A multi-omics approach to investigate the inflammatory response to life course socioeconomic position.

Aim:Inflammation represents a potential pathway through which socioeconomic position (SEP) is biologically embedded.Materials & methods:We analyzed inflammatory biomarkers in response to life course SEP by integrating multi-omics DNA-methylation, gene expression and protein level in 178 European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Italy participants.Results & conclusion:We identified 61 potentialcisacting CpG loci whose methylation levels were associated with gene expression at a Bonferroni correction. We examined the relationships between life course SEP and these 61cis-acting regulatory methylation sites individually and jointly using several scores. Less-advantaged SEP participants exhibit, later in life, a lower inflammatory methylome score, suggesting an overall increased expression of the corresponding inflammatory genes or proteins, supporting the hypothesis that SEP impacts adult physiology through inflammation.