Abstract
Context: Human health is complex and multifaceted; there is a need for biomarkers that reflect the multidimensional nature of health.
Objective: To identify potential epigenomic biomarkers of health in women aged 18–40 participating in a six-month lifestyle intervention, next level health.
Materials and methods: Methylation data were obtained by reduced representation bisulphite sequencing of 21 female intervention participants as well as three non-participants. The Differential Methylation Analysis Package (DMAP) was used to investigate inter- and intra-individual variability and to identify potential targets of transient epigenetic control in the population studied.
Results: Eleven genes were identified as significantly differentially methylated post- intervention in all 21 participants. 1884 genomic locations were found to be differentially methylated amongst the total female population studied representing potential epigenomic biomarkers.
Conclusions: The ability to demonstrate epigenetic changes arising from a lifestyle intervention can provide key information on the relationship between gene regulation, human behaviour and health.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.