Comparison of whole-genome DNA methylation patterns in whole blood, saliva, and lymphoblastoid cell lines.

Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, that underlie neuropsychiatric conditions have become a promising area of research. Most commonly used DNA sources in such studies are peripheral (whole) blood (WB), saliva (SL), and lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs); thus, the question of the consistency of DNA methylation patterns in those cells is of particular interest. To investigate this question we performed comparative analyses of methylation patterns in WB, SL, and LCLs derived from the same individuals, using Illumina HumanMethylation27 BeadChip arrays.