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Shorey-Kendrick LE, McEvoy CT, Milner K, Harris J, Brownsberger J, Tepper RS, Park B, Gao L, Vu A, Morris CD, Spindel ER. Improvements in lung function following vitamin C supplementation to pregnant smokers are associated with buccal DNA methylation at 5 years of age. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:35. [PMID: 38413986 PMCID: PMC10900729 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01644-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We previously reported in the "Vitamin C to Decrease the Effects of Smoking in Pregnancy on Infant Lung Function" randomized clinical trial (RCT) that vitamin C (500 mg/day) supplementation to pregnant smokers is associated with improved respiratory outcomes that persist through 5 years of age. The objective of this study was to assess whether buccal cell DNA methylation (DNAm), as a surrogate for airway epithelium, is associated with vitamin C supplementation, improved lung function, and decreased occurrence of wheeze. METHODS We conducted epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) using Infinium MethylationEPIC arrays and buccal DNAm from 158 subjects (80 placebo; 78 vitamin C) with pulmonary function testing (PFT) performed at the 5-year visit. EWAS were performed on (1) vitamin C treatment, (2) forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of expired volume (FEF25-75), and (3) offspring wheeze. Models were adjusted for sex, race, study site, gestational age at randomization (≤ OR > 18 weeks), proportion of epithelial cells, and latent covariates in addition to child length at PFT in EWAS for FEF25-75. We considered FDR p < 0.05 as genome-wide significant and nominal p < 0.001 as candidates for downstream analyses. Buccal DNAm measured in a subset of subjects at birth and near 1 year of age was used to determine whether DNAm signatures originated in utero, or emerged with age. RESULTS Vitamin C treatment was associated with 457 FDR significant (q < 0.05) differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs; 236 hypermethylated; 221 hypomethylated) and 53 differentially methylated regions (DMRs; 26 hyper; 27 hypo) at 5 years of age. FEF25-75 was associated with one FDR significant DMC (cg05814800), 1,468 candidate DMCs (p < 0.001), and 44 DMRs. Current wheeze was associated with 0 FDR-DMCs, 782 candidate DMCs, and 19 DMRs (p < 0.001). In 365/457 vitamin C FDR significant DMCs at 5 years of age, there was no significant interaction between time and treatment. CONCLUSIONS Vitamin C supplementation to pregnant smokers is associated with buccal DNA methylation in offspring at 5 years of age, and most methylation signatures appear to be persistent from the prenatal period. Buccal methylation at 5 years was also associated with current lung function and occurrence of wheeze, and these functionally associated loci are enriched for vitamin C associated loci. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01723696 and NCT03203603.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndsey E Shorey-Kendrick
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA.
| | - Cindy T McEvoy
- Department of Pediatrics, Pape Pediatric Research Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kristin Milner
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Julia Harris
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Julie Brownsberger
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Robert S Tepper
- Department of Pediatrics, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Byung Park
- Biostatistics Shared Resources, Knight Cancer Institute, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland State University School of Public Health, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lina Gao
- Biostatistics Shared Resources, Knight Cancer Institute, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland State University School of Public Health, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Annette Vu
- Oregon Clinical & Translational Research Institute, Oregon Health and Science; Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Cynthia D Morris
- Oregon Clinical & Translational Research Institute, Oregon Health and Science; Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Eliot R Spindel
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA
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Bakulski KM, Blostein F, London SJ. Linking Prenatal Environmental Exposures to Lifetime Health with Epigenome-Wide Association Studies: State-of-the-Science Review and Future Recommendations. Environ Health Perspect 2023; 131:126001. [PMID: 38048101 PMCID: PMC10695268 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prenatal environment influences lifetime health; epigenetic mechanisms likely predominate. In 2016, the first international consortium paper on cigarette smoking during pregnancy and offspring DNA methylation identified extensive, reproducible exposure signals. This finding raised expectations for epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of other exposures. OBJECTIVE We review the current state-of-the-science for DNA methylation associations across prenatal exposures in humans and provide future recommendations. METHODS We reviewed 134 prenatal environmental EWAS of DNA methylation in newborns, focusing on 51 epidemiological studies with meta-analysis or replication testing. Exposures spanned cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, air pollution, dietary factors, psychosocial stress, metals, other chemicals, and other exogenous factors. Of the reproducible DNA methylation signatures, we examined implementation as exposure biomarkers. RESULTS Only 19 (14%) of these prenatal EWAS were conducted in cohorts of 1,000 or more individuals, reflecting the still early stage of the field. To date, the largest perinatal EWAS sample size was 6,685 participants. For comparison, the most recent genome-wide association study for birth weight included more than 300,000 individuals. Replication, at some level, was successful with exposures to cigarette smoking, folate, dietary glycemic index, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < 10 μ m and < 2.5 μ m , nitrogen dioxide, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, electronic waste, PFAS, and DDT. Reproducible effects of a more limited set of prenatal exposures (smoking, folate) enabled robust methylation biomarker creation. DISCUSSION Current evidence demonstrates the scientific premise for reproducible DNA methylation exposure signatures. Better powered EWAS could identify signatures across many exposures and enable comprehensive biomarker development. Whether methylation biomarkers of exposures themselves cause health effects remains unclear. We expect that larger EWAS with enhanced coverage of epigenome and exposome, along with improved single-cell technologies and evolving methods for integrative multi-omics analyses and causal inference, will expand mechanistic understanding of causal links between environmental exposures, the epigenome, and health outcomes throughout the life course. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12956.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Freida Blostein
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Stephanie J. London
