DNA Methylation Patterns of Chronic Explosive Breaching in U.S. Military Warfighters

Epigenetic profiles in peripheral blood samples from 59 subjects (in two separate U.S. Military training sessions) were screened using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips, session 2 (31 subjects) were also screened post-exposure to a controlled, low-level blast during a 3-day explosive breaching course. Participants had varying numbers of exposures to blast over their military careers (empirically defined as high ≥ 40, and conversely, low < 39 breaching exposures) at baseline. Daily self-reported physiological symptoms were recorded. Genomic DNA from 59 subjects (28 with only pre-blast exposure sample, 31 with both pre- and post- blast exposure samples) was bisulfite converted and CpG methylation determined using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip microarrays