Transforming growth factor beta 1 induces methylation changes in lung fibroblasts [Affymetrix]

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complex disease of unknown etiology. Environmental factors can affect disease susceptibility via epigenetic effects. Few studies explore global DNA methylation in lung fibroblasts, but none have focused on transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-b1) as a potential modifier of the DNA methylome. Here we analyzed changes in methylation and gene transcription in normal and IPF fibroblasts following TGF-b1 treatment. Primary human lung fibroblasts were obtained from normal and IPF lungs. Control, treated for 24 hours and 5 days fibroblasts of both cell lines were selected for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.

特发性肺纤维化（Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, IPF）是一种病因不明的复杂疾病。环境因素可通过表观遗传效应影响疾病易感性。目前鲜有研究探讨肺成纤维细胞中的全基因组DNA甲基化，且尚无研究聚焦于转化生长因子β1（transforming growth factor beta-1, TGF-β1）作为DNA甲基化组潜在调控因子的作用。本研究分析了经TGF-β1处理后，正常肺成纤维细胞与IPF肺成纤维细胞的甲基化水平及基因转录变化。研究人员从正常肺组织与IPF患者肺组织中分离得到原代人肺成纤维细胞，并选取两种细胞系的对照组、处理24小时组及处理5天组细胞进行RNA提取，随后在Affymetrix基因芯片上完成杂交实验。