Sex-related DNA methylation is associated with inflammation and gene expression in the lungs of healthy individuals.

Lung cancer exhibits sex-biased molecular characteristics and epidemiological trends, suggesting a need for sex-specific approaches to understanding its etiology and treatment. DNA methylation alterations play critical roles in lung carcinogenesis and may serve as valuable biomarkers for precision medicine strategies. We employed the Infinium MethylationEPIC array to identify autosomal sex-related differentially methylated CpG sites (DM-CpGs) in lung epithelium of healthy individuals (32 females and 37 males) while controlling for age, BMI, and tobacco use. We correlated DM-CpGs with gene expression in lung epithelium and immune responses in bronchoalveolar lavage. We validated these DM-CpGs in lung tumors and adjacent normal tissue from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Among 522 identified DM-CpGs, 61% were hypermethylated in females, predominantly located in promoter regions. These DM genes were implicated in cell-to-cell signaling, cellular function, transport, and lipid metabolism. Correlation analysis revealed sex-specific patterns between DM-CpGs and gene expression. Additionally, several DM-CpGs were correlated significantly with cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-4, IL-12p70, and IFN-γ), macrophage, and lymphocyte counts. Also, some DM-CpGs were observed in TCGA lung adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and adjacent normal tissues. Our findings highlight sex-specific DNA methylation patterns in healthy lung epithelium and their associations with lung gene expression and lung immune biomarkers. These findings underscore the potential role of lung sex-related CpGs as epigenetic predispositions influencing sex disparities in lung cancer risk and outcomes, warranting further investigation for personalized lung cancer management strategies.

Dyslipidemia and other parameters in women with pregnancy induced hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Several investigations have confirmed changes in lipid profiles and other markers (interleukin [IL]-6, C-reactive protein [CRP]) in women with pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). Although, the cause an effect correlations between these lipid profiles and other markers with the PIH are yet unknown. AIM: To study the relationship of serum lipid profile, CRP, and IL-6 with PIH. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was done on 60 pregnant women with PIH treated in the General Salah Alden Hospital in Tikrit city, Iraq, from January 2021 to April 2021. Another group of 60 pregnant women who were normal, at the same period, were selected as the control group. The average age of the participants was (27.1 ± 5.0) years. All the blood samples taken were examined for lipid profile, CRP, and IL-6. RESULTS: The results statistically showed significant differences in IL-6 level and CRP. Whereas, in the Lipid profile (triglyceride [TG], low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], high density lipoprotein [HDL]-C, total cholesterol [TC], and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol [VLDL]) were found. Also, it was found that there were significant differences in PIH patients as compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed that the lipid profile was aberrant, and the amount of IL-6 protein was positively linked with blood pressure.