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Suglia SF, Clausing ES, Shelton RC, Conneely K, Prada-Ortega D, DeVivo I, Factor-Litvak P, Cirillo P, Baccarelli AA, Cohn B, Link BG. Cumulative Stress Across the Life Course and Biological Aging in Adulthood. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:137-145. [PMID: 38345302 PMCID: PMC11001534 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Psychosocial stressors have been linked with accelerated biological aging in adults; however, few studies have examined stressors across the life course in relation to biological aging. METHODS In 359 individuals (57% White, 34% Black) from the Child Health and Development Studies Disparities study, economic (income, education, financial strain), social (parent-child relations, caretaker responsibilities) and traumatic (death of a sibling or child, violence exposure) stressors were assessed at multiple time points (birth and ages 9, 15, and 50 years). Experiences of major discrimination were assessed at age 50. Life period stress scores were then assessed as childhood (birth-age 15 years) and adulthood (age 50 years). At age 50 years, participants provided blood samples, and DNA methylation was assessed with the EPIC BeadChip. Epigenetic age was estimated using six epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Hannum, Skin and Blood age, PhenoAge, GrimAge, Dunedin Pace of Aging). Age acceleration was determined using residuals from regressing chronologic age on each of the epigenetic age metrics. Telomere length was assessed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based methods. RESULTS In linear regression models adjusted for race and gender, total life stress, and childhood and adult stress independently predicted accelerated aging based on GrimAge and faster pace of aging based on the DunedinPace. Associations were attenuated after adjusting for smoking status. In sex-stratified analyses, greater childhood stress was associated with accelerated epigenetic aging among women but not men. No associations were noted with telomere length. CONCLUSIONS We found that cumulative stressors across the life course were associated with accelerated epigenetic age, with differences by sex (e.g., accelerated among women). Further research of this association in large and diverse samples is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakira F Suglia
- From the Department of Epidemiology (Suglia), Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; School of Global Integrative Studies (Clausing) and Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior (Clausing), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska; Department of Sociomedical Sciences (Shelton), Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York; Department of Human Genetics (Conneely, Baccarelli), School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Environmental Health (Prada-Ortega), Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York; Department of Epidemiology (DeVivo), Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health; Channing Division of Network Medicine (DeVivo), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Epidemiology (Factor-Litvak), Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York; Child Health and Development Studies (Cirillo, Cohn), Public Health Institute, Berkeley; and Department of Sociology (Link), University of California Riverside, Riverside, California
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2
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Shabalala S, Ghai M, Okpeku M. Analysis of Y-STR diversity and DNA methylation variation among Black and Indian males from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 348:111682. [PMID: 37094501 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) are essential in understanding genetic structure and diversity of human populations and, most importantly, in identification of male perpetrators in criminal investigations. DNA methylation differences have been reported in human populations and methylation pattern at the CpG sites found within or flanking the Y-STR sites could also aid in human identification. Studies based on DNA methylation (DNAm) at Y-STRs are currently limited. The current study aimed to analyze the Y-STR diversity in South African Black and Indian individuals living in KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, with the Yfiler™ Plus Kit and to analyze DNAm patterns in Y-STR markers CpG sites. DNA from 247 stored saliva samples were isolated and quantified. Across the 27 Y-STR loci in the Yfiler™ Plus Kit, 253 alleles were observed in 113 South African Black and Indian males, 112 unique haplotypes were observed, and one haplotype appeared twice (two Black individuals). No statistically significant differences were observed in the genetic diversity between the two population groups (Fst = 0.028, p-value ≥ 0.05). The kit showed a high discrimination capacity (DC) of 0.9912 and an overall haplotype diversity (HD) = 0.9995 among the sampled population groups. DYS438 and DYS448 markers displayed 2 and 3 CpG sites, respectively. Based on the two-tailed Fisher's Exact test, there were no statistically significant differences in the DNAm levels at DYS438 CpGs of Black and Indian males (p > 0.05). The Yfiler™ Plus Kit can be considered highly discriminatory among South African Black and Indian males. Studies on the South African population using Yfiler™ Plus Kit are scarce. Hence, accumulating Y-STR data on the diverse South African population will enhance the representation of South Africa in STR databases. Knowing which Y-STR markers are significantly informative for South Africa is essential for developing Y-STR kits better suited for the different ethnic groups. And to the best of our knowledge, DNA methylation analysis in Y-STR for different ethnic groups has never been done before. Complementing Y-STR data with methylation knowledge could provide population-specific information for forensic identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sthabile Shabalala
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Westville, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Meenu Ghai
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Westville, Durban 4000, South Africa.
| | - Moses Okpeku
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Westville, Durban 4000, South Africa
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3
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Rajaprakash M, Dean LT, Palmore M, Johnson SB, Kaufman J, Fallin DM, Ladd-Acosta C. DNA methylation signatures as biomarkers of socioeconomic position. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 9:dvac027. [PMID: 36694711 PMCID: PMC9869656 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This review article provides a framework for the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation (DNAm) biomarkers to study the biological embedding of socioeconomic position (SEP) and summarizes the latest developments in the area. It presents the emerging literature showing associations between individual- and neighborhood-level SEP exposures and DNAm across the life course. In contrast to questionnaire-based methods of assessing SEP, we suggest that DNAm biomarkers may offer an accessible metric to study questions about SEP and health outcomes, acting as a personal dosimeter of exposure. However, further work remains in standardizing SEP measures across studies and evaluating consistency across domains, tissue types, and time periods. Meta-analyses of epigenetic associations with SEP are offered as one approach to confirm the replication of DNAm loci across studies. The development of DNAm biomarkers of SEP would provide a method for examining its impact on health outcomes in a more robust way, increasing the rigor of epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Rajaprakash
- Department of Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Lorraine T Dean
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Meredith Palmore
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sara B Johnson
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joan Kaufman
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniele M Fallin
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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4
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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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5
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Cerutti J, Lussier AA, Zhu Y, Liu J, Dunn EC. Associations between indicators of socioeconomic position and DNA methylation: a scoping review. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:221. [PMID: 34906220 PMCID: PMC8672601 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01189-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socioeconomic position (SEP) is a major determinant of health across the life course. Yet, little is known about the biological mechanisms explaining this relationship. One possibility widely pursued in the scientific literature is that SEP becomes biologically embedded through epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation (DNAm), wherein the socioeconomic environment causes no alteration in the DNA sequence but modifies gene activity in ways that shape health. METHODS To understand the evidence supporting a potential SEP-DNAm link, we performed a scoping review of published empirical findings on the association between SEP assessed from prenatal development to adulthood and DNAm measured across the life course, with an emphasis on exploring how the developmental timing, duration, and type of SEP exposure influenced DNAm. RESULTS Across the 37 identified studies, we found that: (1) SEP-related DNAm signatures varied across the timing, duration, and type of SEP indicator; (2) however, longitudinal studies examining repeated SEP and DNAm measures are generally lacking; and (3) prior studies are conceptually and methodologically diverse, limiting the interpretability of findings across studies with respect to these three SEP features. CONCLUSIONS Given the complex relationship between SEP and DNAm across the lifespan, these findings underscore the importance of analyzing SEP features, including timing, duration, and type. To guide future research, we highlight additional research gaps and propose four recommendations to further unravel the relationship between SEP and DNAm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Cerutti
