Epigenetic mechanisms underlying variation of IL-6, a well-established inflammation biomarker and risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain less understood. Chronic low-grade inflammation is a complex immune response contributing to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. This response is signaled in part by interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pleiotropic, pro-inflammatory cytokine. Phenotypic variance in circulating IL-6 level may be explained in part by DNA methylation which is increasingly being associated with cardiovascular effects.

Methods

In this study we evaluated methylated DNA (CpG sites) associated with blood IL-6 levels across ∼4,400 ancestrally diverse individuals (81 % self-reported White; 9 % Black or African American, 8 % Hispanic or Latino/

SUBMITTER: Lundin JI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12276907 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature