Tobacco smoking-associated genome-wide DNA methylation changes in the EPIC study

Publication date

2016-05-01

Authors

Ambatipudi, Srikant
Cuenin, Cyrille
Hernandez-Vargas, Hector
Ghantous, Akram
Le Calvez-Kelm, Florence
Kaaks, Rudolf
Barrdahl, Myrto
Boeing, Heiner
Aleksandrova, Krasimira
Trichopoulou, Antonia

Editors

Advisors

Supervisors

Document Type

Article

Collections

License

Abstract

Aim: Epigenetic changes may occur in response to environmental stressors, and an altered epigenome pattern may represent a stable signature of environmental exposure. Materials & methods: Here, we examined the potential of DNA methylation changes in 910 prediagnostic peripheral blood samples as a marker of exposure to tobacco smoke in a large multinational cohort. Results: We identified 748 CpG sites that were differentially methylated between smokers and nonsmokers, among which we identified novel regionally clustered CpGs associated with active smoking. Importantly, we found a marked reversibility of methylation changes after smoking cessation, although specific genes remained differentially methylated up to 22 years after cessation. Conclusion: Our study has comprehensively cataloged the smoking-associated DNA methylation alterations and showed that these alterations are reversible after smoking cessation.

Keywords

DNA methylome, epigenetic signature, prospective cohort, tobacco smoking, Genetics, Cancer Research, Journal Article

Citation

Ambatipudi, S, Cuenin, C, Hernandez-Vargas, H, Ghantous, A, Le Calvez-Kelm, F, Kaaks, R, Barrdahl, M, Boeing, H, Aleksandrova, K, Trichopoulou, A, Lagiou, P, Naska, A, Palli, D, Krogh, V, Polidoro, S, Tumino, R, Panico, S, Bueno-De-Mesquita, B, Peeters, P HM, Quirós, J R, Navarro, C, Ardanaz, E, Dorronsoro, M, Key, T, Vineis, P, Murphy, N, Riboli, E, Romieu, I & Herceg, Z 2016, 'Tobacco smoking-associated genome-wide DNA methylation changes in the EPIC study', Epigenomics, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 599-618. https://doi.org/10.2217/epi-2016-0001