Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of COPD. The epigenome, and more specifically DNA methylation, is recognized as important link between these factors. We postulate that DNA methylation is one of the routes by which cigarette smoke influences the development of COPD. In this study, we aim to identify CpG-sites that are associated with cigarette smoke exposure and lung function levels in whole blood and validate these CpG-sites in lung tissue.Methods
The association between pack years and DNA methylation was studied genome-wide in 658 current smokers with >5 pack years using robust linear regression analysis. Using mediation analysis, we subsequently selected the CpG-sites that were also associated with lung function levels. Significant CpG-sites were validated in lung tissue with pyrosequencing and expression quantitative trait methylation (eQTM) analysis was performed to investigate the association between DNA methylation and gene expression.Results
15 CpG-sites were significantly associated with pack years and 10 of these were additionally associated with lung function levels. We validated 5 CpG-sites in lung tissue and found several associations between DNA methylation and gene expression.Conclusion
This study is the first to validate a panel of CpG-sites that are associated with cigarette smoking and lung function levels in whole blood in the tissue of interest: lung tissue.
SUBMITTER: de Vries M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6215675 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
de Vries Maaike M van der Plaat Diana A DA Nedeljkovic Ivana I Verkaik-Schakel Rikst Nynke RN Kooistra Wierd W Amin Najaf N van Duijn Cornelia M CM Brandsma Corry-Anke CA van Diemen Cleo C CC Vonk Judith M JM Marike Boezen H H
Respiratory research 20181103 1
<h4>Background</h4>Genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of COPD. The epigenome, and more specifically DNA methylation, is recognized as important link between these factors. We postulate that DNA methylation is one of the routes by which cigarette smoke influences the development of COPD. In this study, we aim to identify CpG-sites that are associated with cigarette smoke exposure and lung function levels in whole blood and validate these CpG-sites in lung tissue.<h4> ...[more]