Abstract 5326: Differential methylation observed in cancer related genes between DNA samples from normal and obese individuals

Abstract

Based on research funded by The American Institute for Cancer Research, evidence is clear that weight can affect your risk of developing cancer. It is estimated that close to 1/3 of cancers that occur every year in the U.S. could be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and eating a nutritious diet. The body mass index (BMI) is defined as the body mass divided by the square of the body height and is typically expressed in kg/m2. BMI between 18.5 and 25 are considered normal while BMI of 25 to 30 is overweight and greater than 30 is considered obese. We have analyzed the DNA methylation levels of 18 individuals with BMI >30, and compared them to 7 individuals with BMI between 18.5 and 25 utilizing three targeted Next-Gen Bisulfite Sequencing (tNGBS) panels that we have developed as well as with individual pyrosequencing assays. The three panels, FOXP3, Immunology and Cancer Panels, cover regulatory regions of 44 genes that include over 400 CpG sites in addition to a global methylation assay to the LINE1 promoter. The results show that seven gene regulatory regions and the LINE1 global methylation assay show significant differential methylation between the obese and the normal BMI samples. ESR1, PAPR1, EN1, LXH2, TFF1, FOXP3 and LINE1 were shown to be hypermethylated and CD3G was hypomethylated, with p-values ranging between 0.08 and 0.005. Larger sample cohorts can now be examined more thoroughly with individual pyrosequencing assays to further validate the findings. Citation Format: Ryan Drennan, Nicolas Culhane, Matthew L. Poulin, Zhenhua Liu, Liying Yan. Differential methylation observed in cancer related genes between DNA samples from normal and obese individuals [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5326.