IgE-mediated food allergies have been linked to suboptimal naïve CD4 T (nCD4T) cell activation in infancy, underpinned by epigenetic and transcriptomic variation. Similar attenuated nCD4T cell activation in adolescents with food allergy have also been reported, but these are yet to be linked to specific epigenetic or transcriptional changes.
We generated genome-wide DNA methylation data in purified nCD4 T cells at quiescence and following activation in a cohort of adolescents (aged 10-14) with peanut/multi-food allergy (FA, n=29), and age-matched non-food allergic controls (NA, n=18). Additionally, we assessed transcriptome-wide gene expression and cytokine production in these cells following activation.
We found widespread changes in DNA methylation in both NA and FA nCD4T cells in response to activation, associated with the T cell receptor signalling pathway. Adolescents with FA exhibit unique DNA methylation signatures at quiescence and post-activation at key genes involved in Th1/Th2 differentiation (RUNX3, RXRA, NFKB1A, IL4R), including a differentially methylated region (DMR) at the TNFRSF6B promoter, linked to Th1 proliferation and associated with various immune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and systemic lupus erythematosus). Combined analysis of DNA methylation, transcriptomic data and cytokine output in the same samples identified an attenuated interferon response in nCD4T cells from FA individuals following activation, with decreased expression of several interferon genes, including IFN-γ and a DMR at key downstream gene BST2.
We find that attenuated nCD4T cell responses from adolescents with food allergy are associated with specific epigenetic variation, including disruption of interferon responses at multi-omic levels, indicating dysregulation of key immune pathways that may contribute to a persistent FA phenotype.