The biological embedding of early-life socioeconomic status and family adversity in children's genome-wide DNA methylation. (23rd October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bush, Nicole R; Edgar, Rachel D; Park, Mina; MacIsaac, Julia L; McEwen, Lisa M; Adler, Nancy E; Essex, Marilyn J; Kobor, Michael S; Boyce, W Thomas
• Is Part Of: Epigenomics. Volume 10:Number 11(2018)
• Page Start: 1445
• Page End: 1461
• Publication Date: 2018-10-23
• Subjects: Epigenesis -- Periodicals; Genomics -- Periodicals; Chromatin -- Periodicals; DNA -- Periodicals; 572.87
• DOI: 10.2217/epi-2018-0042
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-1911

Abstract

Aim: To examine variation in child DNA methylation to assess its potential as a pathway for effects of childhood social adversity on health across the life course.Materials & methods: In a diverse, prospective community sample of 178 kindergarten children, associations between three types of social experience and DNA methylation within buccal epithelial cells later in childhood were examined.Results: Family income, parental education and family psychosocial adversity each associated with increased or decreased DNA methylation (488, 354 and 102 sites, respectively) within a unique set of genomic CpG sites. Gene ontology analyses pointed to genes serving immune and developmental regulation functions.Conclusion: Findings provided support for DNA methylation as a biomarker linking early-life social experiences with later life health in humans.