LINE-1 and inflammatory gene methylation levels are early biomarkers of metabolic changes: association with adiposity

Abstract

We analyzed whether global and inflammatory genes methylation can be early predictors of metabolic changes and their associations with the diet, in a cross-sectional study (n = 40). Higher global methylation was associated to adiposity, insulin resistance, and lower quality of the diet. Methylation of IL-6, SERPINE1 and CRP genes was related to adiposity traits and macronutrients intake. SERPINE1 hypermethylation was also related to some metabolic alterations. CRP methylation was a better predictor of insulin resistance than CRP plasma concentrations. Global and inflammatory gene promoter hypermethylation can be good early biomarkers of adiposity and metabolic changes and are associated to the quality of the diet.

Keywords:

• Global DNA methylation
• healthy eating index
• IL-6
• metabolic syndrome
• SERPINE1

Acknowledgements

The technical assistance of Ana Lorente is acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

All the authors declare that there are any competing financial interests in relation to this work.

Funding information

This work was supported by Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development [CNPq – CNPq process 481518/2011-8; process 481019/2012-0 and process 444519/2014-9], Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [ref. AGL2013-4554-R] and Carlos III Institute of Health [CIBERobn]. The authors also thank Brazilian Education Personnel Improvement Coordination (Capes) for a Ph.D. “sandwich” scholarship awarded to Júlia Cristina Cardoso Carraro [Process number 99999.014962/2013-06]. Josefina Bressan is a CNPq fellow.