Increased Epigenetic Age May Be a Biomarker of Disease Burden in Hidradenitis Suppurativa

According to a study published in the Archives of Dermatological Research, increased epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in the skin of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) may be associated with extrinsic immune-related changes.

Researchers performed a pilot study to calculate EAA in the skin of patients with HS. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin samples were used to calculate EAA using Infinium MethylationEpic BeadChip arrays.

No differences were demonstrated in intrinsic EAA among patients with HS compared with control individuals. However, significant increases in both extrinsic EAA and PhenoAge acceleration were demonstrated. In contrast, significant decreases in GrimAge acceleration were found.

“Our findings suggest that the acceleration of epigenetic age in the skin [of patients with HS] may be associated with extrinsic immune-related changes and can potentially serve as a biomarker of the present and/or future disease burden in HS patients,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Lukac D, Pagani K, Collender PA, Fadadu RP, Cardenas A, McGee JS. Increased epigenetic age acceleration in the hidradenitis suppurativa skin. Arch Dermatol Res. 2022;10.1007/s00403-022-02432-1. doi:10.1007/s00403-022-02432-1