Small-Magnitude Effect Sizes in Epigenetic End Points are Important in Children’s Environmental Health Studies: The Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center’s Epigenetics Working Group

• Carrie V. Breton ^[1] ; Carmen J. Marsit ^[2] ; Elaine Faustman ^[3] ; Kari Nadeau ^[9] ; Jaclyn M. Goodrich ^[4] ; Dana C. Dolinoy ^[4] ; Julie Herbstman ^[5] ; Nina Holland ^[10] ; Janine M. LaSalle ^[11] ; Rebecca Schmidt ^[11] ; Paul Yousefi ^[10] ; Frederica Perera ^[5] ; Bonnie R. Joubert ^[6] ; Joseph Wiemels ^[12] ; Michele Taylor ^[7] ; Ivana V. Yang ^[13] ; Rui Chen ^[8] ; Kinjal M. Hew ^[8] ; Deborah M. Hussey Freeland ^[8] ; Rachel Miller ^[5] ; Susan K. Murphy ^[7]
  1. [1] University of Southern California

     University of Southern California

     Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] Emory University

     Emory University

     Estados Unidos

     
  3. [3] University of Washington

     University of Washington

     Estados Unidos

     
  4. [4] University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

     University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

     City of Ann Arbor, Estados Unidos

     
  5. [5] Columbia University

     Columbia University

     Estados Unidos

     
  6. [6] National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

     National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

     Township of Durham, Estados Unidos

     
  7. [7] Duke University

     Duke University

     Township of Durham, Estados Unidos

     
  8. [8] Stanford University

     Stanford University

     Estados Unidos

     
  9. [9] 4 Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA; 5 University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
  10. [10] 5 University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
  11. [11] 8 University of California, Davis, Davis, Califronia, USA
  12. [12] 10 University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
  13. [13] 12 University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA; 13 National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA

  Mostrar afiliaciones +
• Localización: Environmental health perspectives, ISSN 0091-6765, Vol. 125, Nº. 4, 2017, págs. 511-526
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • Characterization of the epigenome is a primary interest for children’s environmental health researchers studying the environmental influences on human populations, particularly those studying the role of pregnancy and early-life exposures on later-in-life health outcomes.

    Our objective was to consider the state of the science in environmental epigenetics research and to focus on DNA methylation and the collective observations of many studies being conducted within the Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers, as they relate to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis.

    We address the current laboratory and statistical tools available for epigenetic analyses, discuss methods for validation and interpretation of findings, particularly when magnitudes of effect are small, question the functional relevance of findings, and discuss the future for environmental epigenetics research.

    A common finding in environmental epigenetic studies is the small-magnitude epigenetic effect sizes that result from such exposures. Although it is reasonable and necessary that we question the relevance of such small effects, we present examples in which small effects persist and have been replicated across populations and across time. We encourage a critical discourse on the interpretation of such small changes and further research on their functional relevance for children’s health.

    The dynamic nature of the epigenome will require an emphasis on future longitudinal studies in which the epigenome is profiled over time, over changing environmental exposures, and over generations to better understand the multiple ways in which the epigenome may respond to environmental stimuli.

    Breton CV, Marsit CJ, Faustman E, Nadeau K, Goodrich JM, Dolinoy DC, Herbstman J, Holland N, LaSalle JM, Schmidt R, Yousefi P, Perera F, Joubert BR, Wiemels J, Taylor M, Yang IV, Chen R, Hew KM, Freeland DM, Miller R, Murphy SK. 2017. Small-magnitude effect sizes in epigenetic end points are important in children’s environmental health studies: the Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center’s Epigenetics Working Group. Environ Health Perspect 125:–526; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP595