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DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment.

ABSTRACT: Educational attainment is a key behavioural measure in studies of cognitive and physical health, and socioeconomic status. We measured DNA methylation at 410,746 CpGs (N?=?4152) and identified 58 CpGs associated with educational attainment at loci characterized by pleiotropic functions shared with neuronal, immune and developmental processes. Associations overlapped with those for smoking behaviour, but remained after accounting for smoking at many CpGs: Effect sizes were on average 28% smaller and genome-wide significant at 11 CpGs after adjusting for smoking and were 62% smaller in never smokers. We examined sources and biological implications of education-related methylation differences, demonstrating correlations with maternal prenatal folate, smoking and air pollution signatures, and associations with gene expression in cis, dynamic methylation in foetal brain, and correlations between blood and brain. Our findings show that the methylome of lower-educated people resembles that of smokers beyond effects of their own smoking behaviour and shows traces of various other exposures.

SUBMITTER: van Dongen J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6220239 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment.

van Dongen Jenny J Bonder Marc Jan MJ Dekkers Koen F KF Nivard Michel G MG van Iterson Maarten M Willemsen Gonneke G Beekman Marian M van der Spek Ashley A van Meurs Joyce B J JBJ Franke Lude L Heijmans Bastiaan T BT van Duijn Cornelia M CM Slagboom P Eline PE Boomsma Dorret I DI

NPJ science of learning 20180323

Educational attainment is a key behavioural measure in studies of cognitive and physical health, and socioeconomic status. We measured DNA methylation at 410,746 CpGs (<i>N</i> = 4152) and identified 58 CpGs associated with educational attainment at loci characterized by pleiotropic functions shared with neuronal, immune and developmental processes. Associations overlapped with those for smoking behaviour, but remained after accounting for smoking at many CpGs: Effect sizes were on average 28% s ...[more]

PMID: 30631468

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Project description:BackgroundIndividuals suffering from schizophrenia have a reduced life expectancy with cardiovascular disease (CVD) as a major contributor. Low educational attainment is associated with schizophrenia, as well as with all-cause and CVD mortality. However, it is unknown to what extent low educational attainment can explain the increased mortality in individuals with schizophrenia.AimHere, we quantify associations between educational attainment and all-cause and CVD mortality in individuals with schizophrenia, and compare them with the corresponding associations in the general population.MethodAll Norwegian citizens born between January 1, 1925, and December 31, 1959, were followed up from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2014. The total sample included 1,852,113 individuals, of which 6548 were registered with schizophrenia. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause and CVD mortality with Cox models, in addition to life years lost. Educational attainment for index persons and their parents were included in the models.ResultsIn the general population individuals with low educational attainment had higher risk of all-cause (HR: 1.48 [95% CI: 1.47-1.49]) and CVD (HR: 1.59 [95% CI: 1.57-1.61]) mortality. In individuals with schizophrenia these estimates were substantially lower (all-cause: HR: 1.13 [95% CI: 1.05-1.21] and CVD: HR: 1.12 [95% CI: 0.98-1.27]). Low educational attainment accounted for 3.28 (3.21-3.35) life years lost in males and 2.48 (2.42-2.55) years in females in the general population, but was not significantly associated with life years lost in individuals with schizophrenia. Results were similar for parental educational attainment.ConclusionsOur results indicate that while individuals with schizophrenia in general have lower educational attainment and higher mortality rates compared with the general population, the association between educational attainment and mortality is smaller in schizophrenia subjects than in the general population.

Dataset Information

DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment.

Publications

DNA methylation signatures of educational attainment.

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