- Department of Pscyhology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT, USA
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Alexandre A Lussier
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yiwen Zhu
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jiaxuan Liu
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin C Dunn
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Simches Research Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Castagné R, Kelly-Irving M, Krogh V, Palli D, Panico S, Sacerdote C, Tumino R, Hebels DG, Kleinjans JC, de Kok TM, Georgiadis P, Kyrtopoulos SA, Vermeulen R, Stringhini S, Vineis P, Chadeau-Hyam M, Delpierre C. A multi-omics approach to investigate the inflammatory response to life course socioeconomic position. Epigenomics 2020; 12:1287-1302. [PMID: 32875816 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: Inflammation represents a potential pathway through which socioeconomic position (SEP) is biologically embedded. Materials & methods: We analyzed inflammatory biomarkers in response to life course SEP by integrating multi-omics DNA-methylation, gene expression and protein level in 178 European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Italy participants. Results & conclusion: We identified 61 potential cis acting CpG loci whose methylation levels were associated with gene expression at a Bonferroni correction. We examined the relationships between life course SEP and these 61 cis-acting regulatory methylation sites individually and jointly using several scores. Less-advantaged SEP participants exhibit, later in life, a lower inflammatory methylome score, suggesting an overall increased expression of the corresponding inflammatory genes or proteins, supporting the hypothesis that SEP impacts adult physiology through inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaële Castagné
- LEASP, UMR 1027, Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Vittorio Krogh
- Epidemiology & Prevention Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Domenico Palli
- Cancer Risk Factors & Lifestyle Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research Prevention & Clinical Network-ISPRO, Florence 50141, Italy
| | - Salvatore Panico
- Department of Clinical Medicine & Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Carlotta Sacerdote
- Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza University-Hospital & Center for Cancer Prevention (CPO), Turin 10133, Italy
| | - Rosario Tumino
- Cancer Registry & Department of Histopathology, Provicial Health Authority (ASP) Ragusa 97100, Italy
| | - Dennie Gaj Hebels
- MERLN Institute, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jos Cs Kleinjans
- Department of Toxicogenomics, GROW Institute & Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6211LK, The Netherlands
| | - Theo McM de Kok
- Department of Toxicogenomics, GROW Institute & Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6211LK, The Netherlands
| | - Panagiotis Georgiadis
- National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Chemical Biology, Vas. Constantinou 48, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Soterios A Kyrtopoulos
- National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Chemical Biology, Vas. Constantinou 48, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, PO Box 80178, 3508 TD, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Stringhini
- Institute of Social & Preventive Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne 1010, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Vineis
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment & Health, School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Imperial College London, SW7 2BU, London, UK.,Molecular & Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), Torino 10126, Italy
| | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment & Health, School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Imperial College London, SW7 2BU, London, UK
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- LEASP, UMR 1027, Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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7
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Wood NM, Trebilco T, Cohen-Woods S. Scars of childhood socioeconomic stress: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:397-410. [PMID: 32795493 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with the development of adult psychological outcomes, with DNA methylation (DNAm) as a mechanism to potentially explain these changes. We present the first systematic review synthesising the literature investigating childhood SEP and DNAm. Thirty-two publications were included. Seventeen studies focused on candidate genes, typically focusing on genes implicated with the stress response and/or development of psychiatric conditions. These studies typically investigated different regions of the genes, which revealed inconsistent results. Six studies calculated epigenetic age, with a small number revealing an elevated significant association with childhood SEP. Epigenome-wide studies revealed altered patterns of DNAm which varied between the nine studies. This research area is emerging and demonstrated great variance in findings with no clear patterns identified across studies. Multiple methodological shortcomings are identified, including at the phenotypic level where construct validity of childhood SEP is highly inconsistent, with studies using a wide range of measures. Larger cohorts will be required with international collaborations to strengthen this research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha M Wood
- Discipline of Psychology, College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Thomas Trebilco
- Discipline of Psychology, College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Sarah Cohen-Woods
- Discipline of Psychology, College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Órama Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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8
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Juarez PD, Hood DB, Song MA, Ramesh A. Use of an Exposome Approach to Understand the Effects of Exposures From the Natural, Built, and Social Environments on Cardio-Vascular Disease Onset, Progression, and Outcomes. Front Public Health 2020; 8:379. [PMID: 32903514 PMCID: PMC7437454 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension have increased by epidemic proportions in recent years among African Americans in comparison to Whites resulting in significant adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) disparities. Today, African Americans are 30% more likely to die of heart disease than Whites and twice as likely to have a stroke. The causes of these disparities are not yet well-understood. Improved methods for identifying underlying risk factors is a critical first step toward reducing Black:White CVD disparities. This article will focus on environmental exposures in the external environment and how they can lead to changes at the cellular, molecular, and organ level to increase the personal risk for CVD and lead to population level CVD racial disparities. The external environment is defined in three broad domains: natural (air, water, land), built (places you live, work, and play) and social (social, demographic, economic, and political). We will describe how environmental exposures in the natural, built, and social environments "get under the skin" to affect gene expression though epigenetic, pan-omics, and related mechanisms that lead to increased risk for adverse CVD health outcomes and population level disparities. We also will examine the important role of metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, genomics, and epigenomics in understanding how exposures in the natural, built, and social environments lead to CVD disparities with implications for clinical, public health, and policy interventions. In this review, we apply an exposome approach to Black:White CVD racial disparities. The exposome is a measure of all the exposures of an individual across the life course and the relationship of those exposures to health effects. The exposome represents the totality of exogenous (external) and endogenous (internal) exposures from conception onwards, simultaneously distinguishing, characterizing, and quantifying etiologic, mediating, moderating, and co-occurring risk and protective factors and their relationship to disease. Specifically, it assesses the biological mechanisms and underlying pathways through which chemical and non-chemical environmental exposures are associated with CVD onset, progression and outcomes. The exposome is a promising approach for understanding the complex relationships among environment, behavior, biology, genetics, and disease phenotypes that underlie population level, Black: White CVD disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Juarez
- Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Darryl B Hood
- College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Min-Ae Song
- College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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9
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Laubach ZM, Perng W, Cardenas A, Rifas-Shiman SL, Oken E, DeMeo D, Litonjua AA, Duca RC, Godderis L, Baccarelli A, Hivert MF. Socioeconomic status and DNA methylation from birth through mid-childhood: a prospective study in Project Viva. Epigenomics 2019; 11:1413-1427. [PMID: 31509016 PMCID: PMC6802709 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: We investigated associations of prenatal socioeconomic status (SES) with DNA methylation at birth, and to explore persistence of associations into early (∼3 years) and mid-childhood (∼7 years) among 609 mother-child pairs in a Boston-area prebirth cohort. Materials & methods: First, we created a prenatal SES index comprising individual- and neighborhood-level metrics and examined associations of low (lowest 10%) versus high (upper 90%) SES with genome-wide DNA methylation in cord blood via the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Next, we evaluated persistence of associations detected in cord blood with DNA methylation of the same CpG sites measured in peripheral leukocytes in early- and mid-childhood. Results & conclusion: Low prenatal SES was associated with methylation at CpG sites near ACSF3, TNRC6C-AS1, MTMR4 and LRRN4. The relationship with LRRN4 persisted into early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M Laubach
