Age estimation from DNA methylation markers has seen an exponential growth of interest, not in the least from forensic scientists. The current published assays, however, can still be improved by lowering the number of markers in the assay and by providing more accurate models to predict chronological age. From the published literature we selected 4 age-associated genes (ASPA, PDE4C, ELOVL2, and EDARADD) and determined CpG methylation levels from 206 blood samples of both deceased and living individuals (age range: 0-91 years). This data was subsequently used to compare prediction accuracy with both linear and non-linear regression models. A quadratic regression model in which the methylation levels of ELOVL2 were squared showed the highest accuracy with a Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) between chronological age and predicted age of 3.75 years and an adjusted R(2) of 0.95. No difference in accuracy was observed for samples obtained either from living and deceased individuals or between the 2 genders. In addition, 29 teeth from different individuals (age range: 19-70 years) were analyzed using the same set of markers resulting in a MAD of 4.86 years and an adjusted R(2) of 0.74. Cross validation of the results obtained from blood samples demonstrated the robustness and reproducibility of the assay. In conclusion, the set of 4 CpG DNA methylation markers is capable of producing highly accurate age predictions for blood samples from deceased and living individuals.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15592294.2015.1080413 | DOI Listing |
Epigenetics
December 2025
Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Perceived discrimination, recognized as a chronic psychosocial stressor, has adverse consequences on health. DNA methylation (DNAm) may be a potential mechanism by which stressors get embedded into the human body at the molecular level and subsequently affect health outcomes. However, relatively little is known about the effects of perceived discrimination on DNAm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenetics
December 2025
Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
Menstrual effluent cell profiles have potential as noninvasive biomarkers of female reproductive and gynecological health and disease. We used DNA methylation-based cell type deconvolution (methylation cytometry) to identify cell type profiles in self-collected menstrual effluent. During the second day of their menstrual cycle, healthy participants collected menstrual effluent using a vaginal swab, menstrual cup, and pad.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExposure to toxins causes lasting damaging effects on the body. Numerous studies in humans and animals suggest that diet has the potential to modify the epigenome and these modifications can be inherited transgenerationally, but few studies investigate how diet can protect against negative effects of toxins. Potential evidence in the primary literature supports that caloric restriction, high-fat diets, high protein-to-carbohydrate ratios, and dietary supplementation protect against environmental toxins and strengthen these effects on their offspring's epigenome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenomics
January 2025
NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
Aim: We aim to assess association of DNA methylation (DNAm) at birth with total immunoglobulin E (IgE) trajectories from birth to late adolescence and whether such association is ethnicity-specific.
Methods: We examined the association of total IgE trajectories from birth to late adolescence with DNAm at birth in two independent birth cohorts, the Isle of wight birth cohort (IOWBC) in UK ( = 796; White) and the maternal and infant cohort study (MICS) in Taiwan ( = 60; Asian). Biological pathways and methylation quantitative trait loci (methQTL) for associated Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine sites were studied.
World J Surg
January 2025
Precision Medicine Program, Hoag Family Cancer Institute, Newport Beach, California, USA.
Background: A recent prospective phase II study (ECOG-ACRIN E2211) demonstrated that MGMT deficiency was associated with a significant response to capecitabine and temozolomide (CAPTEM) in pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs); however, routine MGMT analysis in NENs was not recommended. Our study sought to demonstrate whether loss of MGMT protein expression is associated with improved overall survival (OS) in patients receiving CAPTEM for NENs from various tumor sites.
Materials And Methods: Paraffin-embedded tumor samples were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using an MGMT monoclonal antibody.
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