Aim
Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a deadly and unpredictable gastrointestinal disease, for which no biomarker exists. We aimed to describe the methylation patterns in stool and colon from infants with NEC.
Conclusions
This study provides evidence of a methylomic signature associated with NEC that is detectable noninvasively and provides a new opportunity for the development of a novel diagnostic method for NEC.
Methods
We performed a high-resolution genome-wide epigenomic analysis using solution-phase hybridization and next-generation sequencing of bisulfite-converted DNA.
Results
Our data reveal significant genomic hypermethylation in NEC tissues compared with non-NEC controls. These changes were more pronounced in regions outside CpG islands and gene regulatory elements, suggesting that NEC-specific hypermethylation is not a nonspecific global phenomenon. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of a methylomic signature associated with NEC that is detectable noninvasively and provides a new opportunity for the development of a novel diagnostic method for NEC.