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Kim S, Xu Z, Forno E, Qin Y, Park HJ, Yue M, Yan Q, Manni ML, Acosta-Pérez E, Canino G, Chen W, Celedón JC. Cis- and trans-eQTM analysis reveals novel epigenetic and transcriptomic immune markers of atopic asthma in airway epithelium. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 152:887-898. [PMID: 37271320 PMCID: PMC10592527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression quantitative trait methylation (eQTM) analyses uncover associations between DNA methylation markers and gene expression. Most eQTM analyses of complex diseases have focused on cis-eQTM pairs (within 1 megabase). OBJECTIVES This study sought to identify cis- and trans-methylation markers associated with gene expression in airway epithelium from youth with and without atopic asthma. METHODS In this study, the investigators conducted both cis- and trans-eQTM analyses in nasal (airway) epithelial samples from 158 Puerto Rican youth with atopic asthma and 100 control subjects without atopy or asthma. The investigators then attempted to replicate their findings in nasal epithelial samples from 2 studies of children, while also examining whether their results in nasal epithelium overlap with those from an eQTM analysis in white blood cells from the Puerto Rican subjects. RESULTS This study identified 9,108 cis-eQTM pairs and 2,131,500 trans-eQTM pairs. Trans-associations were significantly enriched for transcription factor and microRNA target genes. Furthermore, significant cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites (CpGs) were differentially methylated in atopic asthma and significant genes were enriched for genes differentially expressed in atopic asthma. In this study, 50.7% to 62.6% of cis- and trans-eQTM pairs identified in Puerto Rican youth were replicated in 2 smaller cohorts at false discovery rate-adjusted P < .1. Replicated genes in the trans-eQTM analysis included biologically plausible asthma-susceptibility genes (eg, HDC, NLRP3, ITGAE, CDH26, and CST1) and are enriched in immune pathways. CONCLUSIONS Studying both cis- and trans-epigenetic regulation of airway epithelial gene expression can identify potential causal and regulatory pathways or networks for childhood asthma. Trans-eQTM CpGs may regulate gene expression in airway epithelium through effects on transcription factor and microRNA target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Zhongli Xu
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Yidi Qin
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Hyun Jung Park
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Molin Yue
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Qi Yan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Michelle L Manni
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | - Edna Acosta-Pérez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
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McEvoy CT, Le Souef PN, Martinez FD. The Role of Lung Function in Determining Which Children Develop Asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2023; 11:677-683. [PMID: 36706985 PMCID: PMC10329781 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal studies have demonstrated that altered indices of airway function, assessed shortly after birth, are a risk factor for the subsequent development of wheezing illnesses and asthma, and that these indices predict airway size and airway wall thickness in adult life. Pre- and postnatal factors that directly alter early airway function, such as extreme prematurity and cigarette smoke, may continue to affect airway function and, hence, the risks for wheeze and asthma. Early airway function and an associated asthma risk may also be indirectly influenced by immune system responses, respiratory viruses, the airway microbiome, genetics, and epigenetics, especially if they affect airway epithelial dysfunction. Few if any interventions, apart from smoking avoidance, have been proven to alter the risks of developing asthma, but vitamin C supplementation to pregnant smokers may help decrease the effects of in utero smoke on offspring lung function. We conclude that airway size and the factors influencing this play an important role in determining the risk for asthma across the lifetime. Progress in asthma prevention is long overdue and this may benefit from carefully designed interventions in well-phenotyped longitudinal birth cohorts with early airway function assessments monitored through to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy T McEvoy
- Department of Pediatrics, Papé Pediatric Research Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Ore.
| | - Peter N Le Souef
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medical School, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Fernando D Martinez
- Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center and Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz
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Brar T, Marino MJ, Lal D. Unified Airway Disease: Genetics and Epigenetics. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 2023; 56:23-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.otc.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Dapas M, Thompson EE, Wentworth-Sheilds W, Clay S, Visness CM, Calatroni A, Sordillo JE, Gold DR, Wood RA, Makhija M, Khurana Hershey GK, Sherenian MG, Gruchalla RS, Gill MA, Liu AH, Kim H, Kattan M, Bacharier LB, Rastogi D, Altman MC, Busse WW, Becker PM, Nicolae D, O’Connor GT, Gern JE, Jackson DJ, Ober C. Multi-omic association study identifies DNA methylation-mediated genotype and smoking exposure effects on lung function in children living in urban settings. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010594. [PMID: 36638096 PMCID: PMC9879483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Impaired lung function in early life is associated with the subsequent development of chronic respiratory disease. Most genetic associations with lung function have been identified in adults of European descent and therefore may not represent those most relevant to pediatric populations and populations of different ancestries. In this study, we performed genome-wide association analyses of lung function in a multiethnic cohort of children (n = 1,035) living in low-income urban neighborhoods. We identified one novel locus at the TDRD9 gene in chromosome 14q32.33 associated with percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (p = 2.4x10-9; βz = -0.31, 95% CI = -0.41- -0.21). Mendelian randomization and mediation analyses revealed that this genetic effect on FEV1 was partially mediated by DNA methylation levels at this locus in airway epithelial cells, which were also associated with environmental tobacco smoke exposure (p = 0.015). Promoter-enhancer interactions in airway epithelial cells revealed chromatin interaction loops between FEV1-associated variants in TDRD9 and the promoter region of the PPP1R13B gene, a stimulator of p53-mediated apoptosis. Expression of PPP1R13B in airway epithelial cells was significantly associated the FEV1 risk alleles (p = 1.3x10-5; β = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.06-0.17). These combined results highlight a potential novel mechanism for reduced lung function in urban youth resulting from both genetics and smoking exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Dapas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois, United States of America
| | - Emma E. Thompson
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois, United States of America
| | | | - Selene Clay
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois, United States of America
| | | | | | - Joanne E. Sordillo
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Diane R. Gold
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Robert A. Wood
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Melanie Makhija
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gurjit K. Khurana Hershey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Michael G. Sherenian
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Rebecca S. Gruchalla
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michelle A. Gill
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Andrew H. Liu
- Department of Allergy and Immunology, Children’s Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Haejin Kim
- Department of Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Meyer Kattan
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Leonard B. Bacharier
- Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Deepa Rastogi
- Children’s National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Matthew C. Altman
- Department of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - William W. Busse
- Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Patrice M. Becker
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dan Nicolae
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - George T. O’Connor
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - James E. Gern
- Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Jackson
- Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois, United States of America
