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Tuminello S, Ashebir YA, Schroff C, Ramaswami S, Durmus N, Chen Y, Snuderl M, Shao Y, Reibman J, Arslan AA. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles and breast cancer among World Trade Center survivors. Environ Epidemiol 2024; 8:e313. [PMID: 38841706 PMCID: PMC11152787 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Increased incidence of cancer has been reported among World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed persons. Aberrant DNA methylation is a hallmark of cancer development. To date, only a few small studies have investigated the relationship between WTC exposure and DNA methylation. The main objective of this study was to assess the DNA methylation profiles of WTC-exposed community members who remained cancer free and those who developed breast cancer. Methods WTC-exposed women were selected from the WTC Environmental Health Center clinic, with peripheral blood collected during routine clinical monitoring visits. The reference group was selected from the NYU Women's Health Study, a prospective cohort study with blood samples collected before 9 November 2001. The Infinium MethylationEPIC array was used for global DNA methylation profiling, with adjustments for cell type composition and other confounders. Annotated probes were used for biological pathway and network analysis. Results A total of 64 WTC-exposed (32 cancer free and 32 with breast cancer) and 32 WTC-unexposed (16 cancer free and 16 with prediagnostic breast cancer) participants were included. Hypermethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine probe sites (defined as β > 0.8) were more common among WTC-exposed versus unexposed participants (14.3% vs. 4.5%, respectively, among the top 5000 cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites). Cancer-related pathways (e.g., human papillomavirus infection, cGMP-PKG) were overrepresented in WTC-exposed groups (breast cancer patients and cancer-free subjects). Compared to the unexposed breast cancer patients, 47 epigenetically dysregulated genes were identified among WTC-exposed breast cancers. These genes formed a network, including Wnt/β-catenin signaling genes WNT4 and TCF7L2, and dysregulation of these genes contributes to cancer immune evasion. Conclusion WTC exposure likely impacts DNA methylation and may predispose exposed individuals toward cancer development, possibly through an immune-mediated mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Tuminello
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
| | - Yibeltal Arega Ashebir
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
| | - Chanel Schroff
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
| | - Sitharam Ramaswami
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
| | - Nedim Durmus
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
- NYU Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York City, New York
| | - Matija Snuderl
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
| | - Yongzhao Shao
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
- NYU Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York City, New York
| | - Joan Reibman
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
- Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
| | - Alan A. Arslan
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
- NYU Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York City, New York
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York
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Tuminello S, Nguyen E, Durmus N, Alptekin R, Yilmaz M, Crisanti MC, Snuderl M, Chen Y, Shao Y, Reibman J, Taioli E, Arslan AA. World Trade Center Exposure, DNA Methylation Changes, and Cancer: A Review of Current Evidence. EPIGENOMES 2023; 7:31. [PMID: 38131903 PMCID: PMC10742700 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes7040031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Known carcinogens in the dust and fumes from the destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers on 9 November 2001 included metals, asbestos, and organic pollutants, which have been shown to modify epigenetic status. Epigenome-wide association analyses (EWAS) using uniform (Illumina) methodology have identified novel epigenetic profiles of WTC exposure. Methods: We reviewed all published data, comparing differentially methylated gene profiles identified in the prior EWAS studies of WTC exposure. This included DNA methylation changes in blood-derived DNA from cases of cancer-free "Survivors" and those with breast cancer, as well as tissue-derived DNA from "Responders" with prostate cancer. Emerging molecular pathways related to the observed DNA methylation changes in WTC-exposed groups were explored and summarized. Results: WTC dust exposure appears to be associated with DNA methylation changes across the genome. Notably, WTC dust exposure appears to be associated with increased global DNA methylation; direct dysregulation of cancer genes and pathways, including inflammation and immune system dysregulation; and endocrine system disruption, as well as disruption of cholesterol homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Conclusion: WTC dust exposure appears to be associated with biologically meaningful DNA methylation changes, with implications for carcinogenesis and development of other chronic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Tuminello
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; (S.T.)
| | - Emelie Nguyen
- Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Nedim Durmus
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ramazan Alptekin
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Muhammed Yilmaz
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Matija Snuderl
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; (S.T.)
- NYU Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yongzhao Shao
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; (S.T.)
- NYU Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Joan Reibman
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Emanuela Taioli
- Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Alan A. Arslan
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; (S.T.)
- NYU Perlmutter Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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Machaj F, Sokolowska KE, Borowski K, Retfiński S, Strapagiel D, Sobalska-Kwapis M, Huzarski T, Lubiński J, Wojdacz TK. Analytical sensitivity of a method is critical in detection of low-level BRCA1 constitutional epimutation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16102. [PMID: 37752189 PMCID: PMC10522570 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43276-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent reports based on a substantial number of cases, warrant need for population-based research to determine implications of constitutional methylation of tumor suppressor genes such as BRCA1 occurring in healthy tissue in the prediction of cancer. However, the detection of the constitutional methylation in DNA extracted from blood has already been shown to be technologically challenging, mainly because epimutations appear to be present in blood at a very low level. The analytical sensitivity required for low-level methylation detection can be provided by NGS, but this technique is still labor and cost-intensive. We assessed if PCR-based MS-HRM and BeadChip microarray technologies, which are standardized and cost-effective technologies for methylation changes screening, provide a sufficient level of analytical sensitivity for constitutional BRCA1 methylation detection in blood samples. The study included whole blood samples from 67 healthy women, 35 with previously confirmed and 32 with no detectable BRCA1 promoter methylation for which we performed both MS-HRM based BRCA1 gene methylation screening and genome wide methylation profiling with EPIC microarray. Our results shown, that low-level BRCA1 methylation can be effectively detected in DNA extracted from blood by PCR-based MS-HRM. At the same time, EPIC microarray does not provide conclusive results to unambiguously determine the presence of BRCA1 constitutional methylation in MS-HRM epimutation positive samples. The analytical sensitivity of MS-HRM is sufficient to detect low level BRCA1 constitutional epimutation in DNA extracted from blood and BeadChip technology-based microarrays appear not to provide that level of analytical sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Machaj
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ewa Sokolowska
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Konrad Borowski
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Szymon Retfiński
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Dominik Strapagiel
- Biobank Laboratory, Department of Oncobiology and Epigenetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 139, 90-237, Lodz, Poland
| | - Marta Sobalska-Kwapis
- Biobank Laboratory, Department of Oncobiology and Epigenetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 139, 90-237, Lodz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Huzarski
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jan Lubiński
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Tomasz Kazimierz Wojdacz
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland.
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Coppedè F. Genes and the Environment in Cancer: Focus on Environmentally Induced DNA Methylation Changes. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041019. [PMID: 36831363 PMCID: PMC9953779 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer has traditionally been viewed as a genetic disorder resulting from the accumulation of gene mutations, chromosomal rearrangements, and aneuploidies in somatic cells [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Coppedè
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; ; Tel.: +39-050-2218544
- Interdepartmental Research Center of Biology and Pathology of Aging, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Environmental Health in Ukraine: Lessons from 9/11. Explore (NY) 2022; 18:719-720. [DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2022.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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