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
| | - Wei Perng
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dawn DeMeo
- Center for Chest Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Augusto A Litonjua
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Radu-Corneliu Duca
- Centre for Environment & Health, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000, Belgium
| | - Lode Godderis
- Centre for Environment & Health, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), 3000, Belgium
- IDEWE, External Service for Prevention at Protection at Work, Heverlee, 3001, Belgium
| | - Andrea Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Marie-France Hivert
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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10
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Laubach ZM, Faulk CD, Dolinoy DC, Montrose L, Jones TR, Ray D, Pioon MO, Holekamp KE. Early life social and ecological determinants of global DNA methylation in wild spotted hyenas. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3799-3812. [PMID: 31291495 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Environmental factors early in life can have lasting influence on the development and phenotypes of animals, but the underlying molecular modifications remain poorly understood. We examined cross-sectional associations among early life socioecological factors and global DNA methylation in 293 wild spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, grouped according to three age classes (cub, subadult and adult). Explanatory variables of interest included annual maternal rank based on outcomes of dyadic agonistic interactions, litter size, wild ungulate prey density and anthropogenic disturbance in the year each hyena was born based on counts of illegal livestock in the Reserve. The dependent variable of interest was global DNA methylation, assessed via the LUminometric Methylation Assay, which provides a percentage methylation value calculated at CCGG sites across the genome. Among cubs, we observed approximately 2.75% higher CCGG methylation in offspring born to high- than low-ranking mothers. Among cubs and subadults, higher anthropogenic disturbance corresponded with greater %CCGG methylation. In both cubs and adults, we found an inverse association between prey density measured before a hyena was 3 months old and %CCGG methylation. Our results suggest that maternal rank, anthropogenic disturbance and prey availability early in life are associated with later life global DNA methylation. Future studies are required to understand the extent to which these DNA methylation patterns relate to adult phenotypes and fitness outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M Laubach
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,BEACON, NSF Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Masai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
| | | | - Dana C Dolinoy
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Luke Montrose
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tamara R Jones
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Donna Ray
- Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Malit O Pioon
- Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Masai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,BEACON, NSF Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Masai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
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11
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Dunn EC, Soare TW, Zhu Y, Simpkin AJ, Suderman MJ, Klengel T, Smith ADAC, Ressler KJ, Relton CL. Sensitive Periods for the Effect of Childhood Adversity on DNA Methylation: Results From a Prospective, Longitudinal Study. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:838-849. [PMID: 30905381 PMCID: PMC6552666 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to early-life adversity is known to predict DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns that may be related to psychiatric risk. However, few studies have investigated whether adversity has time-dependent effects based on the age at exposure. METHODS Using a two-stage structured life course modeling approach, we tested the hypothesis that there are sensitive periods when adversity induces greater DNAm changes. We tested this hypothesis in relation to two alternatives: an accumulation hypothesis, in which the effect of adversity increases with the number of occasions exposed, regardless of timing; and a recency model, in which the effect of adversity is stronger for more proximal events. Data came from the Accessible Resource for Integrated Epigenomic Studies, a subsample of mother-child pairs from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 691-774). RESULTS After covariate adjustment and multiple testing correction, we identified 38 CpG sites that were differentially methylated at 7 years of age following exposure to adversity. Most loci (n = 35) were predicted by the timing of adversity, namely exposures before 3 years of age. Neither the accumulation nor recency of the adversity explained considerable variability in DNAm. A standard epigenome-wide association study of lifetime exposure (vs. no exposure) failed to detect these associations. CONCLUSIONS The developmental timing of adversity explains more variability in DNAm than the accumulation or recency of exposure. Very early childhood appears to be a sensitive period when exposure to adversity predicts differential DNAm patterns. Classification of individuals as exposed versus unexposed to early-life adversity may dilute observed effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin C Dunn
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| | - Thomas W Soare
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yiwen Zhu
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrew J Simpkin
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Suderman
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Torsten Klengel
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Gottingen, Germany
| | - Andrew D A C Smith
- Applied Statistics Group, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Caroline L Relton
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Institute of Genetic Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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12
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Ng JH, Ward LM, Shea M, Hart L, Guerino P, Scholle SH. Explaining the Relationship Between Minority Group Status and Health Disparities: A Review of Selected Concepts. Health Equity 2019; 3:47-60. [PMID: 30868139 PMCID: PMC6413828 DOI: 10.1089/heq.2018.0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: There is growing concern that value-based payment for health care may disadvantage health care organizations that serve populations with social risk. In the broader investigation of social risk factors, including income, education, neighborhood deprivation, and other risks, the focus on race and ethnicity as a risk factor for disparities in health and health care has diminished. Understanding the independent contribution of minority group status is critical to this discussion. This narrative review discusses four concepts—minority stress, resilience, epigenetics, and life course—that may help explain the contribution of minority group status and its association with health disparities. Methods: We briefly describe each concept and the supporting evidence. Results: Our results indicate that all four concepts have potential relevance for understanding and addressing health disparities. The life course perspective emphasizes the importance of understanding explanatory mechanisms and factors that contribute to health—including biological, physical, and social factors—over a person's life span. Both minority stress and resilience may influence health in either a negative or positive manner that potentially underlies health changes. Exposure to these factors and others may interact with and modify epigenetic regulation—biological processes that impact how our genes are expressed. This may increase the risk of disease and negative health outcomes, particularly among groups that may be at disproportionate risk because of social circumstances and environmental exposure over the life course. Conclusion: Despite these concepts' relevance, more research is needed to assess how they may explain the relationship between minority status and disparities in health. Such evidence is needed to focus interventions and to inform the design of delivery and payment models that can spur actions to reduce disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy H Ng
- National Committee for Quality Assurance, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Lauren M Ward
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
| | - Madeleine Shea
- Health Management Associates, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Liz Hart
- National Committee for Quality Assurance, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Paul Guerino
- American Hospital Association, Chicago, Illinois
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13
