Validation of differential GDAP1 DNA methylation in alcohol dependence and its potential function as a biomarker for disease severity and therapy outcome.

ABSTRACT: Alcohol dependence is a severe disorder contributing substantially to the global burden of disease. Despite the detrimental consequences of chronic alcohol abuse and dependence, effective prevention strategies as well as treatment options are largely missing to date. Accumulating evidence suggests that gene-environment interactions, including epigenetic mechanisms, play a role in the etiology of alcohol dependence. A recent epigenome-wide study reported widespread alterations of DNA methylation patterns in alcohol dependent patients compared to control individuals. In the present study, we validate and replicate one of the top findings from this previous investigation in an independent cohort: the hypomethylation of GDAP1 in patients. To our knowledge, this is the first independent replica

SUBMITTER: Bruckmann C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4939915 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature