Hodgkin Lymphoma Monozygotic Triplets Reveal Divergences in DNA Methylation Signatures

Front Oncol. 2020 Dec 9:10:598872. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.598872. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

We studied DNA methylation profiles in four different cell populations from a unique constellation of monozygotic triplets in whom two had developed Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL). We detected shared differences in DNA methylation signatures when comparing the two HL-affected triplets with the non-affected triplet. The differences were observed in naïve B-cells and marginal zone-like B-cells. DNA methylation differences were also detected when comparing each of the HL-affected triplets against each other. Even though we cannot determine whether treatment and/or disease triggered the observed differences, we believe our data are important on behalf of forthcoming studies, and that it might provide important clues for a better understanding of HL pathogenesis.

Keywords: CD34+ cells; DNA methylation; Hodgkin lymphoma; marginal zone-like B-cells; monozygotic triplets; naïve B cells; switched memory B-cells.