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Legaki E, Arsenis C, Taka S, Papadopoulos NG. DNA methylation biomarkers in asthma and rhinitis: Are we there yet? Clin Transl Allergy 2022; 12:e12131. [PMID: 35344303 PMCID: PMC8967268 DOI: 10.1002/clt2.12131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of epigenetics has improved our understanding of mechanisms underpinning gene‐environment interactions and is providing new insights in the pathophysiology of respiratory allergic diseases. We reviewed the literature on DNA methylation patterns across different tissues in asthma and/or rhinitis and attempted to elucidate differentially methylated loci that could be used to characterize asthma or rhinitis. Although nasal and bronchial epithelia are similar in their histological structure and cellular composition, genetic and epigenetic regulation may differ across tissues. Advanced methods have enabled comprehensive, high‐throughput methylation profiling of different tissues (bronchial or nasal epithelial cells, whole blood or isolated mononuclear cells), in subjects with respiratory conditions, aiming to elucidate gene regulation mechanisms and identify new biomarkers. Several genes and CpGs have been suggested as asthma biomarkers, though research on allergic rhinitis is still lacking. The most common differentially methylated loci presented in both blood and nasal samples are ACOT7, EPX, KCNH2, SIGLEC8, TNIK, FOXP1, ATPAF2, ZNF862, ADORA3, ARID3A, IL5RA, METRNL and ZFPM1. Overall, there is substantial variation among studies, (i.e. sample sizes, age groups and disease phenotype). Greater variability of analysis method detailed phenotypic characterization and age stratification should be taken into account in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelia Legaki
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit Second Pediatric Clinic National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Athens Greece
| | - Christos Arsenis
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit Second Pediatric Clinic National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Athens Greece
| | - Styliani Taka
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit Second Pediatric Clinic National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Athens Greece
| | - Nikolaos G. Papadopoulos
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit Second Pediatric Clinic National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Athens Greece
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Abstract
The prevalence of allergic diseases such as asthma is globally increasing, posing threat to the life quality of the affected population. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) suggest that genetic variations only account for a small proportion of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated type I hypersensitivity. Recently, epigenetics has gained attention as an approach to further understand the missing heritability and underpinning mechanisms of allergic diseases. Furthermore, epigenetic regulation allows the evaluation of the interaction between an individual's genetic predisposition and their environmental exposures. This chapter summarizes several large-scale epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) on asthma and other allergic diseases and draws a blueprint for future analysis and research direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yale Jiang
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Gutierrez MJ, Perez GF, Gomez JL, Rodriguez-Martinez CE, Castro-Rodriguez JA, Nino G. Genes, environment, and developmental timing: New insights from translational approaches to understand early origins of respiratory diseases. Pediatr Pulmonol 2021; 56:3157-3165. [PMID: 34388306 PMCID: PMC8858026 DOI: 10.1002/ppul.25598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, "omics" approaches have advanced our understanding of the molecular programming of the airways in humans. Several studies have identified potential molecular mechanisms that contribute to early life epigenetic reprogramming, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, microRNAs, and the homeostasis of the respiratory mucosa (epithelial function and microbiota). Current evidence supports the notion that early infancy is characterized by heightened susceptibility to airway genetic reprogramming in response to the first exposures in life, some of which can have life-long consequences. Here, we summarize and analyze the latest insights from studies that support a novel epigenetic paradigm centered on human maturational and developmental programs including three cardinal elements: genes, environment, and developmental timing. The combination of these factors is likely responsible for the functional trajectory of the respiratory system at the molecular, functional, and clinical levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Gutierrez
- Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Geovanny F Perez
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Oishei Children's Hospital, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Jose L Gomez
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Carlos E Rodriguez-Martinez
- Department of Pediatrics, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Colombia.,Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Jose A Castro-Rodriguez
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gustavo Nino
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Children's National Hospital, George Washington University, Washington D.C., USA
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Zhu T, Zhang X, Chen X, Brown AP, Weirauch MT, Guilbert TW, Khurana Hershey GK, Biagini JM, Ji H. Nasal DNA methylation differentiates severe from non-severe asthma in African-American children. Allergy 2021; 76:1836-1845. [PMID: 33175399 PMCID: PMC8110596 DOI: 10.1111/all.14655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthma is highly heterogeneous, and severity evaluation is key to asthma management. DNA methylation (DNAm) contributes to asthma pathogenesis. This study aimed to identify nasal epithelial DNAm differences between severe and nonsevere asthmatic children and evaluate the impact of environmental exposures. METHODS Thirty-three nonsevere and 22 severe asthmatic African American children were included in an epigenome-wide association study. Genome-wide nasal epithelial DNAm and gene expression were measured. CpG sites associated with asthma severity and environmental exposures and predictive of severe asthma were identified. DNAm was correlated with gene expression. Enrichment for transcription factor (TF) binding sites or histone modifications surrounding DNAm differences were determined. RESULTS We identified 816 differentially methylated CpG positions (DMPs) and 10 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) associated with asthma severity. Three DMPs exhibited discriminatory ability for severe asthma. Intriguingly, six DMPs were simultaneously associated with asthma, allergic asthma, total IgE, environmental IgE, and FeNO in an independent cohort of children. Twenty-seven DMPs were associated with traffic-related air pollution or secondhand smoke. DNAm at 22 DMPs was altered by diesel particles or allergen in human bronchial epithelial cells. DNAm levels at 39 DMPs were correlated with mRNA expression. Proximal to 816 DMPs, three histone marks and several TFs involved in asthma pathogenesis were enriched. CONCLUSIONS Significant differences in nasal epithelial DNAm were observed between nonsevere and severe asthma in African American children, a subset of which may be useful to predict disease severity. These CpG sites are subjected to the influences of environmental exposures and may regulate gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhu
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA
| | - Xue Zhang
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | - Matthew T. Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Theresa W. Guilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Gurjit K. Khurana Hershey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Divison of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Davis, CA
| | - Jocelyn M. Biagini
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Divison of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Davis, CA
