Tetanus vaccination is associated with differential DNA-methylation: Reduces the risk of asthma in adolescence

Vimala Devi Janjanam; Nandini Mukherjee; Gabrielle A Lockett; Faisal I Rezwan; Ramesh Kurukulaaratchy; Frances Mitchell; Hongmei Zhang; Hasan Arshad; John W Holloway; Wilfried Karmaus

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.10.068

Tetanus vaccination is associated with differential DNA-methylation: Reduces the risk of asthma in adolescence

Vaccine. 2016 Dec 12;34(51):6493-6501. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.10.068. Epub 2016 Nov 17.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, 236A Robison Hall, Memphis, TN 38152, USA. Electronic address: vjnjanam@memphis.edu.
² Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, 236A Robison Hall, Memphis, TN 38152, USA. Electronic address: nmkhrjee@memphis.edu.
³ Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. Electronic address: g.a.lockett@soton.ac.uk.
⁴ Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. Electronic address: F.Rezwan@soton.ac.uk.
⁵ The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's, Hospital, Parkhurst Road, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5TG, UK; Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; NIHR Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. Electronic address: rjk1s07@soton.ac.uk.
⁶ The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's, Hospital, Parkhurst Road, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5TG, UK. Electronic address: Frances.Mitchell@iow.nhs.uk.
⁷ Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, 236A Robison Hall, Memphis, TN 38152, USA. Electronic address: hzhang6@memphis.edu.
⁸ The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's, Hospital, Parkhurst Road, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5TG, UK; Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; NIHR Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. Electronic address: s.h.arshad@soton.ac.uk.
⁹ Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. Electronic address: J.W.Holloway@soton.ac.uk.
¹⁰ Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, 236A Robison Hall, Memphis, TN 38152, USA. Electronic address: karmaus1@memphis.edu.

Abstract

Background: Vaccinations have been suggested to be associated with increased risk of allergic diseases. Tetanus vaccination is one of the most frequently administered vaccines as a part of wound management and was also found to be associated with increased serum IgE levels. We hypothesized that the vaccination modifies the risk of allergic diseases through epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation.

Method: Data on tetanus vaccination between 10 and 18years of age was collected from a birth cohort established on the Isle of Wight UK in 1989. DNA methylation data were collected from individuals at different ages (at birth [n=30], age 10 [n=34], age 18 [n=245] and during pregnancy [n=121]) using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450K array. Firstly, we performed an epigenome-wide screening to identify cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites (CpGs) associated with tetanus vaccination in 18-year-olds. Secondly, we tested their association with asthma, allergic sensitization, eczema, serum IgE and pulmonary lung function (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEF25-75%). We then described changes in the methylation of the selected CpG sites over age, and by vaccination status.

Results: Tetanus vaccination was found to be associated with decreased methylation of cg14472551 (p value 0.5×10^-⁵, FDR-adjusted p value 2.1×10^-⁴) and increased methylation of cg01669161 (p value 0.0007, FDR-adjusted p value 0.014). Both CpGs, in turn, were associated with decreased risk of asthma at 18years of age. Cg14472551 is located in an intron of KIAA1549L, whose protein binds to a B-cell commitment transcription factor; cg01669161 is located between an antisense regulator of the proteasome assembly chaperone PSMG3, and TFAMP1, a pseudogene. Increased methylation of cg01669161 was also associated with decreased serum IgE levels.

Conclusion: DNA methylation changes following tetanus vaccination may offer a novel prospect to explain a differential occurrence of asthma in adolescence.

Keywords: Asthma; DNA-methylation; Epigenetics; Tetanus; Vaccination.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Asthma / epidemiology*
Asthma / prevention & control*
Child
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
DNA Methylation*
Epigenesis, Genetic*
Female
Humans
Infant
Male
Pregnancy
Risk Assessment
Surveys and Questionnaires
Tetanus Toxoid / administration & dosage*
United Kingdom / epidemiology
Young Adult

Substances

Tetanus Toxoid

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding