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Vasileva D, Greenwood CMT, Daley D. A Review of the Epigenetic Clock: Emerging Biomarkers for Asthma and Allergic Disease. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1724. [PMID: 37761864 PMCID: PMC10531327 DOI: 10.3390/genes14091724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAm) is a dynamic, age-dependent epigenetic modification that can be used to study interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Environmental exposures during critical periods of growth and development may alter DNAm patterns, leading to increased susceptibility to diseases such as asthma and allergies. One method to study the role of DNAm is the epigenetic clock-an algorithm that uses DNAm levels at select age-informative Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) dinucleotides to predict epigenetic age (EA). The difference between EA and calendar age (CA) is termed epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and reveals information about the biological capacity of an individual. Associations between EAA and disease susceptibility have been demonstrated for a variety of age-related conditions and, more recently, phenotypes such as asthma and allergic diseases, which often begin in childhood and progress throughout the lifespan. In this review, we explore different epigenetic clocks and how they have been applied, particularly as related to childhood asthma. We delve into how in utero and early life exposures (e.g., smoking, air pollution, maternal BMI) result in methylation changes. Furthermore, we explore the potential for EAA to be used as a biomarker for asthma and allergic diseases and identify areas for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denitsa Vasileva
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia and Saint Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada;
| | - Celia M. T. Greenwood
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada;
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Denise Daley
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia and Saint Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada;
- Department of Medicine, Respiratory Division, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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2
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Dye CK, Domingo-Relloso A, Kupsco A, Tinkelman NE, Spratlen MJ, Bozack AK, Tellez-Plaza M, Goessler W, Haack K, Umans JG, Baccarelli AA, Cole SA, Navas-Acien A. Maternal DNA methylation signatures of arsenic exposure is associated with adult offspring insulin resistance in the Strong Heart Study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 173:107774. [PMID: 36805808 PMCID: PMC10166110 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to low to moderate arsenic (As) levels has been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and other chronic diseases in American Indian communities. Prenatal exposure to As may also increase the risk for T2D in adulthood, and maternal As has been associated with adult offspring metabolic health measurements. We hypothesized that T2D-related outcomes in adult offspring born to women exposed to low to moderate As can be evaluated utilizing a maternally-derived molecular biosignature of As exposure. Herein, we evaluated the association of maternal DNA methylation with incident T2D and insulin resistance (Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA2-IR]) in adult offspring. For DNA methylation, we used 20 differentially methylated cytosine-guanine dinucleotides (CpG) previously associated with the sum of inorganic and methylated As species (ΣAs) in urine in the Strong Heart Study (SHS). Of these 20 CpGs, we found six CpGs nominally associated (p < 0.05) with HOMA2-IR in a fully adjusted model that included clinically relevant covariates and offspring adiposity measurements; a similar model that adjusted instead for maternal adiposity measurements found three CpGs nominally associated with HOMA2-IR, two of which overlapped the offspring adiposity model. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, cg03036214 remained associated with HOMA2-IR (q < 0.10) in the offspring adiposity model. The odds ratio of incident T2D increased with an increase in maternal DNA methylation at one HOMA2-IR associated CpG in the model adjusting for offspring adiposity, cg12116137, whereas adjusting for maternal adiposity had a minimal effect on the association. Our data suggests offspring adiposity, rather than maternal adiposity, potentially influences the effects of maternal DNAm signatures on offspring metabolic health parameters. Here, we have presented evidence supporting a role for epigenetic biosignatures of maternal As exposure as a potential biomarker for evaluating risk of T2D-related outcomes in offspring later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian K Dye
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
| | - Arce Domingo-Relloso
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA; Department of Chronic Diseases Epidemiology, National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Health Institutes, Madrid, Spain
| | - Allison Kupsco
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Naomi E Tinkelman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Miranda J Spratlen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anne K Bozack
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Maria Tellez-Plaza
- Department of Chronic Diseases Epidemiology, National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Health Institutes, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Karin Haack
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jason G Umans
- MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA; Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, Georgetown-Howard Universities, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Shelley A Cole
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ana Navas-Acien
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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3