| | - Hong Ji
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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12
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Lee YS, Zhang H, Jiang Y, Kadalayil L, Karmaus W, Ewart SL, H Arshad S, Holloway JW. Epigenome-scale comparison of DNA methylation between blood leukocytes and bronchial epithelial cells. Epigenomics 2021; 13:485-498. [PMID: 33736458 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Agreement in DNA methylation (DNAm) at the genome scale between blood leukocytes (BL) and bronchial epithelial cells (BEC) is unknown. We examine as to what extent DNAm in BL is comparable with that in BEC and serves as a surrogate for BEC. Materials & methods: Overall agreement (paired t-tests with false discovery rate adjusted p > 0.05) and consistency (Pearson's correlation coefficients >0.5) between two tissues, at each of the 767,412 CpGs, were evaluated. Results: We identified 247,721 CpGs showing overall agreement and 47,371 CpGs showing consistency in DNAm. Identified CpGs are involved in certain immune pathways, indicating the potential of using blood as a biomarker for BEC at those CpGs in lower airway-related diseases. Conclusion: CpGs showing overall agreement and those without overall agreement are distributed differently on the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Sheng Lee
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Yu Jiang
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Latha Kadalayil
- Human Development & Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Wilfried Karmaus
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Susan L Ewart
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Syed H Arshad
- David Hide Asthma & Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight, UK.,Clinical & Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - John W Holloway
- Human Development & Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
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13
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Hoang TT, Sikdar S, Xu CJ, Lee MK, Cardwell J, Forno E, Imboden M, Jeong A, Madore AM, Qi C, Wang T, Bennett BD, Ward JM, Parks CG, Beane-Freeman LE, King D, Motsinger-Reif A, Umbach DM, Wyss AB, Schwartz DA, Celedón JC, Laprise C, Ober C, Probst-Hensch N, Yang IV, Koppelman GH, London SJ. Epigenome-wide association study of DNA methylation and adult asthma in the Agricultural Lung Health Study. Eur Respir J 2020; 56:13993003.00217-2020. [PMID: 32381493 PMCID: PMC7469973 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00217-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epigenome-wide studies of methylation in children support a role for epigenetic mechanisms in asthma; however, studies in adults are rare and few have examined non-atopic asthma. We conducted the largest epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of blood DNA methylation in adults in relation to non-atopic and atopic asthma. We measured DNA methylation in blood using the Illumina MethylationEPIC array among 2286 participants in a case-control study of current adult asthma nested within a United States agricultural cohort. Atopy was defined by serum specific immunoglobulin E (IgE). Participants were categorised as atopy without asthma (n=185), non-atopic asthma (n=673), atopic asthma (n=271), or a reference group of neither atopy nor asthma (n=1157). Analyses were conducted using logistic regression. No associations were observed with atopy without asthma. Numerous cytosine–phosphate–guanine (CpG) sites were differentially methylated in non-atopic asthma (eight at family-wise error rate (FWER) p<9×10−8, 524 at false discovery rate (FDR) less than 0.05) and implicated 382 novel genes. More CpG sites were identified in atopic asthma (181 at FWER, 1086 at FDR) and implicated 569 novel genes. 104 FDR CpG sites overlapped. 35% of CpG sites in non-atopic asthma and 91% in atopic asthma replicated in studies of whole blood, eosinophils, airway epithelium, or nasal epithelium. Implicated genes were enriched in pathways related to the nervous system or inflammation. We identified numerous, distinct differentially methylated CpG sites in non-atopic and atopic asthma. Many CpG sites from blood replicated in asthma-relevant tissues. These circulating biomarkers reflect risk and sequelae of disease, as well as implicate novel genes associated with non-atopic and atopic asthma. Distinct methylation signals are found in non-atopic and atopic asthma. Most are related to gene expression and are replicated in asthma-relevant tissues, confirming the value of blood DNA methylation for identifying novel genes linked in asthma pathogenesis.https://bit.ly/2VnbJg3
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh T Hoang
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.,Joint first authors
| | - Sinjini Sikdar
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.,Dept of Mathematics and Statistics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.,Joint first authors
| | - Cheng-Jian Xu
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.,Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research (TWINCORE), Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.,Joint first authors
| | - Mi Kyeong Lee
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan Cardwell
- Dept of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Dept of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Medea Imboden
- Chronic Disease Epidemiology Unit, Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,Dept of Public Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ayoung Jeong
- Chronic Disease Epidemiology Unit, Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,Dept of Public Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Marie Madore
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada
| | - Cancan Qi
- Dept of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital and GRIAC Research Institute, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tianyuan Wang
- Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Brian D Bennett
- Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - James M Ward
- Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Laura E Beane-Freeman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Debra King
- Clinical Pathology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Alison Motsinger-Reif
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - David M Umbach
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Annah B Wyss
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - David A Schwartz
- Dept of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Dept of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Catherine Laprise
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada.,Centre Intersectoriel en Santé Durable, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada.,Dept of Pediatrics, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Saguenay, QC, Canada
| | - Carole Ober
- Dept of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nicole Probst-Hensch
- Chronic Disease Epidemiology Unit, Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,Dept of Public Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ivana V Yang
- Dept of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Gerard H Koppelman
- Dept of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital and GRIAC Research Institute, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stephanie J London
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Dept of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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14
