DNA methylation signature of interleukin 1 receptor type II in asthma

Interleukin 1 and its receptors are associated with allergic diseases such as asthma. In the present study, we measured DNA methylation at the IL1R1 and IL1R2 gene loci and assessed for associations with asthma-related phenotypes and gene expressions. We found that asthmatic and atopic individuals have higher IL1R2 promoter DNA methylation than control subjects. Additionally, we observed a negative correlation between DNA methylation at the IL1R2 promoter and IL1R2 mRNA expression. These results suggest for the first time that IL1R2 promoter DNA methylation is associated with its gene repression in allergic diseases such as asthma.