title: DNA methylation of miRNA coding sequences putatively associated with childhood obesity.
abstract: Epigenetic mechanisms may be involved in obesity onset and its consequences. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether DNA methylation status in microRNA (miRNA) coding regions is associated with childhood obesity.
  
  
  
  DNA isolated from white blood cells of 24 children (identification sample: 12 obese and 12 non-obese) from the Grupo Navarro de Obesidad Infantil study was hybridized in a 450 K methylation microarray. Several CpGs whose DNA methylation levels were statistically different between obese and non-obese were validated by MassArray® in 95 children (validation sample) from the same study.
  
  
  
  Microarray analysis identified 16 differentially methylated CpGs between both groups (6 hypermethylated and 10 hypomethylated). DNA methylation levels in miR-1203, miR-412 and miR-216A coding regions significantly correlated with body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) and explained up to 40% of the variation of BMI-SDS. The network analysis identified 19 well-defined obesity-relevant biological pathways from the KEGG database. MassArray® validation identified three regions located in or near miR-1203, miR-412 and miR-216A coding regions differentially methylated between obese and non-obese children.
  
  
  
  The current work identified three CpG sites located in coding regions of three miRNAs (miR-1203, miR-412 and miR-216A) that were differentially methylated between obese and non-obese children, suggesting a role of miRNA epigenetic regulation in childhood obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|Nutrition Research Center, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|CIBERobn, Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mansego
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|Nutrition Research Center, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcia-Lacarte
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|Nutrition Research Center, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|CIBERobn, Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Milagro
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|CIBERobn, Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.|IdiSNA, Navarra's Health Research Institute, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|Nutrition Research Center, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|CIBERobn, Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.|IdiSNA, Navarra's Health Research Institute, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: epigenetic; miR-1203; miR-216A; miR-412