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Alashkar Alhamwe B, Miethe S, Pogge von Strandmann E, Potaczek DP, Garn H. Epigenetic Regulation of Airway Epithelium Immune Functions in Asthma. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1747. [PMID: 32973742 PMCID: PMC7461869 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract characterized by recurrent breathing problems resulting from airway obstruction and hyperresponsiveness. Human airway epithelium plays an important role in the initiation and control of the immune responses to different types of environmental factors contributing to asthma pathogenesis. Using pattern recognition receptors airway epithelium senses external stimuli, such as allergens, microbes, or pollutants, and subsequently secretes endogenous danger signaling molecules alarming and activating dendritic cells. Hence, airway epithelial cells not only mediate innate immune responses but also bridge them with adaptive immune responses involving T and B cells that play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of asthma. The effects of environmental factors on the development of asthma are mediated, at least in part, by epigenetic mechanisms. Those comprise classical epigenetics including DNA methylation and histone modifications affecting transcription, as well as microRNAs influencing translation. The common feature of such mechanisms is that they regulate gene expression without affecting the nucleotide sequence of the genomic DNA. Epigenetic mechanisms play a pivotal role in the regulation of different cell populations involved in asthma pathogenesis, with the remarkable example of T cells. Recently, however, there is increasing evidence that epigenetic mechanisms are also crucial for the regulation of airway epithelial cells, especially in the context of epigenetic transfer of environmental effects contributing to asthma pathogenesis. In this review, we summarize the accumulating evidence for this very important aspect of airway epithelial cell pathobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Alashkar Alhamwe
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Marburg, Germany.,College of Pharmacy, International University for Science and Technology (IUST), Daraa, Syria.,Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology, Institute of Tumor Immunology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Miethe
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Marburg, Germany.,Translational Inflammation Research Division & Core Facility for Single Cell Multiomics, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Elke Pogge von Strandmann
- Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology, Institute of Tumor Immunology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniel P Potaczek
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Marburg, Germany.,John Paul II Hospital, Kraków, Poland
| | - Holger Garn
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Marburg, Germany.,Translational Inflammation Research Division & Core Facility for Single Cell Multiomics, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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15
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Heijink IH, Kuchibhotla VNS, Roffel MP, Maes T, Knight DA, Sayers I, Nawijn MC. Epithelial cell dysfunction, a major driver of asthma development. Allergy 2020; 75:1902-1917. [PMID: 32460363 PMCID: PMC7496351 DOI: 10.1111/all.14421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Airway epithelial barrier dysfunction is frequently observed in asthma and may have important implications. The physical barrier function of the airway epithelium is tightly interwoven with its immunomodulatory actions, while abnormal epithelial repair responses may contribute to remodelling of the airway wall. We propose that abnormalities in the airway epithelial barrier play a crucial role in the sensitization to allergens and pathogenesis of asthma. Many of the identified susceptibility genes for asthma are expressed in the airway epithelium, supporting the notion that events at the airway epithelial surface are critical for the development of the disease. However, the exact mechanisms by which the expression of epithelial susceptibility genes translates into a functionally altered response to environmental risk factors of asthma are still unknown. Interactions between genetic factors and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms may be crucial for asthma susceptibility. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to identification of novel targets for asthma intervention by targeting the airway epithelium. Moreover, exciting new insights have come from recent studies using single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐Seq) to study the airway epithelium in asthma. This review focuses on the role of airway epithelial barrier function in the susceptibility to develop asthma and novel insights in the modulation of epithelial cell dysfunction in asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene H. Heijink
- Department of Pathology & Medical Biology GRIAC Research Institute University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- Department of Pulmonology University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Virinchi N. S. Kuchibhotla
- Department of Pathology & Medical Biology GRIAC Research Institute University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
| | - Mirjam P. Roffel
- Department of Pathology & Medical Biology GRIAC Research Institute University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- Department of Respiratory Medicine Laboratory for Translational Research in Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases Ghent University Hospital Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Tania Maes
- Department of Respiratory Medicine Laboratory for Translational Research in Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases Ghent University Hospital Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Darryl A. Knight
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
- UBC Providence Health Care Research Institute Vancouver BC Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Ian Sayers
- Division of Respiratory Medicine National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute University of Nottingham Nottingham UK
| | - Martijn C. Nawijn
- Department of Pathology & Medical Biology GRIAC Research Institute University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
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16
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Kim S, Forno E, Zhang R, Park HJ, Xu Z, Yan Q, Boutaoui N, Acosta-Pérez E, Canino G, Chen W, Celedón JC. Expression Quantitative Trait Methylation Analysis Reveals Methylomic Associations With Gene Expression in Childhood Asthma. Chest 2020; 158:1841-1856. [PMID: 32569636 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2020.05.601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nasal (airway) epithelial methylation profiles have been associated with asthma, but the effects of such profiles on expression of distant cis-genes are largely unknown. RESEARCH QUESTION To identify genes whose expression is associated with proximal and distal CpG probes (within 1 Mb), and to assess whether and how such genes are differentially expressed in atopic asthma. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Genome-wide expression quantitative trait methylation (eQTM) analysis in nasal epithelium from Puerto Rican subjects (aged 9-20 years) with (n = 219) and without (n = 236) asthma. After the eQTM analysis, a Gene Ontology Enrichment analysis was conducted for the top 500 eQTM genes, and mediation analyses were performed to identify paths from DNA methylation to atopic asthma through gene expression. Asthma was defined as physician-diagnosed asthma and wheeze in the previous year, and atopy was defined as at least one positive IgE to allergens. Atopic asthma was defined as the presence of both atopy and asthma. RESULTS We identified 16,867 significant methylation-gene expression pairs (false-discovery rate-adjusted P < .01) in nasal epithelium from study participants. Most eQTM methylation probes were distant (average distance, ∼378 kb) from their target genes, and also more likely to be located in enhancer regions of their target genes in lung tissue than control probes. The top 500 eQTM genes were enriched in pathways for immune processes and epithelial integrity and were more likely to have been previously identified as differentially expressed in atopic asthma. In a mediation analysis, we identified 5,934 paths through which methylation markers could affect atopic asthma through gene expression in nasal epithelium. INTERPRETATION Previous epigenome-wide association studies of asthma have estimated the effects of DNA methylation markers on expression of nearby genes in airway epithelium. Our findings suggest that distant epigenetic regulation of gene expression in airway epithelium plays a role in atopic asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Rong Zhang
- Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Hyun Jung Park
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Zhongli Xu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Yan
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Nadia Boutaoui
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Edna Acosta-Pérez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
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17
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Kim S, Forno E, Yan Q, Jiang Y, Zhang R, Boutaoui N, Acosta-Pérez E, Canino G, Chen W, Celedón JC. SNPs identified by GWAS affect asthma risk through DNA methylation and expression of cis-genes in airway epithelium. Eur Respir J 2020; 55:1902079. [PMID: 31831581 PMCID: PMC8932401 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02079-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Trans-National Asthma Genetic Consortium (TAGC) identified 878 SNPs associated with asthma. We hypothesized that those SNPs affect asthma risk by regulating gene expression in airway epithelium, and conducted expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and mediation analyses to identify direct associations between the SNPs and expression levels of cis -genes (within 1 Mb) in nasal (airway) epithelium from Puerto Rican children with (n=228) and without (n=241) asthma. We then tested whether genes whose expression is associated with TAGC SNPs are differentially expressed (DE) in atopic asthma. We identified 1,150 direct associations between 418 TAGC SNPs and the expression of 55 cis -genes. Most SNPs regulate distant cis -genes (average distance ~200 kb). Our mediation analysis showed that 4,571 (89.2%) of 5,119 (direct and indirect) SNP-gene expression associations are mediated by methylation. Of 114 genes whose expression is associated with TAGC SNPs, 54 are DE in atopic asthma, including novel and previously reported genes. In an independent cohort of 72 African American children, 50 of the 54 DE genes were available, and 21 (42%) were also DE in atopic asthma. Thus, we show that many TAGC SNPs are associated with expression of distant cis -genes in airway epithelium, and that this is predominantly mediated by DNA methylation. Moreover, nearly half of the genes whose expression in airway epithelium is associated with TAGC SNPs are also DE in atopic asthma. Our findings support a key role of regulation of airway epithelial gene expression on atopic asthma in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Dept of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Shared first authors
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Dept of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Shared first authors
| | - Qi Yan
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Dept of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yale Jiang
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Dept of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nadia Boutaoui
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Dept of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Edna Acosta-Pérez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Dept of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Shared senior authors
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Dept of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Shared senior authors
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18
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Lin PI, Shu H, Mersha TB. Comparing DNA methylation profiles across different tissues associated with the diagnosis of pediatric asthma. Sci Rep 2020; 10:151. [PMID: 31932625 PMCID: PMC6957523 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56310-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles in central airway epithelial cells (AECs) may play a key role in pathological processes in asthma. The goal of the current study is to compare the diagnostic performance of DNAm markers across three tissues: AECs, nasal epithelial cells (NECs), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Additionally, we focused on the results using the machine learning algorithm in the context of multi-locus effects to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the optimal subset of CpG sites. We obtained 74 subjects with asthma and 41 controls from AECs, 15 subjects with asthma and 14 controls from NECs, 697 subjects with asthma and 97 controls from PBMCs. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation levels in AECs, NECs and PBMCs were measured using the Infinium Human Methylation 450 K BeadChip. Overlap analysis across the three different sample sources at the locus and pathway levels were studied to investigate shared or unique pathophysiological processes of asthma across tissues. Using the top 100 asthma-associated methylation markers as classifiers from each dataset, we found that both AEC- and NEC-based DNAm signatures exerted a lower classification error than the PBMC-based DNAm markers (p-value = 0.0002). The area-under-the-curve (AUC) analysis based on out-of-bag errors using the random forest classification algorithm revealed that PBMC-, NEC-, and AEC-based methylation data yielded 31 loci (AUC: 0.87), 8 loci (AUC: 0.99), and 4 loci (AUC: 0.97) from each optimal subset of tissue-specific markers, respectively. We also discovered the locus-locus interaction of DNAm levels of the CDH6 gene and RAPGEF3 gene might interact with each other to jointly predict the risk of asthma – which suggests the pivotal role of cell-cell junction in the pathological changes of asthma. Both AECs and NECs might provide better diagnostic accuracy and efficacy levels than PBMCs. Further research is warranted to evaluate how these tissue-specific DNAm markers classify and predict asthma risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-I Lin
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Huan Shu
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.,Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tesfaye B Mersha
- Division of Asthma Research, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Solazzo G, Ferrante G, La Grutta S. DNA Methylation in Nasal Epithelium: Strengths and Limitations of an Emergent Biomarker for Childhood Asthma. Front Pediatr 2020; 8:256. [PMID: 32500051 PMCID: PMC7243704 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma is one of the most widespread chronic respiratory conditions. This disease primarily develops in childhood and is influenced by different factors, mainly genetics and environmental factors. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism which may represent a bridge between these two factors, providing a tool to comprehend the interaction between genetics and environment. Most epidemiological studies in this field have been conducted using blood samples, although DNA methylation marks in blood may not be reliable for drawing exhaustive conclusions about DNA methylation in the airways. Because of the role of nasal epithelium in asthma and the tissue specificity of DNA methylation, studying the relationship between DNA methylation and childhood asthma might reveal crucial information about this widespread respiratory disease. The purpose of this review is to describe current findings in this field of research. We will present a viewpoint of selected studies, consider strengths and limitations, and propose future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Solazzo
- Institute for Research and Biomedical Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council (CNR), Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuliana Ferrante
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefania La Grutta
- Institute for Research and Biomedical Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council (CNR), Palermo, Italy
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20
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Abstract