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Alfano R, Guida F, Galobardes B, Chadeau-Hyam M, Delpierre C, Ghantous A, Henderson J, Herceg Z, Jain P, Nawrot TS, Relton C, Vineis P, Castagné R, Plusquin M. Socioeconomic position during pregnancy and DNA methylation signatures at three stages across early life: epigenome-wide association studies in the ALSPAC birth cohort. Int J Epidemiol 2019; 48:30-44. [PMID: 30590607 PMCID: PMC6443021 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyy259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socioeconomic experiences are recognized determinants of health, and recent work has shown that social disadvantages in early life may induce sustained biological changes at molecular level that are detectable later in life. However, the dynamics and persistence of biological embedding of socioeconomic position (SEP) remains vastly unexplored. METHODS Using the data from the ALSPAC birth cohort, we performed epigenome-wide association studies of DNA methylation changes at three life stages (birth, n = 914; childhood at mean age 7.5 years, n = 973; and adolescence at mean age 15.5 years, n = 974), measured using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 Beadchip, in relation to pregnancy SEP indicators (maternal and paternal education and occupation). RESULTS Across the four early life SEP metrics investigated, only maternal education was associated with methylation levels at birth, and four CpGs mapped to SULF1, GLB1L2 and RPUSD1 genes were identified [false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected P-value <0.05]. No epigenetic signature was found associated with maternal education in child samples, but methylation levels at 20 CpG loci were found significantly associated with maternal education in adolescence. Although no overlap was found between the differentially methylated CpG sites at different ages, we identified two CpG sites at birth and during adolescence which are 219 bp apart in the SULF1 gene that encodes an heparan sulphatase involved in modulation of signalling pathways. Using data from an independent birth cohort, the ENVIRONAGE cohort, we were not able to replicate these findings. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results suggest that parental SEP, and particularly maternal education, may influence the offspring's methylome at birth and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Alfano
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Florence Guida
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Bruna Galobardes
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cyrille Delpierre
- INSERM, UMR1027, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Akram Ghantous
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
| | - John Henderson
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Zdenko Herceg
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
| | - Pooja Jain
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- NIHR-Health Protection Research Unit, Respiratory Infections and Immunity, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Caroline Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Paolo Vineis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- IIGM, Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, Turin, Italy
| | - Raphaële Castagné
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- INSERM, UMR1027, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Michelle Plusquin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council-Health Protection Agency Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
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14
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Maddock J, Wulaningsih W, Fernandez JC, Ploubidis GB, Goodman A, Bell J, Kuh D, Hardy R. Associations between body size, nutrition and socioeconomic position in early life and the epigenome: A systematic review. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201672. [PMID: 30096154 PMCID: PMC6086410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Body size, nutrition and socioeconomic position (SEP) in early life have been associated with a wide range of long-term health effects. Epigenetics is one possible mechanism through which these early life exposures can impact later life health. We conducted a systematic review examining the observational evidence for the impact of body size, nutrition and SEP in early life on the epigenome in humans. Methods This systematic review is registered with the PROSPERO database (registration number: CRD42016050193). Three datasets were simultaneously searched using Ovid and the resulting studies were evaluated by at least two independent reviewers. Studies measuring epigenetic markers either at the same time as, or after, the early life exposure and have a measure of body size, nutrition or SEP in early life (up to 12 years), written in English and from a community-dwelling participants were included. Results We identified 90 eligible studies. Seventeen of these papers examined more than one early life exposure of interest. Fifty six papers examined body size, 37 nutrition and 17 SEP. All of the included papers examined DNA methylation (DNAm) as the epigenetic marker. Overall there was no strong evidence for a consistent association between these early life variables in DNAm which may be due to the heterogeneous study designs, data collection methods and statistical analyses. Conclusions Despite these inconclusive results, the hypothesis that the early life environment can impact DNAm, potentially persisting into adult life, was supported by some studies and warrants further investigation. We provide recommendations for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Maddock
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Wahyu Wulaningsih
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Castillo Fernandez
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - George B. Ploubidis
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alissa Goodman
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jordana Bell
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diana Kuh
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Hardy
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Lanata CM, Chung SA, Criswell LA. DNA methylation 101: what is important to know about DNA methylation and its role in SLE risk and disease heterogeneity. Lupus Sci Med 2018; 5:e000285. [PMID: 30094041 PMCID: PMC6069928 DOI: 10.1136/lupus-2018-000285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
SLE is a complex autoimmune disease that results from the interplay of genetics, epigenetics and environmental exposures. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that regulates gene expression and tissue differentiation. Among all the epigenetic modifications, DNA methylation perturbations have been the most widely studied in SLE. It mediates processes relevant to SLE, including lymphocyte development, X-chromosome inactivation and the suppression of endogenous retroviruses. The establishment of most DNA methylation marks occurs in utero; however, a small percentage of epigenetic marks are dynamic and can change throughout a person’s lifetime and in relation to exposures. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the biology of DNA methylation and its regulators, the measurement and interpretation of methylation marks, the effects of genetics on DNA methylation and the role of environmental exposures with relevance to SLE. We also summarise research findings associated with SLE disease risk and heterogeneity. The robust finding of hypomethylation of interferon-responsive genes in patients with SLE and new associations beyond interferon-responsive genes such as cell-specific methylation abnormalities are described. We also discuss methylation changes associated with lupus nephritis, autoantibody status and disease activity. Lastly, we explore future research directions, emphasising the need for longitudinal studies, cell tissue and context-specific profiling, as well as integrative approaches. With new technologies, DNA methylation perturbations could be targeted and edited, offering novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina M Lanata
- Russell/Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sharon A Chung
- Russell/Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lindsey A Criswell
- Russell/Engleman Rheumatology Research Center, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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16
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Schneider I, Kugel H, Redlich R, Grotegerd D, Bürger C, Bürkner PC, Opel N, Dohm K, Zaremba D, Meinert S, Schröder N, Straßburg AM, Schwarte K, Schettler C, Ambrée O, Rust S, Domschke K, Arolt V, Heindel W, Baune BT, Zhang W, Dannlowski U, Hohoff C. Association of Serotonin Transporter Gene AluJb Methylation with Major Depression, Amygdala Responsiveness, 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 Polymorphism, and Stress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1308-1316. [PMID: 29114103 PMCID: PMC5916353 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation profiles of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) have been shown to alter SLC6A4 expression, drive antidepressant treatment response and modify brain functions. This study investigated whether methylation of an AluJb element in the SLC6A4 promotor was associated with major depressive disorder (MDD), amygdala reactivity to emotional faces, 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 polymorphism, and recent stress. MDD patients (n=122) and healthy controls (HC, n=176) underwent fMRI during an emotional face-matching task. Individual SLC6A4 AluJb methylation profiles were ascertained and associated with MDD, amygdala reactivity, 5-HTTLPR/rs25531, and stress. SLC6A4 AluJb methylation was significantly lower in MDD compared to HC and in stressed compared to less stressed participants. Lower AluJb methylation was particularly found in 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 risk allele carriers under stress and correlated with less depressive episodes. fMRI analysis revealed a significant interaction of AluJb methylation and diagnosis in the amygdala, with MDD patients showing lower AluJb methylation associated with decreased amygdala reactivity. While no joint effect of AluJb methylation and 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 existed, risk allele carriers showed significantly increased bilateral amygdala activation. These findings suggest a role of SLC6A4 AluJb methylation in MDD, amygdala reactivity, and stress reaction, partly interwoven with 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 effects. Patients with low methylation in conjunction with a shorter MDD history and decreased amygdala reactivity might feature a more stress-adaptive epigenetic process, maybe via theoretically possible endogenous antidepressant-like effects. In contrast, patients with higher methylation might possibly suffer from impaired epigenetic adaption to chronic stress. Further, the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 association with amygdala activation was confirmed in our large sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Harald Kugel
- Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ronny Redlich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Christian Bürger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Nils Opel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Dario Zaremba
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nina Schröder
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Kathrin Schwarte
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Oliver Ambrée
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Stephan Rust
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Volker Arolt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Walter Heindel
- Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Bernhard T Baune
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christa Hohoff
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, Münster 48149 Germany, Tel: +49-251-8357122, Fax: +49-251-8357123, E-mail:
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17
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Martin EM, Fry RC. Environmental Influences on the Epigenome: Exposure- Associated DNA Methylation in Human Populations. Annu Rev Public Health 2018; 39:309-333. [PMID: 29328878 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-014629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 364] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is the most well studied of the epigenetic regulators in relation to environmental exposures. To date, numerous studies have detailed the manner by which DNA methylation is influenced by the environment, resulting in altered global and gene-specific DNA methylation. These studies have focused on prenatal, early-life, and adult exposure scenarios. The present review summarizes currently available literature that demonstrates a relationship between DNA methylation and environmental exposures. It includes studies on aflatoxin B1, air pollution, arsenic, bisphenol A, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, persistent organic pollutants, tobacco smoke, and nutritional factors. It also addresses gaps in the literature and future directions for research. These gaps include studies of mixtures, sexual dimorphisms with respect to environmentally associated methylation changes, tissue specificity, and temporal stability of the methylation marks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Martin
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and Curriculum in Toxicology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA; ,
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and Curriculum in Toxicology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA; ,
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18
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van Dongen J, Bonder MJ, Dekkers KF, Nivard MG, van Iterson M, Willemsen G, Beekman M, van der Spek A, van Meurs JBJ, Franke L, Heijmans BT, van Duijn CM, Slagboom PE, Boomsma DI. DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2018; 3:7. [PMID: 30631468 PMCID: PMC6220239 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-018-0020-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Educational attainment is a key behavioural measure in studies of cognitive and physical health, and socioeconomic status. We measured DNA methylation at 410,746 CpGs (N = 4152) and identified 58 CpGs associated with educational attainment at loci characterized by pleiotropic functions shared with neuronal, immune and developmental processes. Associations overlapped with those for smoking behaviour, but remained after accounting for smoking at many CpGs: Effect sizes were on average 28% smaller and genome-wide significant at 11 CpGs after adjusting for smoking and were 62% smaller in never smokers. We examined sources and biological implications of education-related methylation differences, demonstrating correlations with maternal prenatal folate, smoking and air pollution signatures, and associations with gene expression in cis, dynamic methylation in foetal brain, and correlations between blood and brain. Our findings show that the methylome of lower-educated people resembles that of smokers beyond effects of their own smoking behaviour and shows traces of various other exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny van Dongen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marc Jan Bonder
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen F. Dekkers
- Molecular Epidemiology section, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michel G. Nivard
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten van Iterson
- Molecular Epidemiology section, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gonneke Willemsen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian Beekman
- Molecular Epidemiology section, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ashley van der Spek
- Department of Epidemiology, Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Lude Franke
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan T. Heijmans
- Molecular Epidemiology section, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelia M. van Duijn
- Department of Epidemiology, Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - P. Eline Slagboom
- Molecular Epidemiology section, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Dorret I. Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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19
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Erqou S, Echouffo-Tcheugui JB, Kip KE, Aiyer A, Reis SE. Association of cumulative social risk with mortality and adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2017; 17:110. [PMID: 28482797 PMCID: PMC5422978 DOI: 10.1186/s12872-017-0539-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quantifying the cumulative effect of social risk factors on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk can help to better understand the sources of disparities in health outcomes. METHOD AND RESULTS Data from the Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation (HeartSCORE) study were used to create an index of cumulative social risk (CSR) and quantify its association with incident CVD and all-cause mortality. CSR was defined by assigning a score of 1 for the presence of each of 4 social factors: i) racial minority status (Black race), ii) single living status, iii) low income, and iv) low educational level. Hazard ratios (HRs) were computed using Cox-regression models, adjusted for CVD risk factors. Over a median follow-up period of 8.3 years, 127 incident events were observed. The incidence of the primary outcome for subgroups of participants with 0, 1, and ≥2 CSR scores was 5.31 (95% CI, 3.40-7.22), 10.32 (7.16-13.49) and 17.80 (12.94-22.67) per 1000 person-years, respectively. Individuals with CSR score of 1 had an adjusted HR of 1.85 (1.15-2.97) for incident primary outcomes, compared to those with score of 0. The corresponding HR for individuals with CSR score of 2 or more was 2.58 (1.60-4.17). CONCLUSION An accumulation of social risk factors independently increased the likelihood of CVD events and deaths in a cohort of White and Black individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebhat Erqou
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | | | - Kevin E. Kip
- College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL USA
| | - Aryan Aiyer
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Steven E. Reis
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
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20
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DNA methylation-based variation between human populations. Mol Genet Genomics 2016; 292:5-35. [PMID: 27815639 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-016-1264-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have proved that DNA methylation affects regulation of gene expression and development. Epigenome-wide studies have reported variation in methylation patterns between populations, including Caucasians, non-Caucasians (Blacks), Hispanics, Arabs, and numerous populations of the African continent. Not only has DNA methylation differences shown to impact externally visible characteristics, but is also a potential biomarker for underlying racial health disparities between human populations. Ethnicity-related methylation differences set their mark during early embryonic development. Genetic variations, such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms and environmental factors, such as age, dietary folate, socioeconomic status, and smoking, impacts DNA methylation levels, which reciprocally impacts expression of phenotypes. Studies show that it is necessary to address these external influences when attempting to differentiate between populations since the relative impacts of these factors on the human methylome remain uncertain. The present review summarises several reported attempts to establish the contribution of differential DNA methylation to natural human variation, and shows that DNA methylation could represent new opportunities for risk stratification and prevention of several diseases amongst populations world-wide. Variation of methylation patterns between human populations is an exciting prospect which inspires further valuable research to apply the concept in routine medical and forensic casework. However, trans-generational inheritance needs to be quantified to decipher the proportion of variation contributed by DNA methylation. The future holds thorough evaluation of the epigenome to understand quantification, heritability, and the effect of DNA methylation on phenotypes. In addition, methylation profiling of the same ethnic groups across geographical locations will shed light on conserved methylation differences in populations.
