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Kilanowski, A. ; Merid, S.K.* ; Abrishamcar, S.* ; Feil, D.* ; Thiering, E. ; Waldenberger, M. ; Melén, E.* ; Peters, A. ; Standl, M. ; Hüls, A.*

DNA methylation and aeroallergen sensitization: The chicken or the egg?

Clin. Epigenet. 14:114 (2022)
Verlagsversion Forschungsdaten DOI PMC
Open Access Gold
Creative Commons Lizenzvertrag
Background: DNA methylation (DNAm) is considered a plausible pathway through which genetic and environmental factors may influence the development of allergies. However, causality has yet to be determined as it is unknown whether DNAm is rather a cause or consequence of allergic sensitization. Here, we investigated the direction of the observed associations between well-known environmental and genetic determinants of allergy, DNAm, and aeroallergen sensitization using a combination of high-dimensional and causal mediation analyses. Methods: Using prospectively collected data from the German LISA birth cohort from two time windows (6–10 years: N = 234; 10–15 years: N = 167), we tested whether DNAm is a cause or a consequence of aeroallergen sensitization (specific immunoglobulin E > 0.35kU/l) by conducting mediation analyses for both effect directions using maternal smoking during pregnancy, family history of allergies, and a polygenic risk score (PRS) for any allergic disease as exposure variables. We evaluated individual CpG sites (EPIC BeadChip) and allergy-related methylation risk scores (MRS) as potential mediators in the mediation analyses. We applied three high-dimensional mediation approaches (HIMA, DACT, gHMA) and validated results using causal mediation analyses. A replication of results was attempted in the Swedish BAMSE cohort. Results: Using high-dimensional methods, we identified five CpGs as mediators of prenatal exposures to sensitization with significant (adjusted p < 0.05) indirect effects in the causal mediation analysis (maternal smoking: two CpGs, family history: one, PRS: two). None of these CpGs could be replicated in BAMSE. The effect of family history on allergy-related MRS was significantly mediated by aeroallergen sensitization (proportions mediated: 33.7–49.6%), suggesting changes in DNAm occurred post-sensitization. Conclusion: The results indicate that DNAm may be a cause or consequence of aeroallergen sensitization depending on genomic location. Allergy-related MRS, identified as a potential cause of sensitization, can be considered as a cross-sectional biomarker of disease. Differential DNAm in individual CpGs, identified as mediators of the development of sensitization, could be used as clinical predictors of disease development.
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Publikationstyp Artikel: Journalartikel
Dokumenttyp Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
Korrespondenzautor
Schlagwörter High-dimensional Mediation Analysis ; Dna Methylation ; Allergic Diseases ; Epidemiology ; Methylation Risk Scores ; Polygenic Risk Scores ; Maternal Smoking
ISSN (print) / ISBN 1868-7075
e-ISSN 1868-7083
Zeitschrift Clinical Epigenetics
Quellenangaben Band: 14, Heft: 1, Seiten: , Artikelnummer: 114 Supplement: ,
Verlag Springer
Verlagsort Berlin : Heidelberg
Nichtpatentliteratur Publikationen
Begutachtungsstatus Peer reviewed
Institut(e) Institute of Epidemiology (EPI)
Institute of Epidemiology II (EPI2)