Asthma is a complex trait, often associated with atopy. The genetic contribution has been evidenced by familial occurrence. Genome-wide association studies allowed for associating numerous genes with asthma, as well as identifying new loci that have a minor contribution to its phenotype. Considering the role of environmental exposure on asthma development, an increasing amount of literature has been published on epigenetic modifications associated with this pathology and especially on DNA methylation, in an attempt to better understand its missing heritability. These studies have been conducted in different tissues, but mainly in blood or its peripheral mononuclear cells. However, there is growing evidence that epigenetic changes that occur in one cell type cannot be directly translated into another one. In this review, we compare alterations in DNA methylation from different cells of the immune system and of the respiratory tract. The cell types in which data are obtained influences the global status of alteration of DNA methylation in asthmatic individuals compared to control (an increased or a decreased DNA methylation). Given that several genes were cell-type-specific, there is a great need for comparative studies on DNA methylation from different cells, but from the same individuals in order to better understand the role of epigenetics in asthma pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrée-Anne Hudon Thibeault
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), Saguenay, G7H 2B1 QC, Canada;
- Centre intersectoriel en santé durable (CISD), Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), Saguenay, G7H 2B1 QC, Canada
- Quebec Respiratory Health Network, Quebec, G1V 4G5 QC, Canada
| | - Catherine Laprise
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), Saguenay, G7H 2B1 QC, Canada;
- Centre intersectoriel en santé durable (CISD), Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), Saguenay, G7H 2B1 QC, Canada
- Quebec Respiratory Health Network, Quebec, G1V 4G5 QC, Canada
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21
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Abstract
Introduction: The development of childhood asthma is caused by a combination of genetic factors and environmental exposures. Epigenetics describes mechanisms of (heritable) regulation of gene expression that occur without changes in DNA sequence. Epigenetics is strongly related to aging, is cell-type specific, and includes DNA methylation, noncoding RNAs, and histone modifications.Areas covered: This review summarizes recent epigenetic studies of childhood asthma in humans, which mostly involve studies of DNA methylation published in the recent five years. Environmental exposures, in particular cigarette smoking, have significant impact on epigenetic changes, but few of these epigenetic signals are also associated with asthma. Several asthma-associated genetic variants relate to DNA methylation. Epigenetic signals can be better understood by studying their correlation with gene expression, which revealed higher presence and activation of blood eosinophils in asthma. Strong associations of nasal methylation signatures and atopic asthma were identified, which were replicable across different populations.Expert commentary: Epigenetic markers have been strongly associated with asthma, and might serve as biomarker of asthma. The causal and longitudinal relationships between epigenetics and disease, and between environmental exposures and epigenetic changes need to be further investigated. Efforts should be made to understand cell-type-specific epigenetic mechanisms in asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cancan Qi
- Dept. of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,GRIAC Research Institute, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cheng-Jian Xu
- Dept. of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,GRIAC Research Institute, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, CiiM, Centre for individualised infection medicine, A joint venture between Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.,TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Gerard H Koppelman
- Dept. of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,GRIAC Research Institute, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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22
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Clifford RL, Patel J, MacIsaac JL, McEwen LM, Johnson SR, Shaw D, Knox AJ, Hackett TL, Kobor MS. Airway epithelial cell isolation techniques affect DNA methylation profiles with consequences for analysis of asthma related perturbations to DNA methylation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14409. [PMID: 31595000 PMCID: PMC6783553 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50873-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The airway epithelium forms the interface between the inhaled environment and the lung. The airway epithelium is dysfunctional in asthma and epigenetic mechanisms are considered a contributory factor. We hypothesised that the DNA methylation profiles of cultured primary airway epithelial cells (AECs) would differ between cells isolated from individuals with asthma (n = 17) versus those without asthma (n = 16). AECs were isolated from patients by two different isolation techniques; pronase digestion (9 non-asthmatic, 8 asthmatic) and bronchial brushings (7 non-asthmatic and 9 asthmatic). DNA methylation was assessed using an Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array. DNA methylation of AECs clustered by isolation technique and linear regression identified 111 CpG sites differentially methylated between isolation techniques in healthy individuals. As a consequence, the effect of asthmatic status on DNA methylation was assessed within AEC samples isolated using the same technique. In pronase isolated AECs, 15 DNA regions were differentially methylated between asthmatics and non-asthmatics. In bronchial brush isolated AECs, 849 differentially methylated DNA regions were identified with no overlap to pronase regions. In conclusion, regardless of cell isolation technique, differential DNA methylation was associated with asthmatic status in AECs, providing further evidence for aberrant DNA methylation as a signature of epithelial dysfunction in asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Clifford
- Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham MRC Molecular Pathology Node, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK. .,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Jamie Patel
- Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham MRC Molecular Pathology Node, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Julia L MacIsaac
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa M McEwen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Simon R Johnson
- Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham MRC Molecular Pathology Node, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Dominick Shaw
- Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham MRC Molecular Pathology Node, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alan J Knox
- Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham MRC Molecular Pathology Node, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Tillie-Louise Hackett
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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23
