Skip to main content

Table 1 Epigenetic studies in longitudinal cohorts: a summary of recent literature (2010 to 2012)

From: The role of longitudinal cohort studies in epigenetic epidemiology: challenges and opportunities

Cohort

DNA analysis time points

Tissue

Form of DNA methylation analysis

Loci

Exposure

(if applicable)

Outcome

(if applicable)

n

References

Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

1

Cord blood

Proxy genotype

TACSTD2

Postnatal growth

Childhood adiposity

6,990

[53]

Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

1

Cord blood

Illumina GoldenGate Cancer Panel

1,576 CpG sites

 

Childhood body composition

178

[56]

1958 British Birth Cohort Study

1

Peripheral blood

MeDIP-chip

Genome-wide methylation

Socioeconomic position

 

40

[92]

Columbia Children's Center for Environmental Health Northern Manhattan Mothers and Newborns Study

1

Cord blood

Methylamp

Global methylation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts

 

164

[93]

Detroit Neighborhood Health Study

1

Peripheral blood

Illumina HM27 BeadChip

SLC6A4

Traumatic events

Post-traumatic stress disorder

100

[94]

Detroit Neighborhood Health Study

1

Peripheral blood

Illumina HM27 BeadChip

Genome-wide methylation

Traumatic events

Post-traumatic stress disorder

100

[95]

Detroit Neighborhood Health Study

1

Peripheral blood

Illumina HM27 BeadChip

Genome-wide methylation

 

Depression

100

[96]

Detroit Neighborhood Health Study

1

Peripheral blood

Illumina HM27 BeadChip

Genome-wide methylation

Post-traumatic stress disorder

 

100

[97]

Dutch Famine Cohort

1

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing MethyLight

Sat2, LINE-1, LUMA

Pre-natal famine

 

947

[98]

Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study

2

Buccal cells

Sequenom MassArray

DRD4, SERT, MAOA

Change over time

 

182

[14]

Epigenetic Birth Cohort

1

Cord blood and placenta

Pyrosequencing

LINE-1

Gestational age and birth weight

 

319 mother-child dyads

[99]

Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health

1

Buccal cells

Sequenom MassArray

5HTT

 

Depression

150

[100]

Longitudinal Study of Child Development

1

Buccal cells

Microarray

Genome-wide methylation

Childhood adversity

 

109

[101]

Lovelace Smokers' Cohort

1

Sputum

Methylation specific PCR

Lung cancer genes

Wood smoke exposure

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

1,827

[102]

Netherlands Twin Registry

2

Peripheral blood and buccal cells

Sequenom MassArray

IL10, NR3C1, TNF, IGF2R, GRB10, LEP, CRH, ABCA1, IGF2, INSIGGF, KCNQ1OT1, MEG3, APOC1, GNASAS, GNAS A/B

Cell counts, change over time

 

64

[15]

Newcastle Preterm Birth Growth Study

1

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

TACSTD2

Postnatal growth

Childhood adiposity

121

[53]

New York Women's Birth Cohort

1

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

Sat2, Alu, LINE-1

Prenatal tobacco smoke

 

90

[103]

Normative Aging Study

1

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

CRAT, F3,

GCR, ICAM, IFNγ, IL6, iNOS, OGG1, TLR2

 

Lung function

756

[28]

Normative Aging Study

1

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

Alu, LINE-1, F3, TLR2, ICAM-1

Air pollution

Fibrinogen, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and CRP

704

[29]

Normative Aging Study

1-5

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

CRAT, F3,

GCR, ICAM, IFNγ, IL6, iNOS, OGG1, TLR2

Age

 

784

[16]

Normative Aging Study

1

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

Alu, LINE-1

 

Cancer

722

[30]

Normative Aging Study

1-3

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

Alu, LINE-1

Air pollution

 

706

[17]

Normative Aging Study

1

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

LINE-1

 

Ischemic heart disease and stroke

712

[31]

Normative Aging Study

1

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

LINE-1

 

Inflammatory markers VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and CRP

593

[32]

North Cumbria Community Genetics Project

1

Cord blood

and maternal peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

IGF2, IGFBP3, ZNT5, LUMA

Maternal characteristics, folate metabolism and genotype

 

430

[104]

Project Viva

1

Cord blood and maternal peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

LINE-1

Methyl donor nutrients

 

516 infants and 830 mothers

[105]

Bangladesh Birth Cohort

1

Cord blood and maternal peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

Alu,LINE-1, p53, p16

Arsenic exposure

 

120 mother-child pairs

[106]

Bangladesh Birth Cohort

1

Cord blood and maternal peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

Alu, LINE-1

Arsenic exposure

 

114 mother-child pairs

[107]

Psychological, Social and Behavioral Determinants of Ill Health

1

Peripheral blood

Methylamp

Global methylation

Socioeconomic position

 

239

[108]

Rhode Island Child Health Study

1

Placenta

Pyrosequencing

HSD11B2

Maternal characteristics

Neurobehavioral outcomes

185

[109]

Singapore Chinese Health Study

1

Peripheral blood

MethyLight

Alu, Sat2

B vitamins

Cardiovascular disease

286

[110]

Southampton Women's Study

1

Umbilical cord

Sequenom MassArray

eNOS

 

Bone mineral content

66

[111]

Southampton Women's Study

1

Umbilical cord

Sequenom MassArray

RXRA, eNOS, SOD1, PIK3CD, IL-8

 

Childhood adiposity

66 + 239

[57]

Five studies

1

Peripheral blood

Pyrosequencing

Alu, LINE-1

Age, gender, smoking, alcohol, body mass index

 

1,465

[67]

  1. Search strategy: a literature search retrieved >350 publications published between 1 January 2010 and 13 April 2012. Only established longitudinal cohort studies were included in the summary table (in as far as this could be ascertained from the information available). Of more than 350 publications retrieved for review only 34 included analyses of DNA methylation in established longitudinal cohort studies and of these only four included analyses at more than one time point. The remaining 30 studies measured DNA methylation at a single time point and considered this with respect to longitudinal data relating to exposures or outcomes.
Back to article page

Genome Biology

ISSN: 1474-760X

Contact us