Erratum: Abnormal Epigenetic Modifications in Peripheral T Cells from Patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Are Correlated with Disease Development

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune condition. This study investigates the epigenetic modifications that occur in the T cells of AAA patients and evaluates the correlation of these modifications with disease development. Methods and Results: Peripheral T cells were collected from 101 AAA patients and 102 healthy controls (HCs). DNA methylation and histone acetylation levels were measured by ELISA. Methyl-CpG-binding domain, DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) mRNA levels were determined by real-time PCR. DNA from the T cells of the AAA patients exhibited significant hypomethylation compared with the HCs (1.6-fold, p Conclusions: DNA methylation and the histone modification status are significantly altered in the T cells of AAA patients. These changes could play a pivotal role in the activation of pathological immune responses and may influence AAA development.