title: Different Patterns of Acetylation and Dimethylation of Histone H3 between Young and Aged Cases with Chronic Tonsillitis: Influences of Inflammation and Aging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epigenetics is now considered to be crucially involved in normal genetics and differentiation and in pathological conditions, such as cancer, aging, and inflammation. Epigenetic mechanisms involve DNA methylation and histone modifications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammation on epigenetics in young subjects and the effect of aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  The palatine tonsils were extracted from child and adult patients with chronic tonsillitis. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to examine the morphology of the palatine tonsils. A fluorescence immunological examination was also performed to detect acetyl-histone H3 or dimethyl-histone H3. Confocal scanning microscopy was used for observations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acetylated histone H3 was detected in tonsils from child patients but not from adult patients. Dimethylated histone H3 was not detected in tonsils from either group of patients. Degeneration of the tonsillar structures was apparent in tonsils from adult patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differential expression of acetylated histone H3 Lys9 may reflect immunological differences between young and aged tonsils. The decrease observed in the activity of histone methyltransferase induced the down-regulated expression of methylated histone H3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that epigenetic changes participate in chronic inflammation and aging in the palatine tonsils. Although the results do not lead to a direct treatment, the epigenetic pathogenesis of chronic inflammation, such as immunoglobulin A nephropathy, by focal infections will be described in greater detail in future studies, which will lead to new treatments being developed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nippon Medical School.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Ken-Ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Egawa
authors.forename: Kimihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okubo
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D006657:Histones