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Stikker BS, Hendriks RW, Stadhouders R. Decoding the genetic and epigenetic basis of asthma. Allergy 2023; 78:940-956. [PMID: 36727912 DOI: 10.1111/all.15666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Asthma is a complex and heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. Alongside environmental factors, asthma susceptibility is strongly influenced by genetics. Given its high prevalence and our incomplete understanding of the mechanisms underlying disease susceptibility, asthma is frequently studied in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with asthma development. Virtually all these genetic variants reside in non-coding genomic regions, which has obscured the functional impact of asthma-associated variants and their translation into disease-relevant mechanisms. Recent advances in genomics technology and epigenetics now offer methods to link genetic variants to gene regulatory elements embedded within non-coding regions, which have started to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the complex (epi)genetics of asthma. Here, we provide an integrated overview of (epi)genetic variants associated with asthma, focusing on efforts to link these disease associations to biological insight into asthma pathophysiology using state-of-the-art genomics methodology. Finally, we provide a perspective as to how decoding the genetic and epigenetic basis of asthma has the potential to transform clinical management of asthma and to predict the risk of asthma development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard S Stikker
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rudi W Hendriks
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ralph Stadhouders
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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4
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Tuazon JA, Kilburg-Basnyat B, Oldfield LM, Wiscovitch-Russo R, Dunigan-Russell K, Fedulov AV, Oestreich KJ, Gowdy KM. Emerging Insights into the Impact of Air Pollution on Immune-Mediated Asthma Pathogenesis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2022; 22:77-92. [PMID: 35394608 PMCID: PMC9246904 DOI: 10.1007/s11882-022-01034-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Increases in ambient levels of air pollutants have been linked to lung inflammation and remodeling, processes that lead to the development and exacerbation of allergic asthma. Conventional research has focused on the role of CD4+ T helper 2 (TH2) cells in the pathogenesis of air pollution-induced asthma. However, much work in the past decade has uncovered an array of air pollution-induced non-TH2 immune mechanisms that contribute to allergic airway inflammation and disease. RECENT FINDINGS In this article, we review current research demonstrating the connection between common air pollutants and their downstream effects on non-TH2 immune responses emerging as key players in asthma, including PRRs, ILCs, and non-TH2 T cell subsets. We also discuss the proposed mechanisms by which air pollution increases immune-mediated asthma risk, including pre-existing genetic risk, epigenetic alterations in immune cells, and perturbation of the composition and function of the lung and gut microbiomes. Together, these studies reveal the multifaceted impacts of various air pollutants on innate and adaptive immune functions via genetic, epigenetic, and microbiome-based mechanisms that facilitate the induction and worsening of asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Tuazon
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - B Kilburg-Basnyat
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA
| | - L M Oldfield
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Bioenergy, J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
- Department of Synthetic Genomics, Replay Holdings LLC, San Diego, 92121, USA
| | - R Wiscovitch-Russo
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Bioenergy, J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - K Dunigan-Russell
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - A V Fedulov
- Division of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - K J Oestreich
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - K M Gowdy
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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5
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Danielewicz H, Gurgul A, Dębińska A, Myszczyszyn G, Szmatoła T, Myszkal A, Jasielczuk I, Drabik-Chamerska A, Hirnle L, Boznański A. Maternal atopy and offspring epigenome-wide methylation signature. Epigenetics 2021; 16:629-641. [PMID: 32902349 PMCID: PMC8143219 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2020.1814504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases is believed to partially depend on environmental changes. DNA methylation is a major epigenetic mechanism, which is known to respond to environmental factors. A number of studies have revealed that patterns of DNA methylation may potentially predict allergic diseases.Here, we examined how maternal atopy is associated with methylation patterns in the cord blood of neonates.We conducted an epigenome-wide association study in a cohort of 96 mother-child pairs. Pregnant women aged not more than 35 years old, not currently smoking or exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, who did not report obesity before conception were considered eligible. They were further tested for atopy. Converted DNA from cord blood was analysed using Infinium MethylationEPIC; for statistical analysis, RnBeads software was applied. Gestational age and sex were included as covariates in the final analysis.83 DM sites were associated with maternal atopy. Within the top DM sites, there were CpG sites which mapped to genes SCD, ITM2C, NT5C3A and NPEPL1. Regional analysis revealed 25 tiling regions, 4 genes, 3 CpG islands and 5 gene promoters, (including PIGCP1, ADAM3A, ZSCAN12P1) associated with maternal atopy. Gene content analysis revealed pointwise enrichments in pathways related to purine-containing compound metabolism, the G1/S transition of the mitotic cell cycle, stem cell division and cellular glucose homoeostasis.These findings suggest that maternal atopy provides a unique intrauterine environment that may constitute the first environment in which exposure is associated with methylation patterns in newborn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Danielewicz
