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Physical activity, black carbon exposure, and DNA methylation in the FOXP3 promoter

Overview of attention for article published in Clinical Epigenetics, June 2017
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Title
Physical activity, black carbon exposure, and DNA methylation in the FOXP3 promoter
Published in
Clinical Epigenetics, June 2017
DOI 10.1186/s13148-017-0364-0
Pubmed ID
Authors

Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir, Kyung Hwa Jung, Jacqueline R. Jezioro, David Z. Torrone, Mariangels de Planell-Saguer, Beizhan Yan, Frederica P. Perera, Andrew G. Rundle, Matthew S. Perzanowski, Steven N. Chillrud, Rachel L. Miller

Abstract

Physical activity is associated with improvement in lung function; however, pollution exposure during physical activity can lead to a transient reduction in lung function. This paradoxical relationship may be linked to altered T regulatory (Treg) cell activity, which increases with exercise and suppresses airway inflammation, but decreases in association with exposure to air pollution. To clarify these relationships, we investigated buccal cell DNA methylation of the forkhead box p3 (FOXP3) gene promoter, a proposed biomarker of Treg activity. We hypothesized that active urban children would have lower FOXP3 promoter methylation, associated with better lung function compared to non-active children. We also hypothesized that this relationship would be attenuated by high exposure to the air pollutant black carbon (BC). We performed a cross-sectional study of 135 children ages 9-14 who live in New York City. Activity was measured across 6 days. BC exposure was assessed by personal monitors worn for two 24-h periods, followed by lung function assessment. Buccal swabs were collected for DNA methylation analysis of three regions (six CpG sites) in the FOXP3 promoter. In multivariable regression models, overall, there was no significant relationship between physical activity and FOXP3 promoter methylation (p > 0.05). However, in stratified analyses, among children with higher BC exposure (≥1200 ng/m(3)), physical activity was associated with 2.37% lower methylation in promoter 2 (CpGs -77, -65, and -58) (βestimate = -2.37%, p < 0.01) but not among those with lower BC exposure (βestimate = 0.54%, p > 0.05). Differences across strata were statistically significant (pinteraction = 0.04). Among all children, after controlling for BC concentration, promoter 2 methylation was associated with reduced FEV1/FVC (βestimate = -0.40%, p < 0.01) and reduced FEF25-75% (βestimate = -1.46%, p < 0.01). Physical activity in urban children appeared associated with lower FOXP3 promoter methylation, a possible indicator of greater Treg function, under conditions of high BC exposure. Reduced FOXP3 promoter methylation was associated with higher lung function. These findings suggest that physical activity may induce immunologic benefits, particularly for urban children with greater risk of impaired lung function due to exposure to higher air pollution. FOXP3 promoter buccal cell methylation may function as a useful biomarker of that benefit.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 83 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 83 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 13 16%
Student > Ph. D. Student 12 14%
Researcher 10 12%
Student > Bachelor 6 7%
Professor 4 5%
Other 19 23%
Unknown 19 23%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 22 27%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 6 7%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 5 6%
Sports and Recreations 5 6%
Environmental Science 4 5%
Other 18 22%
Unknown 23 28%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 20 April 2018.
All research outputs
#17,899,796
of 22,981,247 outputs
Outputs from Clinical Epigenetics
#947
of 1,262 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#227,100
of 317,529 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Clinical Epigenetics
#20
of 29 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,981,247 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 19th percentile – i.e., 19% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 29 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 24th percentile – i.e., 24% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.