title: Epigenetic alterations underlying autoimmune diseases.
abstract: Recent breakthroughs in genetic explorations have extended our understanding through discovery of genetic patterns subjected to autoimmune diseases (AID). Genetics, on the contrary, has not answered all the conundrums to describe a comprehensive explanation of causal mechanisms of disease etiopathology with regard to the function of environment, sex, or aging. The other side of the coin, epigenetics which is defined by gene manifestation modification without DNA sequence alteration, reportedly has come in to provide new insights towards disease apprehension through bridging the genetics and environmental factors. New investigations in genetic and environmental contributing factors for autoimmunity provide new explanation whereby the interactions between genetic elements and epigenetic modifications signed by environmental agents may be responsible for autoimmune disease initiation and perpetuation. It is aimed through this article to review recent progress attempting to reveal how epigenetics associates with the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Immunology , School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran .
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aslani
authors.affiliation: b Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran , and.
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Immunology , School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran .
authors.forename: Jafar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karami
authors.affiliation: b Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran , and.
authors.forename: Ahmad Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jamshidi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Immunology , School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran .
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Malekshahi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Immunology , School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran .|c Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nicknam
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004777:Environment; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008745:Methylation; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Autoimmune disease; DNA methylation; environment; epigenetics; histone acetylation