Global hypermethylation of intestinal epithelial cells is a hallmark feature of neonatal surgical necrotizing enterocolitis [lcm_colon_ileum]

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains one of the overall leading causes of dealth in premature infants, and the pathogenesis is unpredictable and not well characterized. The aim of our study was to determine the molecular phenotype of NEC via transcriptomic and epithelial cell-specific epigenomic analysis, with a specific focus on DNA methylation. Overall design: Using laser capture microdissection, epithelial cell-specific methylation signatures were characterized by whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of ileal and colonic samples at the time of surgery for NEC and after NEC had healed at reanastomosis (n=40). RNA sequencing was also preformed to determine the transcriptomic profile of these samples, and a comparison was made to the methylome data.