Epigenetic age, a biological aging marker measured by DNA methylation, is a potential mechanism by which social factors drive disparities in age-related health. Epigenetic age gap is the residual between epigenetic age measures and chronological age. Previous studies showed associations between epigenetic age gap and age-related outcomes including cognitive capacity and performance on some functional measures, but whether epigenetic age gap contributes to disparities in these outcomes is unknown. We use data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the role of epigenetic age gap in racial disparities in cognitive and functional outcomes and consider the role of socioeconomic status (SES). Epigenetic age measures are GrimAge or Dunedin Pace of Aging methylation (DPoAm). Cognitive outcomes are cross-sectional score and two-year change in Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). Functional outcomes are prevalence and incidence of limitations performing Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). We find, relative to White participants, Black participants have lower scores and greater decline in TICS, higher prevalence and incidence rates of IADL limitations, and higher epigenetic age gap. Age- and gender-adjusted analyses reveal that higher GrimAge and DPoAm gap are both associated with worse cognitive and functional outcomes and mediate 6-11% of racial disparities in cognitive outcomes and 19-39% of disparities in functional outcomes. Adjusting for SES attenuates most DPoAm associations and most mediation effects. These results support that epigenetic age gap contributes to racial disparities in cognition and functioning and may be an important mechanism linking social factors to disparities in health outcomes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.29.23296351 | DOI Listing |
J Family Med Prim Care
December 2024
Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare congenital disease that has two different types, KS1 and KS2, with variant in epigenetic gene KMT2D and KDM6A, respectively. It is associated with multiple abnormalities such as (developmental delay, atypical facial features, cardiac anomalies, minor skeleton anomalies, genitourinary anomalies, and mild to moderate intellectual disability). This syndrome can lead to neonatal hypoglycemia that results from hyperinsulinemia and electrolyte abnormalities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExp Hematol
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin, China.. Electronic address:
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are central to blood formation and play a pivotal role in hematopoietic and systemic aging. With aging, HSCs undergo significant functional changes, such as an increased stem cell pool, declined homing and reconstitution capacity, and skewed differentiation towards myeloid and megakaryocyte/platelet progenitors. These phenotypic alterations are likely due to the expansion of certain clones, known as clonal hematopoiesis (CH), which leads to disrupted hematopoietic homeostasis, including anemia, impaired immunity, higher risks of hematological malignancies, and even associations with cardiovascular disease, highlighting the broader impact of HSC aging on overall health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFINhibitor of Growth (ING1-5) proteins are epigenetic readers that target histone acetyltransferase (HAT) or histone deacetylase (HDAC) complexes to the H3K4Me3 mark of active transcription. ING5 targets Moz/Morf and HBO1 HAT complexes that alter acetylation of H3 and H4 core histones, affecting gene expression. Previous experiments in vitro indicated that ING5 functions to maintain stem cell character in normal and in cancer stem cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Med
December 2025
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences of Ceuta, University of Granada, Ceuta, Spain.
Objective: To establish a new technique to easily identify the fetal cervix-uterus complex in normal female fetuses from 20 to 40 weeks of gestation.
Material And Methods: The study was performed in routine examination in normal fetuses by two observers. Twenty-five consecutive cases per gestational week were assessed between 20 and 40 weeks.
Research (Wash D C)
January 2025
Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Numerous diseases have been connected to protein arginine methylations mediated by protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). Clinical investigations of the PRMT5-specific inhibitor GSK3326595 are currently being conducted, and the results are promising for preventing cancers. However, the detailed mechanism of PRMT5 promoting colorectal cancer (CRC) malignant progression remains unclear.
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