biomarkers can be used to predict treatment efficacy or the need for future reinitiation of cladribine in people with MS. Trial Registration This study is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12619000257167) with Universal Trial Number (U1111-1228-2165). International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/24969
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki E Maltby
- Department of Neurology, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton Heights, Australia.,School for Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Australia
| | - Rodney A Lea
- School for Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Australia.,Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovations, Genomics Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia
| | - Mastura Monif
- Department of Neurosciences, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Box Hill Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Melbourne Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Marzena J Fabis-Pedrini
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Katherine Buzzard
- Department of Neurosciences, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Box Hill Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Melbourne Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Tomas Kalincik
- Department of Neurology, Melbourne Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia.,Clinical Outcomes Research (CORe) Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Allan G Kermode
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.,Institute for Immunology and Infectious Disease, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
| | - Bruce Taylor
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Suzanne Hodgkinson
- Department of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, Australia.,Immune Tolerance Laboratory, Ingham Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Pamela McCombe
- Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Helmut Butzkueven
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia.,Clinical Outcomes Research (CORe) Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Barnett
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jeannette Lechner-Scott
- Department of Neurology, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton Heights, Australia.,School for Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Australia
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44
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Li S, Wang W, Zhang D, Li W, Lund J, Kruse T, Mengel-From J, Christensen K, Tan Q. Differential regulation of the DNA methylome in adults born during the Great Chinese Famine in 1959-1961. Genomics 2021; 113:3907-3918. [PMID: 34600028 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extensive epidemiological studies have established the association between exposure to early-life adversity and health status and diseases in adults. Epigenetic regulation is considered as a key mediator for this phenomenon but analysis on humans is sparse. The Great Chinese Famine lasting from 1958 to 1961 is a natural string of disasters offering a precious opportunity for elucidating the underlying epigenetic mechanism of the long-term effect of early adversity. METHODS Using a high-throughput array platform for DNA methylome profiling, we conducted a case-control epigenome-wide association study on early-life exposure to Chinese famine in 79 adults born during 1959-1961 and compared to 105 unexposed subjects born 1963-1964. RESULTS The single CpG site analysis of whole epigenome revealed a predominant pattern of decreased DNA methylation levels associated with fetal exposure to famine. Four CpG sites were detected with p < 1e-06 (linked to EHMT1, CNR1, UBXN7 and ESM1 genes), 16 CpGs detected with 1e-06 < p < 1e-05 and 157 CpGs with 1e-05 < p < 1e-04, with a predominant pattern of hypomethylation. Functional annotation to genes and their enriched biological pathways mainly involved neurodevelopment, neuropsychological disorders and metabolism. Multiple sites analysis detected two top-rank differentially methylated regions harboring RNF39 on chromosome 6 and PTPRN2 on chromosome 7, both showing epigenetic association with stress-related conditions. CONCLUSION Early-life exposure to famine could mediate DNA methylation regulations that persist into adulthood with broad impacts in the activities of genes and biological pathways. Results from this study provide new clues to the epigenetic embedding of early-life adversity and its impacts on adult health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxia Li
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Weijing Wang
- Qingdao University School of Public Health, Qingdao, China
| | - Dongfeng Zhang
- Qingdao University School of Public Health, Qingdao, China
| | - Weilong Li
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Population Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Jesper Lund
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Digital Health & Machine Learning Research Group, Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Torben Kruse
- Unit of Human Genetics, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Jonas Mengel-From
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Qihua Tan
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Unit of Human Genetics, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
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Liu Y, Li X, Chen S, Wang L, Tan Y, Li X, Tang L, Zhang J, Wu D, Wu Y, Liu X, Zhu Y, Sheng J, Pan J, Jin L, Huang H. Comparison of Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiles of Human Fetal Tissues Conceived by in vitro Fertilization and Natural Conception. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:694769. [PMID: 34336842 PMCID: PMC8318003 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.694769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Assisted reproductive technology (ART) might induce adverse pregnancy outcomes and increase the risk of metabolic diseases in offspring' later life with unknown reasons. Here we evaluated the global methylation level and methylation profile of fetal tissue from elective terminations of pregnancy (ETP) after natural conception and multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR) after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Results Global methylation levels were comparable between the fetal tissue of ETP after natural conception group and MFPR after IVF-ET group. The methylation levels were lower in the hypermethylated regions of the MFPR group than in the ETP group, while the methylation levels were higher in the hypomethylated regions of the MFPR group. Heatmap visualization and hierarchical clustering of the candidate differentially methylated regions (DMRs) showed differences between the DMRs in the ETP and MFPR samples. We identified 196 differentially methylated regions that matched 164 genes between the ETP and MFPR groups. In the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, skeletal system morphogenesis and diabetes mellitus ranked first. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) revealed 8 diseases and functional annotations associated with IVT-ET. In the MFPR group, the final validation showed lower methylation levels in gene bodies of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), higher methylation levels in the 1st exon and 5'UTR of thyroid peroxidase (TPO), and higher methylation levels in TSS1500 and TSS200 of interleukin 1 beta (IL1B). Conclusions ART does not alter global DNA methylation level, but influences DNA methylation variation in specific regions of human fetus in the early stage of life. Further studies are warranted to clarify the potential role of DNA methylation alterations in the gene expression profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Liu
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinzhu Li
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Songchang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Wang
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yajing Tan
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaocui Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Tang
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Junyu Zhang
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dandan Wu
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanting Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinmei Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yimin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianzhong Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pathology and Pathphysiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiexue Pan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Jin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hefeng Huang
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, Shanghai, China.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Zhou Q, Huang D, Xu C, Wang J, Jin Y. Hair levels of heavy metals and essential elements in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorder. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2021; 66:126748. [PMID: 33756185 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2021.126748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disproportional heavy metals and essential elements were reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is obscure in etiology. Inevitably, the association is biased by diet and environmental factors. METHODS Fifty pairs, one with ASD and the other living together from the same special school with cerebral palsy (CP), were recruited in Hangzhou (China), aged from 2 to 11 years old (74.0 % male). All samples were divided into two subgroups: preschool-aged (2-5 years old) and school-aged (6-10 years old). Heavy metals (As, Hg, Pb) and essential elements (Al, Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn, Zn) in hair were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. RESULTS The children with ASD generally had lower hair levels of Mn (ASD 0.124 μg/g, CP 0.332 μg/g, P = 0.001) compared to the children with CP. After stratification for age, there were no significant differences detected in preschool-aged group. In school-aged group, the results exhibited the children with ASD had higher hair Pb (1.485 μg/g, 0.690 μg/g, P = 0.007) and Cu/Zn ratio (0.092, 0.060, P = 0.003), while hair Hg (0.254 μg/g, 0.353 μg/g, P = 0.016)、Mn (0.089 μg/g, 0.385 μg/g, P = 0.002)、Mg (17.81 μg/g, 24.53 μg/g, P = 0.014) and Zn (100.15 μg/g, 135.83 μg/g, P = 0.007) showed an opposite pattern. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest an imbalance of Mn in Chinese children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinfeng Zhou
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Danni Huang
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chenlu Xu
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Juling Wang
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yongtang Jin
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of General Practice, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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47
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Qin X, Karlsson IK, Wang Y, Li X, Pedersen N, Reynolds CA, Hägg S. The epigenetic etiology of cardiovascular disease in a longitudinal Swedish twin study. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:129. [PMID: 34167563 PMCID: PMC8223329 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01113-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies on DNA methylation have the potential to discover mechanisms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, the role of DNA methylation in CVD etiology remains unclear. RESULTS We performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) on CVD in a longitudinal sample of Swedish twins (535 individuals). We selected CpGs reaching the Bonferroni-corrected significance level (2 [Formula: see text] 10-7) or the top-ranked 20 CpGs with the lowest P values if they did not reach this significance level in EWAS analysis associated with non-stroke CVD, overall stroke, and ischemic stroke, respectively. We further applied a bivariate autoregressive latent trajectory model with structured residuals (ALT-SR) to evaluate the cross-lagged effect between DNA methylation of these CpGs and cardiometabolic traits (blood lipids, blood pressure, and body mass index). Furthermore, mediation analysis was performed to evaluate whether the cross-lagged effects had causal impacts on CVD. In the EWAS models, none of the CpGs we selected reached the Bonferroni-corrected significance level. The ALT-SR model showed that DNA methylation levels were more likely to predict the subsequent level of cardiometabolic traits rather than the other way around (numbers of significant cross-lagged paths of methylation → trait/trait → methylation were 84/4, 45/6, 66/1 for the identified three CpG sets, respectively). Finally, we demonstrated significant indirect effects from DNA methylation on CVD mediated by cardiometabolic traits. CONCLUSIONS We present evidence for a directional association from DNA methylation on cardiometabolic traits and CVD, rather than the opposite, highlighting the role of epigenetics in CVD development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Qin
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 12A, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, 38# Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Ida K Karlsson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 12A, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute of Gerontology and Aging Research Network - Jönköping (ARN-J), School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
| | - Yunzhang Wang
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 12A, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xia Li
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 12A, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nancy Pedersen
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 12A, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Sara Hägg