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Casanello P, Krause BJ, Castro-Rodríguez JA, Uauy R. [Epigenetics and obesity]. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 87:335-342. [PMID: 27692574 DOI: 10.1016/j.rchipe.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Current evidence supports the notion that exposure to various environmental conditions in early life may induce permanent changes in the epigenome that persist throughout the life-course. This article focuses on early changes associated with obesity in adult life. A review is presented on the factors that induce changes in whole genome (DNA) methylation in early life that are associated with adult onset obesity and related disorders. In contrast, reversal of epigenetic changes associated with weight loss in obese subjects has not been demonstrated. This contrasts with well-established associations found between obesity related DNA methylation patterns at birth and adult onset obesity and diabetes. Epigenetic markers may serve to screen indivuals at risk for obesity and assess the effects of interventions in early life that may delay or prevent obesity in early life. This might contribute to lower the obesity-related burden of death and disability at the population level. The available evidence indicates that epigenetic marks are in fact modifiable, based on modifications in the intrauterine environment and changes in food intake, physical activity and dietary patterns patterns during pregnancy and early years of adult life. This offers the opportunity to intervene before conception, during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, and also in later life. There must be documentation on the best preventive actions in terms of diet and physical activity that will modify or revert the adverse epigenetic markers, thus preventing obesity and diabetes in suceptible individuals and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Casanello
- División de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; División de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Bernardo J Krause
- División de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - José A Castro-Rodríguez
- División de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo Uauy
- División de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Needham BL, Smith JA, Zhao W, Wang X, Mukherjee B, Kardia SLR, Shively CA, Seeman TE, Liu Y, Diez Roux AV. Life course socioeconomic status and DNA methylation in genes related to stress reactivity and inflammation: The multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. Epigenetics 2016; 10:958-69. [PMID: 26295359 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2015.1085139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation, have been hypothesized to provide a link between the social environment and disease development. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between life course measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and DNA methylation (DNAm) in 18 genes related to stress reactivity and inflammation using a multi-level modeling approach that treats DNAm measurements as repeat measures within an individual. DNAm and gene expression were assessed in purified monocytes for a random subsample of 1,264 non-Hispanic white, African-American, and Hispanic participants aged 55-94 from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). After correction for multiple testing, we found that low childhood SES was associated with DNAm in 3 stress-related genes (AVP, FKBP5, OXTR) and 2 inflammation-related genes (CCL1, CD1D), low adult SES was associated with DNAm in one stress-related gene (AVP) and 5 inflammation-related genes (CD1D, F8, KLRG1, NLRP12, TLR3), and social mobility was associated with DNAm in 3 stress-related genes (AVP, FKBP5, OXTR) and 7 inflammation-related genes (CCL1, CD1D, F8, KLRG1, NLRP12, PYDC1, TLR3). In general, low SES was associated with increased DNAm. Expression data was available for 7 genes that showed a significant relationship between SES and DNAm. In 5 of these 7 genes (CD1D, F8, FKBP5, KLRG1, NLRP12), DNAm was associated with gene expression for at least one transcript, providing evidence of the potential functional consequences of alterations in DNAm related to SES. The results of this study reflect the biological complexity of epigenetic data and underscore the need for multi-disciplinary approaches to study how DNAm may contribute to the social patterning of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda L Needham
- a Department of Epidemiology; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Jennifer A Smith
- a Department of Epidemiology; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Wei Zhao
- a Department of Epidemiology; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Xu Wang
- b Department of Epidemiology; Drexel University; Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Bhramar Mukherjee
- c Department of Biostatistics; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Sharon L R Kardia
- a Department of Epidemiology; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Carol A Shively
- d Section on Comparative Medicine; Wake Forest University; Winston-Salem, NC USA
| | - Teresa E Seeman
- e Department of Medicine; University of California ; Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Yongmei Liu
- f Department of Epidemiology and Prevention; Wake Forest University; Winston-Salem, NC USA
| | - Ava V Diez Roux
- b Department of Epidemiology; Drexel University; Philadelphia, PA USA
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Muka T, Nano J, Voortman T, Braun KVE, Ligthart S, Stranges S, Bramer WM, Troup J, Chowdhury R, Dehghan A, Franco OH. The role of global and regional DNA methylation and histone modifications in glycemic traits and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2016; 26:553-566. [PMID: 27146363 DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND New evidence suggests the potential involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in type 2 diabetes (T2D) as a crucial interface between the effects of genetic predisposition and environmental influences. AIM To systematically review studies investigating the association between epigenetic marks (DNA methylation and histone modifications) with T2D and glycemic traits (glucose and insulin levels, insulin resistance measured by HOMA-IR). METHOD AND RESULTS Six bibliographic databases (Embase.com, Medline (Ovid), Web-of-Science, PubMed, Cochrane Central and Google Scholar) were screened until 28th August 2015. We included randomized controlled trials, cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies in humans that examined the association between epigenetic marks (global, candidate or genome-wide methylation of DNA and histone modifications) with T2D, glucose and insulin levels and insulin metabolism. Of the initially identified 3879 references, 53 articles, based on 47 unique studies met our inclusion criteria. Overall, data were available on 10,823 participants, with a total of 3358 T2D cases. There was no consistent evidence for an association between global DNA-methylation with T2D, glucose, insulin and insulin resistance. The studies reported epigenetic regulation of several candidate genes for diabetes susceptibility in blood cells, muscle, adipose tissue and placenta to be related with T2D without any general overlap between them. Histone modifications in relation to T2D were reported only in 3 observational studies. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Current evidence supports an association between epigenetic marks and T2D. However, overall evidence is limited, highlighting the need for further larger-scale and prospective investigations to establish whether epigenetic marks may influence the risk of developing T2D.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Muka
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - J Nano
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - T Voortman
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - K V E Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S Ligthart
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S Stranges
- Department of Population Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg
| | - W M Bramer
- Medical Library, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Troup
- Research and Development, Metagenics, Inc, USA
| | - R Chowdhury
- Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB1 8RN, United Kingdom
| | - A Dehghan
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - O H Franco
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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JIANG YIDENG, MA SHENGCHAO, ZHANG HUIPING, YANG XIAOLING, LU GUANJUN, ZHANG HUI, HE YANGYANG, KONG FANQI, YANG ANNING, XU HUA, ZHANG MINGHAO, JIAO YUN, LI GUIZHONG, CAO JUN, JIA YUEXIA, JIN SHAOJU, WEI JUN, SHI YINGKANG. FABP4-mediated homocysteine-induced cholesterol accumulation in THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages and the potential epigenetic mechanism. Mol Med Rep 2016; 14:969-76. [DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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Olden K, Lin YS, Bussard D. Epigenome: A Biomarker or Screening Tool to Evaluate Health Impact of Cumulative Exposure to Chemical and Non-Chemical Stressors. BIOSENSORS 2016. [PMCID: PMC4931472 DOI: 10.3390/bios6020012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Current risk assessment practices and toxicity information are hard to utilize for assessing the health impact of combined or cumulative exposure to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors encountered in the “real world” environment. Non-chemical stressors such as heat, radiation, noise, humidity, bacterial and viral agents, and social factors, like stress related to violence and socioeconomic position generally cannot be currently incorporated into the risk assessment paradigm. The Science and Decisions report released by the National Research Council (NRC) in 2009 emphasized the need to characterize the effects of multiple stressors, both chemical and non-chemical exposures. One impediment to developing information relating such non-chemical stressors to health effects and incorporating them into cumulative assessment has been the lack of analytical tools to easily and quantitatively monitor the cumulative exposure to combined effects of stressors over the life course.
