DNA methylation of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha gene is associated with specific blood fatty acid levels in a gender-specific manner.

Background: Fatty acids, specifically polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play an important role in inflammation and its resolution, however, their interaction with the epigenome is relatively unexplored. Here we investigate the relationship between circulating blood fatty acids and the DNA methylation of the cytokine encoding gene tumour necrosis factor (TNF, OMIM 191160).

Methods: Using a cross-sectional study approach, we collected blood samples from adults (N=88 (30 males, 58 females); 18-74 years old) for DNA methylation pyrosequencing analysis at four sites in TNF exon 1 and gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry analysis of the fatty acid profile of dried blood spots (DBS).