DNA methylation-based subclassification of psoriasis in the Chinese Han population

Front Med. 2018 Dec;12(6):717-725. doi: 10.1007/s11684-017-0588-6. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Abstract

Psoriasis (Ps) is an inflammatory skin disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. Previous studies on DNA methylation (DNAm) found genetic markers that are closely associated with Ps, and evidence has shown that DNAm mediates genetic risk in Ps. In this study, Consensus Clustering was used to analyze DNAm data, and 114 Ps patients were divided into three subclassifications. Investigation of the clinical characteristics and copy number variations (CNVs) of DEFB4, IL22, and LCE3C in the three subclassifications revealed no significant differences in gender ratio and in Ps area and severity index (PASI) score. The proportion of late-onset ( ≥ 40 years) Ps patients was significantly higher in type I than in types II and III (P = 0.035). Type III contained the smallest proportion of smokers and the largest proportion of non-smoking Ps patients (P = 0.086). The CNVs of DEFB4 and LCE3C showed no significant differences but the CNV of IL22 significantly differed among the three subclassifications (P = 0.044). This study is the first to profile Ps subclassifications based on DNAm data in the Chinese Han population. These results are useful in the treatment and management of Ps from the molecular and genetic perspectives.

Keywords: DNA methylation; psoriasis; subclassification.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Asian People / genetics
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • China
  • Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins / genetics
  • DNA Copy Number Variations
  • DNA Methylation*
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-22
  • Interleukins / genetics
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Psoriasis / classification*
  • Psoriasis / genetics*
  • Risk Factors
  • Young Adult
  • beta-Defensins / genetics

Substances

  • Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins
  • DEFB4A protein, human
  • Interleukins
  • LCE3C protein, human
  • beta-Defensins