Methylation at cg05575921 of a smoking-related gene (AHRR) in non-smoking Taiwanese adults residing in areas with different PM concentrations.

Background: DNA methylation is associated with cancer, metabolic, neurological, and autoimmune disorders. Hypomethylation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR) especially at cg05575921 is associated with smoking and lung cancer. Studies on the association between AHRR methylation at cg05575921 and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) other than smoking are limited.