- 1st Department of Pediatrics, Allergy and Cardiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Artur Gurgul
- Center for Experimental and Innovative Medicine, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Dębińska
- 1st Department of Pediatrics, Allergy and Cardiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Myszczyszyn
- 1st Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Szmatoła
- Center for Experimental and Innovative Medicine, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Myszkal
- 1st Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital of Jan Mikulicz-Radecki in Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Igor Jasielczuk
- Center for Experimental and Innovative Medicine, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Drabik-Chamerska
- 1st Department of Pediatrics, Allergy and Cardiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Lidia Hirnle
- 1st Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Boznański
- 1st Department of Pediatrics, Allergy and Cardiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
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Arshad SH, Patil V, Mitchell F, Potter S, Zhang H, Ewart S, Mansfield L, Venter C, Holloway JW, Karmaus WJ. Cohort Profile Update: The Isle of Wight Whole Population Birth Cohort (IOWBC). Int J Epidemiol 2021; 49:1083-1084. [PMID: 32637984 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyaa068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S Hasan Arshad
- David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, St. Mary's Hospital, Newport, UK.,Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Veeresh Patil
- David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, St. Mary's Hospital, Newport, UK
| | - Frances Mitchell
- David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, St. Mary's Hospital, Newport, UK
| | - Stephen Potter
- David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, St. Mary's Hospital, Newport, UK
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Susan Ewart
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Linda Mansfield
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Carina Venter
- Section of Allergy and Immunology, University of Colorado, Children Hospital Colorado, Denver, CO, USA
| | - John W Holloway
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Wilfried J Karmaus
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
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Sheikhpour M, Maleki M, Ebrahimi Vargoorani M, Amiri V. A review of epigenetic changes in asthma: methylation and acetylation. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:65. [PMID: 33781317 PMCID: PMC8008616 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01049-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies show that childhood and adulthood asthma and its symptoms can be modulated through epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic changes are inheritable modifications that can modify the gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. The most common epigenetic alternations consist of DNA methylation and histone modifications. How these changes lead to asthmatic phenotype or promote the asthma features, in particular by immune pathways regulation, is an understudied topic. Since external effects, like exposure to tobacco smoke, air pollution, and drugs, influence both asthma development and the epigenome, elucidating the role of epigenetic changes in asthma is of great importance. This review presents available evidence on the epigenetic process that drives asthma genes and pathways, with a particular focus on DNA methylation, histone methylation, and acetylation. We gathered and assessed studies conducted in this field over the past two decades. Our study examined asthma in different aspects and also shed light on the limitations and the important factors involved in the outcomes of the studies. To date, most of the studies in this area have been carried out on DNA methylation. Therefore, the need for diagnostic and therapeutic applications through this molecular process calls for more research on the histone modifications in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojgan Sheikhpour
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Microbiology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mobina Maleki
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Ebrahimi Vargoorani
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Sciences, Tehran North Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Amiri
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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8
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Asthma genomics and pharmacogenomics. Curr Opin Immunol 2020; 66:136-142. [PMID: 33171417 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we summarize recent published work interrogating the relationship between genetic variation or gene expression regulation across the genome and asthma or asthma treatment outcomes. This includes 11 genome-wide association studies of asthma phenotypes that collectively identified 64 novel loci; transcriptome-wide asthma association studies which identified genes involved in virus recognition, bacterial infection, lung tissue remodeling, eosinophilic and neutrophilic inflammation and genes in the chromosome 17q12 asthma susceptibility locus; and three epigenome-wide studies of asthma that had robust sample sizes and replicated findings. We also highlight pharmacogenomic studies of corticosteroids, bronchodilator response to albuterol and zileuton, although finding from these studies may still be preliminary due to their relatively small sample sizes and limited availability of replication cohorts.
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