Epigenome-Wide Association Study of Bacillus Calmette Guerin vaccination in human circulating monocytes

Trained immunity is a phenomenon whereby innate immune cells such as monocytes or macrophages undergo functional reprogramming after exposure to certain microbial components, altering their responses to future exposures. This study profiled genome-wide DNA methylation in purified human monocytes 15 months after BCG vaccination. Newborns were vaccinated with the BCG vaccine within the first 10 days of life and 14-24 months later peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected. Monocytes were isolated using FACS (CD14+/-, CD16+/-) and genome-wide DNA methylation was measured using the Infinium HumanMethylation EPIC array.