Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of 20 paired (normal and varicose) vein samples from the patients with varicose vein disease.

To identify genes involved in the formation of a pathological phenotype of varicose veins, we attempted to analyze the methylome of their constituent cells and compare it to the methylome of normal veins from the same patient. We identified a number of genes of extracellular matrix remodeling and cell-cell communication whose methylation status was significantly changed in disease condition. Bisulphite converted DNA from the 10 pairs (20) of samples of varicose and normal veins were tested on the methylation beadchips.