Association of methylation signals with incident coronary heart disease in an epigenome-wide assessment of circulating tumor necrosis factor alpha
File(s)
Accepted version
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Importance Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is a proinflammatory cytokine with manifold consequences for mammalian pathophysiology, including cardiovascular disease. A deeper understanding of TNF-α biology may enhance treatment precision.
Objective To conduct an epigenome-wide analysis of blood-derived DNA methylation and TNF-α levels and to assess the clinical relevance of findings.
Design, Setting, and Participants This meta-analysis assessed epigenome-wide associations in circulating TNF-α concentrations from 5 cohort studies and 1 interventional trial, with replication in 3 additional cohort studies. Follow-up analyses investigated associations of identified methylation loci with gene expression and incident coronary heart disease; this meta-analysis included 11 461 participants who experienced 1895 coronary events.
Exposures Circulating TNF-α concentration.
Main Outcomes and Measures DNA methylation at approximately 450 000 loci, neighboring DNA sequence variation, gene expression, and incident coronary heart disease.
Results The discovery cohort included 4794 participants, and the replication study included 816 participants (overall mean [SD] age, 60.7 [8.5] years). In the discovery stage, circulating TNF-α levels were associated with methylation of 7 cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites, 3 of which were located in or near DTX3L-PARP9 at cg00959259 (β [SE] = −0.01 [0.003]; P = 7.36 × 10−8), cg08122652 (β [SE] = −0.008 [0.002]; P = 2.24 × 10−7), and cg22930808(β [SE] = −0.01 [0.002]; P = 6.92 × 10−8); NLRC5 at cg16411857 (β [SE] = −0.01 [0.002]; P = 2.14 × 10−13) and cg07839457 (β [SE] = −0.02 [0.003]; P = 6.31 × 10−10); or ABO, at cg13683939 (β [SE] = 0.04 [0.008]; P = 1.42 × 10−7) and cg24267699 (β [SE] = −0.009 [0.002]; P = 1.67 × 10−7), after accounting for multiple testing. Of these, negative associations between TNF-α concentration and methylation of 2 loci in NLRC5 and 1 in DTX3L-14 PARP9 were replicated. Replicated TNF-α–linked CpG sites were associated with 9% to 19% decreased risk of incident coronary heart disease per 10% higher methylation per CpG site (cg16411857: hazard ratio [HR], 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78-1.95; P = .003; cg07839457: HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.80-0.94; P = 3.1 × 10−5; cg00959259: HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.97; P = .002; cg08122652: HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.74-0.89; P = 2.0 × 10−5).
Conclusions and Relevance We identified and replicated novel epigenetic correlates of circulating TNF-α concentration in blood samples and linked these loci to coronary heart disease risk, opening opportunities for validation and therapeutic applications.
Objective To conduct an epigenome-wide analysis of blood-derived DNA methylation and TNF-α levels and to assess the clinical relevance of findings.
Design, Setting, and Participants This meta-analysis assessed epigenome-wide associations in circulating TNF-α concentrations from 5 cohort studies and 1 interventional trial, with replication in 3 additional cohort studies. Follow-up analyses investigated associations of identified methylation loci with gene expression and incident coronary heart disease; this meta-analysis included 11 461 participants who experienced 1895 coronary events.
Exposures Circulating TNF-α concentration.
Main Outcomes and Measures DNA methylation at approximately 450 000 loci, neighboring DNA sequence variation, gene expression, and incident coronary heart disease.
Results The discovery cohort included 4794 participants, and the replication study included 816 participants (overall mean [SD] age, 60.7 [8.5] years). In the discovery stage, circulating TNF-α levels were associated with methylation of 7 cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites, 3 of which were located in or near DTX3L-PARP9 at cg00959259 (β [SE] = −0.01 [0.003]; P = 7.36 × 10−8), cg08122652 (β [SE] = −0.008 [0.002]; P = 2.24 × 10−7), and cg22930808(β [SE] = −0.01 [0.002]; P = 6.92 × 10−8); NLRC5 at cg16411857 (β [SE] = −0.01 [0.002]; P = 2.14 × 10−13) and cg07839457 (β [SE] = −0.02 [0.003]; P = 6.31 × 10−10); or ABO, at cg13683939 (β [SE] = 0.04 [0.008]; P = 1.42 × 10−7) and cg24267699 (β [SE] = −0.009 [0.002]; P = 1.67 × 10−7), after accounting for multiple testing. Of these, negative associations between TNF-α concentration and methylation of 2 loci in NLRC5 and 1 in DTX3L-14 PARP9 were replicated. Replicated TNF-α–linked CpG sites were associated with 9% to 19% decreased risk of incident coronary heart disease per 10% higher methylation per CpG site (cg16411857: hazard ratio [HR], 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78-1.95; P = .003; cg07839457: HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.80-0.94; P = 3.1 × 10−5; cg00959259: HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.97; P = .002; cg08122652: HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.74-0.89; P = 2.0 × 10−5).
Conclusions and Relevance We identified and replicated novel epigenetic correlates of circulating TNF-α concentration in blood samples and linked these loci to coronary heart disease risk, opening opportunities for validation and therapeutic applications.
Date Issued
2018-06-01
Date Acceptance
2018-02-15
Citation
JAMA CARDIOLOGY, 2018, 3 (6), pp.463-472
ISSN
2380-6583
Publisher
American Medical Association
Start Page
463
End Page
472
Journal / Book Title
JAMA CARDIOLOGY
Volume
3
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2018 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Cardiovascular System & Cardiology
GENE PROMOTER METHYLATION
EPIGENETIC REGULATION
RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS
MHC
NLRC5
INHIBITORS
DESIGN
PARP-1
TWIN
FAT
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-04-04