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 12A, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
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48
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Sheerin CM, Lancaster EE, York TP, Walker J, Danielson CK, Amstadter AB. Epigenome-Wide Study of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity in a Treatment-Seeking Adolescent Sample. J Trauma Stress 2021; 34:607-615. [PMID: 33529416 PMCID: PMC8217087 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Emerging research has demonstrated that psychosocial trauma exposure may elicit epigenetic changes, with downstream effects on the transcriptional regulation of genes. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) offer an agnostic approach to examine DNA methylation (DNAm) associations and are a valuable tool to aid in the identification of biological pathways involved in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study represents the first EWAS of PTSD in an adolescent sample, an important group given the significance of this developmental period regarding both DNAm changes and PTSD risk. The sample (n = 39, M age = 15.41 years, SD = 1.27, 84.6% female) comprised adolescents who experienced interpersonal trauma and were enrolled in a treatment study. Participants were assessed using the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-IV-Adolescent Version and provided a blood sample at baseline. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood and assayed using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip. The primary analysis estimated the associations among individual CpG sites and PTSD symptom scores. Of the 793,575 screened probes tested, two were significant at a false discovery rate (FDR) < 10%. Hypomethylation of both sites was associated with increased PTSD symptom scores. Analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMR) identified a DMR associated with PTSD symptom scores at an FDR < 10%. Results from follow-up models are also discussed. Findings from this preliminary investigation suggest the importance of further research conducted in adolescent samples. The analytic pipeline and results are documented for use in future meta-analytic work as more such samples become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Sheerin
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Eva E. Lancaster
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA,Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Timothy P. York
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA,Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Jesse Walker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Carla Kmett Danielson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Ananda B. Amstadter
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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49
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Zhu Y, Simpkin AJ, Suderman MJ, Lussier AA, Walton E, Dunn EC, Smith ADAC. A Structured Approach to Evaluating Life-Course Hypotheses: Moving Beyond Analyses of Exposed Versus Unexposed in the -Omics Context. Am J Epidemiol 2021; 190:1101-1112. [PMID: 33125040 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaa246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The structured life-course modeling approach (SLCMA) is a theory-driven analytical method that empirically compares multiple prespecified life-course hypotheses characterizing time-dependent exposure-outcome relationships to determine which theory best fits the observed data. In this study, we performed simulations and empirical analyses to evaluate the performance of the SLCMA when applied to genomewide DNA methylation (DNAm). Using simulations (n = 700), we compared 5 statistical inference tests used with SLCMA, assessing the familywise error rate, statistical power, and confidence interval coverage to determine whether inference based on these tests was valid in the presence of substantial multiple testing and small effects-2 hallmark challenges of inference from -omics data. In the empirical analyses (n = 703), we evaluated the time-dependent relationship between childhood abuse and genomewide DNAm. In simulations, selective inference and the max-|t|-test performed best: Both controlled the familywise error rate and yielded moderate statistical power. Empirical analyses using SLCMA revealed time-dependent effects of childhood abuse on DNAm. Our findings show that SLCMA, applied and interpreted appropriately, can be used in high-throughput settings to examine time-dependent effects underlying exposure-outcome relationships over the life course. We provide recommendations for applying the SLCMA in -omics settings and encourage researchers to move beyond analyses of exposed versus unexposed individuals.
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50
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A System Pharmacology Multi-Omics Approach toward Uncontrolled Pediatric Asthma. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11060484. [PMID: 34071272 PMCID: PMC8227234 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11060484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a clinical need to identify children with poor asthma control as early as possible, to optimize treatment and/or to find therapeutic alternatives. Here, we present the “Systems Pharmacology Approach to Uncontrolled Pediatric Asthma” (SysPharmPediA) study, which aims to establish a pediatric cohort of moderate-to-severe uncontrolled and controlled patients with asthma, to investigate pathophysiological mechanisms underlying uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma in children on maintenance treatment, using a multi-omics systems medicine approach. In this multicenter observational case–control study, moderate-to-severe asthmatic children (age; 6–17 years) were included from four European countries (Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Slovenia). Subjects were classified based on asthma control and number of exacerbations. Demographics, current and past patient/family history, and clinical characteristics were collected. In addition, systems-wide omics layers, including epi(genomics), transcriptomics, microbiome, proteomics, and metabolomics were evaluated from multiple samples. In all, 145 children were included in this cohort, 91 with uncontrolled (median age = 12 years, 43% females) and 54 with controlled asthma (median age = 11.7 years, 37% females). The two groups did not show statistically significant differences in age, sex, and body mass index z-score distribution. Comprehensive information and diverse noninvasive biosampling procedures for various omics analyses will provide the opportunity to delineate underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of moderate-to-severe uncontrolled pediatric asthma. This eventually might reveal novel biomarkers, which could potentially be used for noninvasive personalized diagnostics and/or treatment.
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