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Cardenas A, Sordillo JE, Rifas-Shiman SL, Chung W, Liang L, Coull BA, Hivert MF, Lai PS, Forno E, Celedón JC, Litonjua AA, Brennan KJ, DeMeo DL, Baccarelli AA, Oken E, Gold DR. The nasal methylome as a biomarker of asthma and airway inflammation in children. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3095. [PMID: 31300640 PMCID: PMC6625976 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11058-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The nasal cellular epigenome may serve as biomarker of airway disease and environmental response. Here we collect nasal swabs from the anterior nares of 547 children (mean-age 12.9 y), and measure DNA methylation (DNAm) with the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip. We perform nasal Epigenome-Wide Association analyses (EWAS) of current asthma, allergen sensitization, allergic rhinitis, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and lung function. We find multiple differentially methylated CpGs (FDR < 0.05) and Regions (DMRs; ≥ 5-CpGs and FDR < 0.05) for asthma (285-CpGs), FeNO (8,372-CpGs; 191-DMRs), total IgE (3-CpGs; 3-DMRs), environment IgE (17-CpGs; 4-DMRs), allergic asthma (1,235-CpGs; 7-DMRs) and bronchodilator response (130-CpGs). Discovered DMRs annotated to genes implicated in allergic asthma, Th2 activation and eosinophilia (EPX, IL4, IL13) and genes previously associated with asthma and IgE in EWAS of blood (ACOT7, SLC25A25). Asthma, IgE and FeNO were associated with nasal epigenetic age acceleration. The nasal epigenome is a sensitive biomarker of asthma, allergy and airway inflammation. Epigenetic differences in nasal epithelium have been proposed as a biomarker for lower airway disease and asthma. Here, in epigenome-wide association studies for asthma and other airway traits using nasal swabs, the authors identify differentially methylated CpGs that highlight genes involved in TH2 response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Department of Population Medicine, Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Joanne E Sordillo
- Department of Population Medicine, Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman
- Department of Population Medicine, Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Wonil Chung
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Liming Liang
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Marie-France Hivert
- Department of Population Medicine, Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Diabetes Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, 02114, MA, USA
| | - Peggy S Lai
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Pulmonary/Critical Care, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, USA
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, USA
| | - Augusto A Litonjua
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Kasey J Brennan
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Dawn L DeMeo
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Department of Population Medicine, Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Diane R Gold
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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24
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Abstract
Asthma is the most common non-communicable chronic disease of childhood. Despite its high prevalence, to date we lack methods that are both efficient and accurate in diagnosing asthma. Most traditional approaches have been based on garnering clinical evidence, such as risk factors and exposures. Given the high heritability of asthma, more recent approaches have looked at genetic polymorphisms as potential "risk factors." However, genetic variants explain only a small proportion of asthma risk, and have been less than optimal at predicting risk for individual subjects. Epigenomic studies offer significant advantages over previous approaches. Epigenetic regulation is highly tissue-specific, and can induce both short- and long-term changes in gene expression. Such changes can start in utero, can vary throughout the life span, and in some instances can be passed on from one generation to another. Most importantly, the epigenome can be modified by environmental factors and exposures, and thus epigenetic and transcriptomic profiling may yield the most accurate risk estimates for a given patient by incorporating environmental (and treatment) effects throughout the lifespan. Here we will review the most recent advances in the use of epigenetic and transcriptomic analysis for the early diagnosis of asthma and atopy, as well as challenges and future directions in the field as it moves forward. We will particularly focus on DNA methylation, the most studied mechanism of epigenetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick Forno
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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25
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Larouche M, Gagné-Ouellet V, Boucher-Lafleur AM, Larose MC, Plante S, Madore AM, Laviolette M, Flamand N, Chakir J, Laprise C. Methylation profiles of IL33 and CCL26 in bronchial epithelial cells are associated with asthma. Epigenomics 2018; 10:1555-1568. [PMID: 30468398 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2018-0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM This study aimed to characterize DNA methylation (DNA-me) in promoter region of IL33, IL1RL1 and CCL26 in asthma and their impacts on transcriptional activity in bronchial epithelial cells (BECs). PATIENTS & METHODS We performed bis-pyrosequencing, quantitative real-time PCR and sequencing in BECs from ten asthmatic and ten control individuals. RESULTS We detected lower DNA-me levels of IL33 and CCL26 in asthmatic than control BECs. No correlation was found between methylation and expression levels. Interestingly, carriers of a mutative allele in a haplotype within the promoter of IL33 had a lower IL33 DNA-me level and CCL26 gene expression correlated with eosinophil count. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the importance of investigating both epigenetic and genetic mechanisms in understanding the epithelial immune response in asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Larouche
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Valérie Gagné-Ouellet
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC G7H 2B1, Canada
| | | | - Marie-Chantal Larose
- Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
| | - Sophie Plante
- Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Madore
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Michel Laviolette
- Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
| | - Nicolas Flamand
- Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
| | - Jamila Chakir
- Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
| | - Catherine Laprise
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC G7H 2B1, Canada.,Centre intersectoriel en santé durable, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC G7H 2B1, Canada
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26
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Mørkve Knudsen T, Rezwan FI, Jiang Y, Karmaus W, Svanes C, Holloway JW. Transgenerational and intergenerational epigenetic inheritance in allergic diseases. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2018; 142:765-772. [PMID: 30040975 PMCID: PMC6167012 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
It has become clear that early life (including in utero exposures) is a key window of vulnerability during which environmental exposures can alter developmental trajectories and initiate allergic disease development. However, recent evidence suggests that there might be additional windows of vulnerability to environmental exposures in the parental generation before conception or even in previous generations. There is evidence suggesting that information of prior exposures can be transferred across generations, and experimental animal models suggest that such transmission can be conveyed through epigenetic mechanisms. Although the molecular mechanisms of intergenerational and transgenerationational epigenetic transmission have yet to be determined, the realization that environment before conception can alter the risks of allergic diseases has profound implications for the development of public health interventions to prevent disease. Future research in both experimental models and in multigenerational human cohorts is needed to better understand the role of intergenerational and transgenerational effects in patients with asthma and allergic disease. This will provide the knowledge basis for a new approach to efficient intervention strategies aimed at reducing the major public health challenge of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Faisal I Rezwan
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Yu Jiang
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tenn
| | - Wilfried Karmaus
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tenn
| | - Cecilie Svanes
- Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - John W Holloway
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
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