title: Epigenetic modifications: mechanisms of disease and biomarkers of food allergy.
abstract: The rise in IgE-mediated food allergy in recent times is the likely result of gene-environment interactions mediated via epigenetic pathways. As epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, are at the interface between the environment and the genome, they may be ideal biomarkers of modifiable disease pathways. High-throughput methylation profiling of immune cell subtypes or whole blood from patients allows the identification of disease specific epigenetic variants. If faithfully tracking with disease parameters, these 'signatures' may have clinical applications as biomarkers of disease or therapeutic response. Development of such tools will depend on a number of factors, including determining the most appropriate experimental approach, analysis methodology, patient groups, and informative target cells/tissues. Here we discuss these potential applications and their implications for food allergy practise.
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Australia; Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Australia; University of Western Australia, Department of Paediatrics, Australia; IN-FLAME International Inflammation Network, Australia.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saffery
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Australia; University of Manchester, Institute of Inflammation and Repair, Australia; IN-FLAME International Inflammation Network, Australia.
authors.forename: Katrina J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Australia; University of Western Australia, Department of Paediatrics, Australia; IN-FLAME International Inflammation Network, Australia. Electronic address: Susan.Prescott@telethonkids.org.au.
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Prescott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism; D057089:Pathology, Molecular; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007073:Immunoglobulin E