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. 2015 Nov 5:7:118.
doi: 10.1186/s13148-015-0152-7. eCollection 2015.

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of CD8+ T cells shows a distinct epigenetic signature to CD4+ T cells in multiple sclerosis patients

Vicki E Maltby #  1   2 , Moira C Graves #  1   3 , Rodney A Lea  1   4 , Miles C Benton  4 , Katherine A Sanders  1   5 , Lotti Tajouri  5 , Rodney J Scott  1   6 , Jeannette Lechner-Scott  1   3   7
Affiliations

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of CD8+ T cells shows a distinct epigenetic signature to CD4+ T cells in multiple sclerosis patients

Vicki E Maltby et al. Clin Epigenetics. .

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be a T cell-mediated autoimmune disorder. MS pathogenesis is likely due to a genetic predisposition triggered by a variety of environmental factors. Epigenetics, particularly DNA methylation, provide a logical interface for environmental factors to influence the genome. In this study we aim to identify DNA methylation changes associated with MS in CD8+ T cells in 30 relapsing remitting MS patients and 28 healthy blood donors using Illumina 450K methylation arrays.

Findings: Seventy-nine differentially methylated CpGs were associated with MS. The methylation profile of CD8+ T cells was distinctive from our previously published data on CD4+ T cells in the same cohort. Most notably, there was no major CpG effect at the MS risk gene HLA-DRB1 locus in the CD8+ T cells.

Conclusion: CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells have distinct DNA methylation profiles. This case-control study highlights the importance of distinctive cell subtypes when investigating epigenetic changes in MS and other complex diseases.

Keywords: CD8+ T cells; DNA methylation; HLA-DRB1; Multiple sclerosis.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A genome-wide differential methylation plot based on sites passing a nominal p value of 0.05. Data points outside the circle represent increased methylation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients compared to controls (i.e. Δmeth), whereas points inside the circle represent methylation in the MS group
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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