| Autor: |
van Dongen J; Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Gordon SD; Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia., Odintsova VV; Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., McRae AF; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia., Robinson WP; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada., Hall JG; Departments of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics, British Columbia Children's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada., Boomsma DI; Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Martin NG; Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. |
| Abstrakt: |
Strong associations between neural tube defects (NTDs) and monozygotic (MZ) twinning have long been noted, and it has been suggested that NTD cases who do not present as MZ twins may be the survivors of MZ twinning events. We have recently shown that MZ twins carry a strong, distinctive DNA methylation signature and have developed an algorithm based on genomewide DNA methylation array data that distinguishes MZ twins from dizygotic twins and other relatives at well above chance level. We have applied this algorithm to published methylation data from five fetal tissues (placental chorionic villi, kidney, spinal cord, brain and muscle) collected from spina bifida cases (n = 22), anencephalic cases (n = 15) and controls (n = 19). We see no difference in signature between cases and controls, providing no support for a common etiological role of MZ twinning in NTDs. The strong associations therefore continue to await elucidation. |
