title: Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of CD8+ T cells shows a distinct epigenetic signature to CD4+ T cells in multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be a T cell-mediated autoimmune disorder. MS pathogenesis is likely due to a genetic predisposition triggered by a variety of environmental factors. Epigenetics, particularly DNA methylation, provide a logical interface for environmental factors to influence the genome. In this study we aim to identify DNA methylation changes associated with MS in CD8+ T cells in 30 relapsing remitting MS patients and 28 healthy blood donors using Illumina 450K methylation arrays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-nine differentially methylated CpGs were associated with MS. The methylation profile of CD8+ T cells was distinctive from our previously published data on CD4+ T cells in the same cohort. Most notably, there was no major CpG effect at the MS risk gene HLA-DRB1 locus in the CD8+ T cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells have distinct DNA methylation profiles. This case-control study highlights the importance of distinctive cell subtypes when investigating epigenetic changes in MS and other complex diseases.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Information Based Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia.|School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.
authors.forename: Vicki E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Maltby
authors.affiliation: Centre for Information Based Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia.|School of Medicine and Public Health, Univeristy of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.
authors.forename: Moira C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.affiliation: Centre for Information Based Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia.|Insitute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Rodney A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lea
authors.affiliation: Insitute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Miles C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Benton
authors.affiliation: Centre for Information Based Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia.|Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia.
authors.forename: Lotti
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tajouri
authors.affiliation: Centre for Information Based Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia.|Division of Molecular Medicine, Pathology North, Newcastle, Australia.
authors.forename: Rodney J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Centre for Information Based Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia.|School of Medicine and Public Health, Univeristy of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.|Department of Neurology, Devision of Medicine, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lechner-Scott
keywords: CD8+ T cells; DNA methylation; HLA-DRB1; Multiple sclerosis