title: [Epigenetics in atherosclerosis].
abstract: The association studies based on candidate genes carried on for decades have helped in visualizing the influence of the genetic component in complex diseases such as atherosclerosis, also showing the interaction between different genes and environmental factors. Even with all the knowledge accumulated, there is still some way to go to decipher the individual predisposition to disease, and if we consider the great influence that environmental factors play in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, epigenetics is presented as a key element in trying to expand our knowledge on individual predisposition to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Epigenetics can be described as the discipline that studies the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation, independent of changes in the sequence of DNA, and mostly induced by environmental factors. This review aims to describe what epigenetics is and how epigenetic mechanisms are involved in atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Recerca de Lípids i Arteriosclerosi, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, España.
authors.forename: Montse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guardiola
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Recerca de Lípids i Arteriosclerosi, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, España.
authors.forename: Joan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vallvé
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Ciencias Médicas, División de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guanajuato, Campus León, León, Guanajuato, México.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaina
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Recerca de Lípids i Arteriosclerosi, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, España. Electronic address: josep.ribalta@urv.cat.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ribalta
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D018450:Disease Progression; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans
keywords: ADN; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; DNA; Epigenetics; Epigenética; Histonas; Histones; Methylation; Metilación; micro ARN; micro RNA