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Echouffo-Tcheugui JB, Caleyachetty R, Muennig PA, Narayan KM, Golden SH. Cumulative social risk and type 2 diabetes in US adults: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2006. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2016; 23:1282-8. [DOI: 10.1177/2047487315627036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin B Echouffo-Tcheugui
- Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA
| | - Rishi Caleyachetty
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Peter A Muennig
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - KM Narayan
- Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Sherita H Golden
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
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Demetriou CA, van Veldhoven K, Relton C, Stringhini S, Kyriacou K, Vineis P. Biological embedding of early-life exposures and disease risk in humans: a role for DNA methylation. Eur J Clin Invest 2015; 45:303-32. [PMID: 25645488 DOI: 10.1111/eci.12406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Following wider acceptance of 'the thrifty phenotype' hypothesis and the convincing evidence that early-life exposures can influence adult health even decades after the exposure, much interest has been placed on the mechanisms through which early-life exposures become biologically embedded. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this review, we summarize the current literature regarding biological embedding of early-life experiences. To this end, we conducted a literature search to identify studies investigating early-life exposures in relation to DNA methylation changes. In addition, we summarize the challenges faced in investigations of epigenetic effects, stemming from the peculiarities of this emergent and complex field. A proper systematic review and meta-analyses were not feasible given the nature of the evidence. RESULTS We identified seven studies on early-life socio-economic circumstances, 10 studies on childhood obesity and six studies on early-life nutrition all relating to DNA methylation changes that met the stipulated inclusion criteria. The pool of evidence gathered, albeit small, favours a role of epigenetics and DNA methylation in biological embedding, but replication of findings, multiple comparison corrections, publication bias and causality are concerns remaining to be addressed in future investigations. CONCLUSIONS Based on these results, we hypothesize that epigenetics, in particular DNA methylation, is a plausible mechanism through which early-life exposures are biologically embedded. This review describes the current status of the field and acts as a stepping stone for future, better designed investigations on how early-life exposures might become biologically embedded through epigenetic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana A Demetriou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Electron Microscopy / Molecular Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
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King K, Murphy S, Hoyo C. Epigenetic regulation of Newborns' imprinted genes related to gestational growth: patterning by parental race/ethnicity and maternal socioeconomic status. J Epidemiol Community Health 2015; 69:639-47. [PMID: 25678712 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2014-204781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children born to parents with lower income and education are at risk for obesity and later-life risk of common chronic diseases, and epigenetics has been hypothesised to link these associations. However, epigenetic targets are unknown. We focus on a cluster of well-characterised genomically imprinted genes because their monoallelic expression is regulated by DNA methylation at differentially methylated regions (DMRs), are critical in fetal growth, and DNA methylation patterns at birth have been associated with increased risk of birth weight extremes and overweight status or obesity in early childhood. METHODS We measured DNA methylation at DMRs regulating genomically imprinted domains (IGF2/H19, DLK1/MEG3, NNAT and PLAGL1) using umbilical cord blood leucocytes from 619 infants recruited in Durham, North Carolina in 2010-2011. We examined differences in DNA methylation levels by race/ethnicity of both parents, and the role that maternal socioeconomic status (SES) may play in the association between race/ethnic epigenetic differences. RESULTS Unadjusted race/ethnic differences only were evident for DMRs regulating MEG3 and IGF2; race/ethnic differences persisted in IGF2/H19 and NNAT after accounting for income and education. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that parental factors may not only influence DNA methylation, but also do so in ways that vary by DMR. Findings support the hypothesis that epigenetics may link the observed lower SES during the prenatal period and poor outcomes such as low birth weight; lower birth weight has previously been associated with adult-onset chronic diseases and conditions that include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and some cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine King
- Environmental Public Health Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Susan Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Cathrine Hoyo
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Abstract
Theory and empirical evidence suggest that psychological stress and other adverse psychosocial experiences can contribute to cancer progression. Research has begun to explore the potential role of epigenetic changes in these pathways. In basic, animal and human models, exposure to stressors or to the products of the physiological stress response (e.g., cortisol) has been associated with epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and microRNA (miR) expression, which may influence tumor growth, progression, metastasis, or chemoresistance. However, the specific biological pathways linking stress, epigenetic changes, and cancer outcomes remain unclear. Numerous opportunities exist to extend the preliminary evidence for the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the biopsychosocial pathways contributing to cancer progression. Such work will improve our understanding of how the psychosocial environment influences cancer risk and survival, potentially leading to improved prevention and treatment strategies.
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McCarthy NS, Melton PE, Cadby G, Yazar S, Franchina M, Moses EK, Mackey DA, Hewitt AW. Meta-analysis of human methylation data for evidence of sex-specific autosomal patterns. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:981. [PMID: 25406947 PMCID: PMC4255932 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several individual studies have suggested that autosomal CpG methylation differs by sex both in terms of individual CpG sites and global autosomal CpG methylation. However, these findings have been inconsistent and plagued by spurious associations due to the cross reactivity of CpG probes on commercial microarrays. We collectively analysed 76 published studies (n = 6,795) for sex-associated differences in both autosomal and sex chromosome CpG sites. Results Overall autosomal methylation profiles varied substantially by study, and we encountered substantial batch effects. We accounted for these by conducting random effects meta-analysis for individual autosomal CpG methylation associations. After excluding non-specific probes, we found 184 autosomal CpG sites differentially methylated by sex after correction for multiple testing. In line with previous studies, average beta differences were small. Many of the most significantly associated CpG probes were new. Of note was differential CpG methylation in the promoters of genes thought to be involved in spermatogenesis and male fertility, such as SLC9A2, SPESP1, CRISP2, and NUPL1. Pathway analysis revealed overrepresentation of genes differentially methylated by sex in several broad Gene Ontology biological processes, including RNA splicing and DNA repair. Conclusions This study represents a comprehensive analysis of sex-specific methylation patterns. We demonstrate the existence of sex-specific methylation profiles and report a large number of novel DNA methylation differences in autosomal CpG sites between sexes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-981) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina S McCarthy
- Centre for the Genetic Origins of Health and Disease (GOHaD), University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
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Dynamic Alu methylation during normal development, aging, and tumorigenesis. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:784706. [PMID: 25243180 PMCID: PMC4163490 DOI: 10.1155/2014/784706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation primarily occurs on CpG dinucleotides and plays an important role in transcriptional regulations during tissue development and cell differentiation. Over 25% of CpG dinucleotides in the human genome reside within Alu elements, the most abundant human repeats. The methylation of Alu elements is an important mechanism to suppress Alu transcription and subsequent retrotransposition. Decades of studies revealed that Alu methylation is highly dynamic during early development and aging. Recently, many environmental factors were shown to have a great impact on Alu methylation. In addition, aberrant Alu methylation has been documented to be an early event in many tumors and Alu methylation levels have been associated with tumor aggressiveness. The assessment of the Alu methylation has become an important approach for early diagnosis and/or prognosis of cancer. This review focuses on the dynamic Alu methylation during development, aging, and tumor genesis. The cause and consequence of Alu methylation changes will be discussed.
