title: Epigenetic Alterations in Cellular Immunity: New Insights into Autoimmune Diseases.
abstract: Epigenetic modification is an additional regulator in immune responses as the genome-wide profiling somehow fails to explain the sophisticated mechanisms in autoimmune diseases. The effect of epigenetic modifications on adaptive immunity derives from their regulations to induce a permissive or negative gene expression. Epigenetic events, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and microRNAs (miRNAs) are often found in T cell activation, differentiation and commitment which are the major parts in cellular immunity. Recognizing the complexity of interactions between epigenetic mechanisms and immune disturbance in autoimmune diseases is essential for the exploration of efficient therapeutic targets. In this review, we summarize a list of studies that indicate the significance of dysregulated epigenetic modifications in autoimmune diseases while focusing on T cell immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Zijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Qianjin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Zhihui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Cellular immunity; Epigenetic modifications; Rheumatoid arthritis (RA); Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); Systemic sclerosis (SSc); Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)