Epidemiologic evidence for association between adverse environmental exposures in early life and epigenetic variation: a potential link to disease susceptibility?

Clinical Epigenetics

Alexander Vaiserman¹ 

[1] Institute of Gerontology, Vyshgorodskaya st. 67, Kiev 04114, Ukraine

关键词: Stress;    Nutrition;    Environmental xenobiotic;    DNA methylation;    Epigenetic modification;    Chronic disease;    Developmental programming;   

Others  :  1225843
DOI  :  10.1186/s13148-015-0130-0

 received in 2015-07-23, accepted in 2015-09-01,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

A growing body of evidence suggests that the risk of development and progression of a variety of human chronic diseases depends on epigenetic modifications triggered by environmental cues during early life sensitive stages. Exposures to environmental factors such as adverse nutritional, psychological, and social conditions, as well as pollutants and substance abuse in early life, have been shown to be important determinants of epigenetic programming of chronic pathological conditions in human populations. Over the past years, it has become increasingly clear due to the epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) that early life adverse environmental events may trigger widespread and persistent alterations in transcriptional profiling. Several candidate genes have been identified underlying these associations. In this context, DNA methylation is the most intensively studied epigenetic phenomenon. In this review, the clinical and epidemiological evidence for the role of epigenetic factors in mediating the link between early life experiences and long-term health outcomes are summarized.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Vaiserman.

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