title: Characterization of the peripheral blood transcriptome in a repeated measures design using a panel of healthy individuals.
abstract: A repeated measures microarray design with 22 healthy, non-smoking volunteers (aging 32±5years) was set up to study transcriptome profiles in whole blood samples. The results indicate that repeatable data can be obtained with high within-subject correlation. Probes that could discriminate between individuals are associated with immune and inflammatory functions. When investigating possible time trends in the microarray data, we have found no differential expression within a sampling period (within-season effect). Differential expression was observed between sampling seasons and the data suggest a weak response of genes related to immune system functioning. Finally, a high number of probes showed significant season-specific expression variability within subjects. Expression variability increased in springtime and there was an association of the probe list with immune system functioning. Our study suggests that the blood transcriptome of healthy individuals is reproducible over a time period of several months.
authors: Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Unit Environmental Risk and Health, Belgium; Hasselt University, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Belgium. Electronic address: patrick.deboever@vito.be.
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: De Boever
authors: Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Unit Environmental Risk and Health, Belgium.
authors: Britt
authors: B
authors: Wens
authors: Catholic University of Leuven, Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Belgium.
authors: Anyiawung Chiara
authors: AC
authors: Forcheh
authors: Flemish Government, Environment, Nature and Energy Department, Belgium.
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Reynders
authors: Provincial Institute for Hygiene, Belgium.
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Nelen
authors: Maastricht University, Department of Toxicogenomics, The Netherlands.
authors: Jos
authors: J
authors: Kleinjans
authors: Ghent University, Study Centre for Carcinogenesis and Primary Prevention of Cancer, Belgium.
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Van Larebeke
authors: Catholic University of Leuven, Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Belgium.
authors: Geert
authors: G
authors: Verbeke
authors: Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Unit Environmental Risk and Health, Belgium; Hasselt University, Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Belgium.
authors: Dirk
authors: D
authors: Valkenborg
authors: Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Unit Environmental Risk and Health, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Belgium; University of Southern Denmark, Department of Environmental Medicine, Denmark.
authors: Greet
authors: G
authors: Schoeters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D001769:Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D012621:Seasons; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013696:Temperature; D059467:Transcriptome
keywords: Biomonitoring; Gene expression variability; Immune system; Public health; Transcriptome; Whole blood