DNA Methylation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Repressor Associations With Cigarette Smoking and Subclinical Atherosclerosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tobacco smoke contains numerous agonists of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway, and activation of the AhR pathway was shown to promote atherosclerosis in mice. Intriguingly, cigarette smoking is most strongly and robustly associated with DNA modifications to an AhR pathway gene, the AhR repressor (AHRR). We hypothesized that altered AHRR methylation in monocytes, a cell type sensitive to cigarette smoking and involved in atherogenesis, may be a part of the biological link between cigarette smoking and atherosclerosis.

Methods and results

DNA methylation profiles of AHRR in monocytes (542 CpG sites ± 150 kb of AHRR, using Illumina 450K array) were integrated with smoking habits and ultrasound-measured carotid plaque scores from 1256 participants of the Mul

SUBMITTER: Reynolds LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4618776 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature