Unidirectional and Bidirectional Causation between Smoking and Blood DNA Methylation: Evidence from Twin-based Mendelian Randomisation.

ABSTRACT: Cigarette smoking is associated with numerous differentially-methylated genomic loci in multiple human tissues. These associations are often assumed to reflect the causal effects of smoking on DNA methylation (DNAm), which may underpin some of the adverse health sequelae of smoking. However, prior causal analyses with Mendelian Randomisation (MR) have found limited support for such effects. Here, we apply an integrated approach combining MR with twin causal models to examine causality between smoking and blood DNAm in the Netherlands Twin Register (N=2577). Analyses revealed potential causal effects of current smoking on DNAm at >500 sites in/near genes enriched for functional pathways relevant to known biological effects of smoking (e.g., hemopoiesis, cell- and neuro-development, and immu

SUBMITTER: Singh M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11213072 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature