Loneliness is a complex human trait that is highly polygenic and found to affect gene expression related to inflammatory and immunological functioning. To date, no epigenome-wide association studies of loneliness have tested whether differentially methylated sites are annotated to genes associated with inflammatory and immunological processes. Using 281 individual adult twins' DNA methylation data from the Louisville Twin Study, we performed an epigenome-wide analysis of loneliness to address this gap in the literature. In the discovery analysis, 169 twins were used to prioritize probes and test associations with DNA methylation age acceleration, and 56 independent monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs (112 individuals) were used in a within-family replication analysis. Among the 837,274 sites analyzed, no probe sites were statistically significant at the genome-wide level (p < 5.97 × 10−8), but 25 suggestive sites (p < 5 × 10−5) were annotated to genes related to various biological processes, including inflammatory response and protein-binding functions that extend prior findings. The nominal associations at these suggestive probe sites were highly correlated (r = .72) between the discovery sample and the MZ pair replication sample. Finally, loneliness significantly correlated with the DunedinPACE DNA methylation measure, suggesting that higher levels of loneliness were associated with accelerated epigenetic age as quantified by a measure that indexes longitudinal changes across multiple organ systems.

Christopher R. Beam

Kelly M. Bakulski

Ebrahim Zandi

Eric Turkheimer

Morgan Lynch

Alaina I. Gold

Thalida Em Arpawong

Sophie A. Bell

Alyssa C. Kam

Jonathan Becker

Deborah Winders Davis

Epigenetics

EPIGENETICS 发表经过同行评审的原创研究和评论文章，提供了一个前所未有的论坛，可以揭示、共享和讨论表观遗传机制及其在不同生物过程中的作用。表观遗传学研究研究由除 DNA 序列修饰以外的机制引起的基因表达的可遗传变化。因此，表观遗传学在各种生物系统、疾病和学科中发挥着关键作用。感兴趣的主题包括（但不限于）：DNA甲基化核小体定位和修饰基因沉默印记核重编程染色质重塑非编码RNA非组蛋白染色体元件剂量补偿核组织表观遗传治疗和诊断营养和环境表观遗传学癌症表观遗传学神经表观遗传学

The journal "Epigenetics" publishes peer-reviewed original research and review articles, providing an unprecedented forum to reveal, share, and discuss epigenetic mechanisms and their roles in various biological processes. Epigenetic research focuses on heritable changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than DNA sequence modifications. Therefore, epigenetics plays a crucial role in various biological systems, diseases, and disciplines. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): DNA methylation, nucleosome positioning and modification, gene silencing, imprinting, nuclear reprogramming, chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNA, non-histone chromosomal elements, dosage compensation, nuclear organization, epigenetic therapy and diagnostics, nutritional and environmental epigenetics, cancer epigenetics, and neuroepigenetics.

《Epigenetics》期刊发表经过同行评审的原创研究和评论文章，提供了一个前所未有的论坛，以揭示、共享和讨论表观遗传机制及其在不同生物过程中的作用。表观遗传学研究关注的是由除DNA序列修饰以外的机制引起的基因表达的可遗传变化。因此，表观遗传学在各种生物系统、疾病和学科中发挥着关键作用。感兴趣的主题包括（但不限于）：DNA甲基化、核小体定位和修饰、基因沉默、印记、核重编程、染色质重塑、非编码RNA、非组蛋白、染色体元件、剂量补偿、核组织、表观遗传治疗和诊断、营养和环境表观遗传学、癌症表观遗传学、神经表观遗传学。

Category	Quartile
生物学	3
生物学, 生化与分子生物学	3
生物学, 遗传学	3

Epigenome-wide association study of loneliness in a sample of U.S. middle-aged twins

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
GENETICS & HEREDITY	2