Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
10-1-2022
Journal
Epigenics
Abstract
Cigarette smoking is associated with epigenetic changes that may be reversible following smoking cessation. Whole blood DNA methylation was evaluated in Framingham Heart Study Offspring (n = 169) and Third Generation (n = 30) cohort participants at two study visits 6 years apart and in Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study (n = 222) participants at two study visits 20 years apart. Changes in DNA methylation (delta β values) at 483,565 cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were compared between participants who were current, former, or never smokers at both visits (current-current, former-former, never-never, respectively), versus those who quit in the interim (current-former). Interim quitters had more hypermethylation at four CpGs annotated to AHRR, one CpG annotated to F2RL3, and one intergenic CpG (cg21566642) compared with current-current smokers (FDR < 0.02 for all), and two significant DMRs were identified. While there were no significant differentially methylated CpGs in the comparison of interim quitters and former-former smokers, 106 DMRs overlapping with small nucleolar RNA were identified. As compared with all non-smokers, current-current smokers additionally had more hypermethylation at two CpG sites annotated to HIVEP3 and TMEM126A, respectively, and another intergenic CpG (cg14339116). Gene transcripts associated with smoking cessation were implicated in immune responses, cell homoeostasis, and apoptosis. Smoking cessation is associated with early reversion of blood DNA methylation changes at CpG sites annotated to AHRR and F2RL3 towards those of never smokers. Associated gene expression suggests a role of longitudinal smoking-related DNA methylation changes in immune response processes.
Keywords
CpG Islands, Cytosine, DNA, DNA Methylation, Epigenesis, Genetic, Guanine, Humans, Membrane Proteins, Phosphates, RNA, Small Nucleolar, Smoking Cessation, Cigarette smoking, DNA methylation, epigenetics, longitudinal analysis
DOI
10.1080/15592294.2021.1985301
PMID
34570667
PMCID
PMC9542417
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
10-6-2021
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Medical Genetics Commons, Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons
