title: DNA methylation changes in Mexican children exposed to arsenic from two historic mining areas in San Luis potosí.
abstract: Arsenic is a carcinogen and epimutagen that threatens the health of exposed populations worldwide. In this study, we examined the methylation status of Alu and long interspersed nucleotide elements (LINE-1) and their association with levels of urinary arsenic in 84 Mexican children between 6 and 12 years old from two historic mining areas in the State of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Urinary arsenic levels were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and DNA methylation analysis was performed in peripheral blood leukocytes by bisulfite-pyrosequencing. The geometric mean of urinary arsenic was 26.44 µg/g Cr (range 1.93-139.35). No significant differences in urinary arsenic or methylation patterns due to gender were observed. A positive correlation was found between urinary arsenic and the mean percentage of methylated cytosines in Alu sequences (Spearman correlation coefficient r = 0.532, P < 0.001), and a trend of LINE-1 hypomethylation was also observed (Spearman correlation coefficient r = -0.232, P = 0.038) after adjustment for sex and age. A linear regression model showed an association with log-normalized urinary arsenic for Alu (β = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.67; 1.43, P < 0.001) and LINE-1 (β = -0.703, 95% CI: -1.36; -0.38, P = 0.038). Despite the low-level arsenic exposure, a subtle epigenetic imbalance measured as DNA methylation was detected in the leukocytes of Mexican children living in two historic mining areas. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:717-723, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacia, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, México.|Laboratorio de Investigación Molecular en Nutrición (LIMON), Universidad del Centro de México UCEM, San Luis Potosí, México.
authors.forename: Jorge Alejandro
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alegría-Torres
authors.affiliation: Coordinación para la Innovación y Aplicación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (CIACYT), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, México.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrizales-Yánez
authors.affiliation: Coordinación para la Innovación y Aplicación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (CIACYT), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, México.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Díaz-Barriga
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación Molecular en Nutrición (LIMON), Universidad del Centro de México UCEM, San Luis Potosí, México.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rosso-Camacho
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics and Toxicology Laboratory, University of Milano, Milan, Italy.|Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics and Toxicology Laboratory, University of Milano, Milan, Italy.|Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tarantini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics and Toxicology Laboratory, University of Milano, Milan, Italy.|Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bollati
mesh_terms: D020087:Alu Elements / Q000235:genetics; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D002947:Cities; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020084:Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements / Q000235:genetics; D008800:Mexico; D008906:Mining; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: DNA methylation; arsenic; children; epigenetics