The Role of the Epigenome in Translating Neighborhood Disadvantage Into Health Disparities

Olden, Kenneth; Olden, Heather; Lin, Yu‐Sheng

doi:10.1007/s40572-015-0048-x

Cited by 25 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…The epigenome has been prominently endorsed as a key link between neighborhood disadvantage and health disparities (Olden, Olden, & Lin, 2015). Neighborhood physical and social conditions can causally influence prenatal health, and neighborhoods also serve as a powerful proxy for household wealth, household composition, and for selection processes which sort mothers and children into other sorts of spatially-variant individual-level health risks and resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighborhood and Family Environment of Expectant Mothers May Influence Prenatal Programming of Adult Cancer Risk: Discussion and an Illustrative DNA Methylation Example

King

Kane

Scarbrough

et al. 2016

Biodemography and Social Biology

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Objectives Childhood stressors including physical abuse predict adult cancer risk. Prior research portrays this finding as indirect through coping behaviors including adult smoking or through increased toxic exposures during childhood. Little is known about potential direct causal mechanisms between early-life stressors and adult cancer. Because prenatal conditions can affect gene expression by altering DNA methylation with implications for adult health, we hypothesize that maternal stress may program methylation of cancer-linked genes during gametogenesis. Methods To illustrate, we relate maternal social resources to methylation at the imprinted MEG3 differentially methylated regulatory region linked to multiple cancer types. Mothers (n=489) in umbilical cord blood of diverse birth cohort (Durham, North Carolina) provided newborn’s cord blood and completed a questionnaire. Results Newborns of currently-married mothers show lower (−0.321 SD, p<0.05) methylation vs. newborns of never-married mothers, who did not differ from those whose mothers are cohabiting and others (adjusted for demographics). MEG3 DNA methylation levels are also lower when maternal grandmothers co-reside before pregnancy (−0.314 SD, p<0.05). A 1-SD increase in prenatal neighborhood disadvantage also predicts higher methylation (−0.137 SD, p<0.05). Conclusions Maternal social resources may result in differential methylation of MEG3, which demonstrates a potential partial mechanism priming socially disadvantaged newborns for later risk of some cancers.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighborhood and Family Environment of Expectant Mothers May Influence Prenatal Programming of Adult Cancer Risk: Discussion and an Illustrative DNA Methylation Example

King

Kane

Scarbrough

et al. 2016

Biodemography and Social Biology

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show abstract

“…Environmental and occupational exposures to toxicants may contribute to the occurrence of adverse birth outcomes, neurodevelopmental deficits, and increased risks of cancer and other common health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, asthma, diabetes and obesity (4). These risks are not distributed evenly among populations and countries around the world, and can be modified by age, genetic makeup, SES and other factors (5–6). …”

Section: Emerging Risk Factors and Public Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Future of environmental research in the age of epigenomics and exposomics

Holland¹

2017

Reviews on Environmental Health

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Abstract Environmental research and public health in the 21st century face serious challenges such as increased air pollution and global warming, widespread use of potentially harmful chemicals including pesticides, plasticizers, and other endocrine disruptors, and radical changes in nutrition and lifestyle typical of modern societies. In particular, exposure to environmental and occupational toxicants may contribute to the occurrence of adverse birth outcomes, neurodevelopmental deficits, and increased risk of cancer and other multifactorial diseases such as diabetes and asthma. Rapidly evolving methodologies of exposure assessment and the conceptual framework of the Exposome, first introduced in 2005, are new frontiers of environmental research. Metabolomics and adductomics provide remarkable opportunities for a better understanding of exposure and prediction of potential adverse health outcomes. Metabolomics, the study of metabolism at whole-body level, involves assessment of the total repertoire of small molecules present in a biological sample, shedding light on interactions between gene expression, protein expression, and the environment. Advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics are generating multidimensional structures of biomarkers of effect and susceptibility, increasingly important for the understanding of molecular mechanisms and the emergence of personalized medicine. Epigenetic mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation and miRNA expression, attract increasing attention as potential links between the genetic and environmental determinants of health and disease. Unlike genetics, epigenetic mechanisms could be reversible and an understanding of their role may lead to better protection of susceptible populations and improved public health.

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“…17 Epigenetic modifications (i.e., DNA methylation (DNAm), histone modification, and noncoding RNA) regulate gene expression patterns without altering the underlying genetic sequence. 18,19 DNAm is the most studied and is characterized by the presence of a methyl group at a CpG site. 18,19 DNAm is dynamic throughout life and is modifiable in response to environmental stimuli.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…18,19 DNAm is the most studied and is characterized by the presence of a methyl group at a CpG site. 18,19 DNAm is dynamic throughout life and is modifiable in response to environmental stimuli. 18,19 DNAm in promoter regions is associated with decreased gene expression, while methylation in other regions is less understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…18,19 DNAm is dynamic throughout life and is modifiable in response to environmental stimuli. 18,19 DNAm in promoter regions is associated with decreased gene expression, while methylation in other regions is less understood. 20 The field of social epigenomics is relatively new, and there is much to be learned in understanding whether social stressors affect health via epigenomic mechanisms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Association Between Stress and Coping with DNA Methylation of Blood Pressure-Related Genes Among African American Women

et al. 2019

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Background Exposure to psychosocial stress and employment of high effort coping strategies have been identified as risk factors that may partially explain the high prevalence of hypertension among African Americans. One biological mechanism through which stress and coping may affect risk of hypertension is via epigenetic modifications (e.g., DNA methylation) in blood pressure-related genes; however, this area remains understudied in African Americans. Methods We used data from the ongoing Intergenerational Blood Pressure Study, a longitudinal study designed to investigate factors that contribute to hypertension risk in African American women (n = 120) and their young children, to investigate the association between stress overload, problem-solving coping, avoidance coping, and social support coping with DNA methylation in 25 candidate genes related to blood pressure. Multivariable linear regression and multilevel modeling were used to conduct methylation site-level and gene-level analyses, respectively. Results In site-level analyses, stress overload, problem-solving coping, social support coping, and avoidance coping were associated with 47, 63, 66, and 61 sites, respectively, at p < 0.05. However, no associations were statistically significant after multiple testing correction. There were also no significant associations in gene-level analyses. Conclusions As human social epigenomics is an emerging, evolving area of research, there is much to be learned from studies with statistically significant findings as well as studies with null findings. Factors such as characteristics of the social stressor, source of DNA, and synchronization of exposure and outcome are likely important considerations as we move the field forward.

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The Role of the Epigenome in Translating Neighborhood Disadvantage Into Health Disparities

Cited by 25 publications

References 49 publications

Neighborhood and Family Environment of Expectant Mothers May Influence Prenatal Programming of Adult Cancer Risk: Discussion and an Illustrative DNA Methylation Example

Neighborhood and Family Environment of Expectant Mothers May Influence Prenatal Programming of Adult Cancer Risk: Discussion and an Illustrative DNA Methylation Example

Future of environmental research in the age of epigenomics and exposomics

Association Between Stress and Coping with DNA Methylation of Blood Pressure-Related Genes Among African American Women

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