Epigenetic Immune Cell Counting to Analyze Potential Biomarkers in Preterm Infants: A Proof of Principle in Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Epigenetic immune cell counting is a DNA (de)methylation-based technique which can be used to quantify lymphocyte subsets on dried blood spots (DBS). The foregoing techniques allow for a retrospective investigation of immune cell profiles in newborns. In this study, we used this technique for determ...
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/3/2372 |
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| author | Michiel H. D. Schoenaker Mara O. Zuiderwijk Vincent Bekker Robbert G. M. Bredius Jeannette Werner Janika J. Schulze Mirjam van der Burg Maartje Blom |
| author_facet | Michiel H. D. Schoenaker Mara O. Zuiderwijk Vincent Bekker Robbert G. M. Bredius Jeannette Werner Janika J. Schulze Mirjam van der Burg Maartje Blom |
| author_sort | Michiel H. D. Schoenaker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Epigenetic immune cell counting is a DNA (de)methylation-based technique which can be used to quantify lymphocyte subsets on dried blood spots (DBS). The foregoing techniques allow for a retrospective investigation of immune cell profiles in newborns. In this study, we used this technique for determining lymphocyte subcounts as a potential biomarker for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We investigated whether this technique can be implemented in the field of neonatology, by testing whether regulatory T cell (Treg) levels are pre-existently low in preterms with NEC. Newborn screening (NBS) cards from 32 preterms with NEC and 32 age- and weight-matched preterm controls, and 60 healthy term newborns, were analyzed. Relative and absolute cell counts were determined for CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, Th17, and Treg T cells. For both relative and absolute cell counts of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and Th17 T cells, significant differences were found between healthy term controls and both preterm groups, but not between preterm groups. For Tregs, no significant differences were found in either relative or absolute counts between any of the newborn groups. This study demonstrates the principle of epigenetic immune cell counting to analyze lymphocyte subsets in preterm neonates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:41:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2304ab5ad03a4dfe96c93699e803609c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:41:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-2304ab5ad03a4dfe96c93699e803609c2023-11-16T16:56:19ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672023-01-01243237210.3390/ijms24032372Epigenetic Immune Cell Counting to Analyze Potential Biomarkers in Preterm Infants: A Proof of Principle in Necrotizing EnterocolitisMichiel H. D. Schoenaker0Mara O. Zuiderwijk1Vincent Bekker2Robbert G. M. Bredius3Jeannette Werner4Janika J. Schulze5Mirjam van der Burg6Maartje Blom7Willem Alexander Children’s Hospital, Laboratory for Pediatric Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The NetherlandsWillem Alexander Children’s Hospital, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The NetherlandsWillem Alexander Children’s Hospital, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The NetherlandsDepartment of Pediatrics, Willem Alexander Children’s Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The NetherlandsDepartment of Research and Development, Epimune GmbH, 12489 Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Research and Development, Epimune GmbH, 12489 Berlin, GermanyWillem Alexander Children’s Hospital, Laboratory for Pediatric Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The NetherlandsWillem Alexander Children’s Hospital, Laboratory for Pediatric Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The NetherlandsEpigenetic immune cell counting is a DNA (de)methylation-based technique which can be used to quantify lymphocyte subsets on dried blood spots (DBS). The foregoing techniques allow for a retrospective investigation of immune cell profiles in newborns. In this study, we used this technique for determining lymphocyte subcounts as a potential biomarker for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We investigated whether this technique can be implemented in the field of neonatology, by testing whether regulatory T cell (Treg) levels are pre-existently low in preterms with NEC. Newborn screening (NBS) cards from 32 preterms with NEC and 32 age- and weight-matched preterm controls, and 60 healthy term newborns, were analyzed. Relative and absolute cell counts were determined for CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, Th17, and Treg T cells. For both relative and absolute cell counts of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and Th17 T cells, significant differences were found between healthy term controls and both preterm groups, but not between preterm groups. For Tregs, no significant differences were found in either relative or absolute counts between any of the newborn groups. This study demonstrates the principle of epigenetic immune cell counting to analyze lymphocyte subsets in preterm neonates.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/3/2372epigenetic immune cell countingregulatory T cellTh17 cellnecrotizing enterocolitisneonatepreterm |
| spellingShingle | Michiel H. D. Schoenaker Mara O. Zuiderwijk Vincent Bekker Robbert G. M. Bredius Jeannette Werner Janika J. Schulze Mirjam van der Burg Maartje Blom Epigenetic Immune Cell Counting to Analyze Potential Biomarkers in Preterm Infants: A Proof of Principle in Necrotizing Enterocolitis International Journal of Molecular Sciences epigenetic immune cell counting regulatory T cell Th17 cell necrotizing enterocolitis neonate preterm |
| title | Epigenetic Immune Cell Counting to Analyze Potential Biomarkers in Preterm Infants: A Proof of Principle in Necrotizing Enterocolitis |
| title_full | Epigenetic Immune Cell Counting to Analyze Potential Biomarkers in Preterm Infants: A Proof of Principle in Necrotizing Enterocolitis |
| title_fullStr | Epigenetic Immune Cell Counting to Analyze Potential Biomarkers in Preterm Infants: A Proof of Principle in Necrotizing Enterocolitis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epigenetic Immune Cell Counting to Analyze Potential Biomarkers in Preterm Infants: A Proof of Principle in Necrotizing Enterocolitis |
| title_short | Epigenetic Immune Cell Counting to Analyze Potential Biomarkers in Preterm Infants: A Proof of Principle in Necrotizing Enterocolitis |
| title_sort | epigenetic immune cell counting to analyze potential biomarkers in preterm infants a proof of principle in necrotizing enterocolitis |
| topic | epigenetic immune cell counting regulatory T cell Th17 cell necrotizing enterocolitis neonate preterm |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/3/2372 |
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