Analysis of blood-cell from 3,688 individuals of the Gutenberg Health Study and MyoVasc cohorts was performed to assess DNA-methylation (767,735 CpG sites) in carotid, coronary and peripheral atherosclerosis. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) found variation associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors [1]. Methylation profiles were generated in one cohort and evaluated for predictivity in the other associating CpG sites to carotid, coronary and peripheral atherosclerosis. More than 90% of these sites were also associated with risk factors, mostly smoking, less by inflammation and metabolic.
References
[1] Ingold, M., C. Müller, M. Krolevets, E. Yapici, S. Rapp, A.K. Schuster, J. Tesarz, I. Heinrich, J. Weinmann-Menke, K. Strauch, K.J. Lackner, S. Konstantinides, GHS Research Consortium, W. Ruf, M.A. Andrade-Navarro, C. Niehrs, T. Gori, P. Lurz, P.S. Wild and V. ten Cate. 2026. Blood DNA methylation patterns across carotid, coronary, and peripheral atherosclerosis: a comparative analysis in two prospective cohorts. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. In press.