Whole Blood Targeted Bisulfite Sequencing Validates Differential Methylation in C6orf10 gene of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Targeted bisulphite pyrosequencing of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region was performed using CATCH-Seq kits on whole blood DNA isolated from healthy controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Data analysis showed 74 unique and differentially methylated loci (DMLs) in the MHC region of RA patients compared to healthy controls. Further, differentially methylated CpGs in C6orf10 gene were negatively associated with preclinical RA risk factors. Overall design: Whole blood DNA was isolated from 17 healthy controls and 17 RA patients. All the study participants were recruited from Indigenous North American Communities (Cree, Ojibway and Ojicree) in Central Canada.