DNA methylation signatures of chronic low-grade inflammation are associated with complex diseases.
Genome biology 2016 ; 17: 255.
Ligthart S, Marzi C, Aslibekyan S, Mendelson MM, Conneely KN, Tanaka T, Colicino E, Waite LL, Joehanes R, Guan W, Brody JA, Elks C, Marioni R, Jhun MA, Agha G, Bressler J, Ward-Caviness CK, Chen BH, Huan T, Bakulski K, Salfati EL, WHI-EMPC Investigators WHI-EMPC Investigators, Fiorito G, CHARGE epigenetics of Coronary Heart Disease CHARGE epigenetics of Coronary Heart Disease, Wahl S, Schramm K, Sha J, Hernandez DG, Just AC, Smith JA, Sotoodehnia N, Pilling LC, Pankow JS, Tsao PS, Liu C, Zhao W, Guarrera S, Michopoulos VJ, Smith AK, Peters MJ, Melzer D, Vokonas P, Fornage M, Prokisch H, Bis JC, Chu AY, Herder C, Grallert H, Yao C, Shah S, McRae AF, Lin H, Horvath S, Fallin D, Hofman A, Wareham NJ, Wiggins KL, Feinberg AP, Starr JM, Visscher PM, Murabito JM, Kardia SL, Absher DM, Binder EB, Singleton AB, Bandinelli S, Peters A, Waldenberger M, Matullo G, Schwartz JD, Demerath EW, Uitterlinden AG, van Meurs JB, Franco OH, Chen YI, Levy D, Turner ST, Deary IJ, Ressler KJ, Dupuis J, Ferrucci L, Ong KK, Assimes TL, Boerwinkle E, Koenig W, Arnett DK, Baccarelli AA, Benjamin EJ, Dehghan A
DOI : 10.1186/s13059-016-1119-5
PubMed ID : 27955697
PMCID : PMC5151130
URL : https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-016-1119-5
Abstract
Chronic low-grade inflammation reflects a subclinical immune response implicated in the pathogenesis of complex diseases. Identifying genetic loci where DNA methylation is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation may reveal novel pathways or therapeutic targets for inflammation.
We performed a meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a sensitive marker of low-grade inflammation, in a large European population (n = 8863) and trans-ethnic replication in African Americans (n = 4111). We found differential methylation at 218 CpG sites to be associated with CRP (P < 1.15 × 10) in the discovery panel of European ancestry and replicated (P < 2.29 × 10) 58 CpG sites (45 unique loci) among African Americans. To further characterize the molecular and clinical relevance of the findings, we examined the association with gene expression, genetic sequence variants, and clinical outcomes. DNA methylation at nine (16%) CpG sites was associated with whole blood gene expression in cis (P < 8.47 × 10), ten (17%) CpG sites were associated with a nearby genetic variant (P < 2.50 × 10), and 51 (88%) were also associated with at least one related cardiometabolic entity (P < 9.58 × 10). An additive weighted score of replicated CpG sites accounted for up to 6% inter-individual variation (R2) of age-adjusted and sex-adjusted CRP, independent of known CRP-related genetic variants.
We have completed an EWAS of chronic low-grade inflammation and identified many novel genetic loci underlying inflammation that may serve as targets for the development of novel therapeutic interventions for inflammation.