학술논문

Epigenetic scores of blood-based proteins as biomarkers of general cognitive function and brain health
Document Type
article
Source
Clinical Epigenetics, Vol 16, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2024)
Subject
DNA methylation
Epigenetic scores
General cognitive function
Brain imaging
Dementia
Blood-based biomarkers
Medicine
Genetics
QH426-470
Language
English
ISSN
1868-7083
Abstract
Abstract Background Epigenetic Scores (EpiScores) for blood protein levels have been associated with disease outcomes and measures of brain health, highlighting their potential usefulness as clinical biomarkers. They are typically derived via penalised regression, whereby a linear weighted sum of DNA methylation (DNAm) levels at CpG sites are predictive of protein levels. Here, we examine 84 previously published protein EpiScores as possible biomarkers of cross-sectional and longitudinal measures of general cognitive function and brain health, and incident dementia across three independent cohorts. Results Using 84 protein EpiScores as candidate biomarkers, associations with general cognitive function (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally) were tested in three independent cohorts: Generation Scotland (GS), and the Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 and 1936 (LBC1921 and LBC1936, respectively). A meta-analysis of general cognitive functioning results in all three cohorts identified 18 EpiScore associations (absolute meta-analytic standardised estimates ranged from 0.03 to 0.14, median of 0.04, P FDR