Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in anorexia nervosa discordant identical twins

Up until now, no study has looked specifically at epigenomic landscapes throughout twin samples, discordant for Anorexia nervosa (AN). Our goal was to find evidence to confirm the hypothesis that epigenetic variations play a key role in the aetiology of AN. In this study, we quantified genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation using the Infinium Human DNA Methylation EPIC BeadChip array (“850 K”) in DNA samples isolated from whole blood collected from a group of 7 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for AN. Results were then validated performing a genome-wide DNA methylation profiling using DNA extracted from whole blood of a group of non-family-related AN patients and a group of healthy controls. Our first analysis using the twin sample revealed 9 CpGs associated to a gene. The validation analysis showed two statistically significant CpGs with the rank regression method related to two genes associated to metabolic traits, PPP2R2C and CHST1. When doing beta regression, 6 of them showed statistically significant differences, including 3 CpGs associated to genes JAM3, UBAP2L and SYNJ2. Finally, the overall pattern of results shows genetic links to phenotypes which the literature has constantly related to AN, including metabolic and psychological traits. The genes PPP2R2C and CHST1 have both been linked to the metabolic traits type 2 diabetes through GWAS studies. The genes UBAP2L and SYNJ2 have been related to other psychiatric comorbidity.