DNA methylation yields epigenetic clues into the diabetic nephropathy of Pima Indians

Environmental factors drive epigenetic programming. DNA methylation is the best studied modification transmitting epigenetic information. A study by Qiu et al. examined potential epigenetic roots for the decline of renal function in Pima Indians. A genomewide survey of blood leukocytes uncovered differentially methylated DNA sites in regulatory regions of genes associated with chronic kidney disease. This longitudinal study provides the first clues on epigenetic links between environmental factors and a high prevalence of diabetic kidney disease in Pima Indians.