DNA methylation patterns associated with arsenicosis

DNA methylation patterns were analyzed in blood samples from humans unexposed or exposed to arsenic Using a state-of-the-art technique to map the methylomes of our study subjects, we identified a large interactome of hypermethylated genes that are enriched for their involvement in arsenic-associated diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Notably, we have uncovered an arsenic-induced “suppressorome” - a complex of 17 known and putative tumor suppressors silenced in human cancers. This finding represents a pivotal clue in unravelling a possible epigenetic mode of arsenic induced disease. DNA was extracted from 16 blood samples, 8 of which were from individuals showing signs of arsenicosis and 8 from individuals not showing signs of arsenicosis. CpG-methylated DNA was pulled down using a methyl binding domain protein. DNA samples were hybridized to Affymetrix Human Promoter 1.0R arrays, and chips were scanned using an Affymetrix scanner.