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Williams SD, Hughes TE, Adler CJ, Brook AH, Townsend GC. Epigenetics: a new frontier in dentistry. Aust Dent J 2014; 59 Suppl 1:23-33. [DOI: 10.1111/adj.12155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- SD Williams
- School of Dentistry; The University of Adelaide; South Australia Australia
| | - TE Hughes
- School of Dentistry; The University of Adelaide; South Australia Australia
| | - CJ Adler
- Institute of Dental Research; Westmead Millennium Institute; Faculty of Dentistry; The University of Sydney; New South Wales Australia
| | - AH Brook
- School of Dentistry; The University of Adelaide; South Australia Australia
- Institute of Dentistry; Queen Mary University of London; United Kingdom
| | - GC Townsend
- School of Dentistry; The University of Adelaide; South Australia Australia
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Abstract
The growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity is largely attributed to the current lifestyle of over-consumption and physical inactivity. As the primary platform controlling metabolic and energy homeostasis, mitochondria show aberrant changes in T2DM and obese subjects. While the underlying mechanism is under extensive investigation, epigenetic regulation is now emerging to play an important role in mitochondrial biogenesis, function, and dynamics. In line with lifestyle modifications preventing mitochondrial alterations and metabolic disorders, exercise has been shown to change DNA methylation of the promoter of PGC1α to favor gene expression responsible for mitochondrial biogenesis and function. In this article we discuss the epigenetic mechanism of mitochondrial alteration in T2DM and obesity, and the effects of lifestyle on epigenetic regulation. Future studies designed to further explore and integrate the epigenetic mechanisms with lifestyle modification may lead to interdisciplinary interventions and novel preventive options for mitochondrial alteration and metabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Cheng
- Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise; Fralin Translational Obesity Research Center; Fralin Life Science Institute; College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Virginia Tech; Blacksburg, VA USA
| | - Fabio A Almeida
- Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise; Fralin Translational Obesity Research Center; Fralin Life Science Institute; College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Virginia Tech; Blacksburg, VA USA
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Abstract
Research focusing on the social determinants of diabetes has focused on individual-level factors such as health behaviors, socioeconomic status, and depression. Fewer studies that incorporate a broader consideration of the multiple contexts or organizational levels (eg, family, health care setting, neighborhood) within which individuals are embedded exist in the mainstream diabetes literature. Such an approach would enhance our understanding of this complex disease, and thus, future avenues of research should consider the following: (1) a life-course approach, which examines the influence of early life exposures on the development of diabetes; (2) aiming to understand the biological mechanisms of social determinants of diabetes; and (3) implementing interventions on multiple levels. Integrating this multilevel and life-course approach will require transdisciplinary science that brings together highly specialized expertise from multiple disciplines. Broadening the study of social determinants is a necessary step toward improving the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany L Gary-Webb
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W. 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, USA,
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Gasull M, Pumarega J, Rovira G, López T, Alguacil J, Porta M. Relative effects of educational level and occupational social class on body concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in a representative sample of the general population of Catalonia, Spain. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2013; 60:190-201. [PMID: 24064380 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2013] [Revised: 07/04/2013] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Scant evidence is available worldwide on the relative influence of occupational social class and educational level on body concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the general population. The objective was to analyse such influence in a representative sample of the general population of Catalonia, Spain. Participants in the Catalan Health Interview Survey aged 18-74 were interviewed face-to-face, gave blood, and underwent a physical exam. The role of age, body mass index (BMI), and parity was analysed with General Linear Models, and adjusted geometric means (GMs) were obtained. Crude (unadjusted) concentrations were higher in women and men with lower education, and in women, but not men, in the less affluent social class. After adjusting for age, in women there were no associations between POP levels and social class or education. After adjusting for age and BMI, men in the less affluent class had higher p,p'-DDE concentrations than men in class I (p-value=0.016), while men in class IV had lower HCB than men in the upper class (p-value<0.03). Also in contrast with some expectations, positive associations between education and POP levels were observed after adjusting for age and BMI in men; e.g., men with university studies had higher HCB concentrations than men with first stage of primary schooling (adjusted GM 153.9 and 80.5ng/g, respectively) (p-value<0.001). When education and social class were co-adjusted for, some positive associations with education in men remained statistically significant, whereas class remained associated only with p,p'-DDE. Educational level influenced blood concentrations of POPs more than occupational social class, especially in men. In women, POP concentrations were mainly explained by age/birth cohort, parity and BMI. In men, while concentrations were also mainly explained by age/birth cohort and BMI, both social class and education showed positive associations. Important characteristics of socioeconomic groups as age and BMI may largely explain crude differences among such groups in internal contamination by POPs. The absence of clear patterns of relationships between blood concentrations of POPs and indicators of socioeconomic position may fundamentally be due to the widespread, lifelong, and generally invisible contamination of human food webs. Decreasing historical trends would also partly explain crude socioeconomic differences apparently due to birth cohort effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Gasull
- Hospital del Mar Institute of Medical Research-IMIM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
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Jintaridth P, Tungtrongchitr R, Preutthipan S, Mutirangura A. Hypomethylation of Alu elements in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70386. [PMID: 23990903 PMCID: PMC3749148 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A decrease in genomic methylation commonly occurs in aging cells; however, whether this epigenetic modification leads to age-related phenotypes has not been evaluated. Alu elements are the major interspersed repetitive DNA elements in humans that lose DNA methylation in aging individuals. Alu demethylation in blood cells starts at approximately 40 years of age, and the degree of Alu hypomethylation increases with age. Bone mass is lost with aging, particularly in menopausal women with lower body mass. Consequently, osteoporosis is commonly found in thin postmenopausal women. Here, we correlated the Alu methylation level of blood cells with bone density in 323 postmenopausal women. Alu hypomethylation was associated with advanced age and lower bone mass density, (P<0.05). The association between the Alu methylation level and bone mass was independent of age, body mass, and body fat, with an odds ratio [1] = 0.4316 (0.2087-0.8927). Individuals of the same age with osteopenia, osteoporosis, and a high body mass index have lower Alu methylation levels (P = 0.0005, 0.003, and ≤0.0001, respectively). Finally, when comparing individuals with the same age and body mass, Alu hypomethylation was observed in individuals with lower bone mass (P<0.0001). In conclusion, there are positive correlations between Alu hypomethylation in blood cells and several age-related phenotypes in bone and body fat. Therefore, reduced global methylation may play a role in the systemic senescence process. Further evaluation of Alu hypomethylation may clarify the epigenetic regulation of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pornrutsami Jintaridth
- Department of Tropical Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rungsunn Tungtrongchitr
- Department of Tropical Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sangchai Preutthipan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand
| | - Apiwat Mutirangura
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Genetics of Cancer and Human Diseases, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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