Mendelian Randomization Analysis Identifies CpG Sites as Putative Mediators for Genetic Influences on Cardiovascular Disease Risk

The extent to which genetic influences on cardiovascular disease risk are mediated by changes in DNA methylation levels has not been systematically explored. We developed an analytical framework that integrates genetic fine mapping and Mendelian randomization with epigenome-wide association studies to evaluate the causal relationships between methylation levels and 14 cardiovascular disease traits. We identified ten genetic loci known to influence proximal DNA methylation which were also associated with cardiovascular traits after multiple-testing correction.

Source: The American Journal of Human Genetics - October 5, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tom G. Richardson, Jie Zheng, George Davey Smith, Nicholas J. Timpson, Tom R. Gaunt, Caroline L. Relton, Gibran Hemani Tags: Article Source Type: research