Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies
Published on: May 6, 2022
IGF2 methylation is associated with lipid profile in obese children
Annalisa Deodati1, Elena Inzaghi, Alice Liguori
1Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
Aim:
Our aim was to investigate the relationships between the degree of IGF2 methylation and the metabolic status in obese children and adolescents.
Subjects And Methods:
Eighty-five obese subjects aged 11.6 ± 2.1 years were studied. Anthropometry, metabolic parameters, blood pressure and body composition were assessed. DNA methylation analysis was performed by restriction enzyme digestion assay. The study population was subdivided into two groups according to the percentage of IGF2 cytidine-guanosine (CpG) island methylation.
Results:
Twenty-two subjects showed intermediate methylation (a percentage of CpG site methylation comprised between 10 and 60%), 56 were hypomethylated (percentage of methylation lower than 10%), and only 1 showed a high rate of hypermethylation (percentage of methylation above 60%). Children with intermediate methylation showed significantly higher levels of triglycerides (107.6 ± 41.99 vs. 76.6 ± 30.18 mg/dl, p < 0.005) and a higher triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio (2.23 ± 0.98 vs. 1.79 ± 0.98, p < 0.02) compared with hypomethylated children.
Conclusions:
These preliminary findings show for the first time a relationship between IGF2 methylation pattern and lipid profile in obese children. Although the correlation does not imply causation, if our findings are confirmed in further studies, IGF2 methylation might represent an epigenetic marker of metabolic risk.
Related Concept Videos
Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Metabolism and Excretion
Obesity
Overview of Lipid Metabolism
Lipolysis: The Breakdown of Lipids:
Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids, particularly triglycerides, into glycerol and fatty acids. This process typically occurs in the adipose tissue and is triggered by various hormones, including glucagon and...
Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Absorption and Distribution
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
Type II Diabetes I: Introduction

