The race-based stress reduction intervention (RiSE) study on African American women in NYC and Chicago: Design and methods for complex genomic analysis

Jacquelyn Y Taylor ¹, Alexandria Jones-Patten ¹, Laura Prescott ¹

⁰Center for Research on People of Color, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, New York, United States of America.

Plos One +

|

April 10, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

The RiSE study investigates a race-based stress-reduction intervention for older African American women. This intervention aims to improve coping, reduce stress, and modify DNA methylation patterns associated with stress response.

Area Of Science

Genomics
Psychoneuroimmunology
Health Disparities

Background

Chronic stress and inflammation disproportionately affect older African American women.
Understanding the epigenetic modifications, specifically DNA methylation, linked to stress is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
The RiSE study addresses the need for effective stress-reduction strategies within this demographic.

Purpose Of The Study

To evaluate the RiSE intervention's efficacy in improving coping mechanisms and reducing stress-related symptoms.
To assess the intervention's impact on inflammatory burden and DNA methylation of stress-response genes.
To explore the relationship between changes in DNA methylation and inflammatory markers.

Main Methods

A longitudinal, randomized clinical trial involving older African American women in Chicago and NYC.
Salivary DNA methylation measured at baseline and 6 months; perceived stress, depressive symptoms, fatigue, sleep, and coping assessed at 4 time points.
Genomic data analyzed using beta values and Δβ (changes in methylation), with adjustments for covariates and FDR correction for multiple testing. ANCOVA used to assess relationships.

Main Results

The study details the genomic analytic methods for assessing intervention effects on DNA methylation and inflammatory burden.
Association analyses will identify differentially methylated sites between intervention and control groups.
The relationship between inflammatory burden and changes in DNA methylation will be examined.

Conclusions

The RiSE study employs robust genomic and clinical methods to investigate a novel stress-reduction intervention.
Findings are expected to elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms underlying stress response in older African American women.
This research has the potential to inform culturally tailored interventions to mitigate health disparities.

Related Concept Videos

RACE - Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends

Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends, or RACE, is one of the most effective methods to obtain a full-length cDNA from an mRNA sequence between a known internal region to the unknown sequence at the 5’ or 3’ end. The unknown region is cloned in the cDNA by a gene-specific primer that binds the known end, and a hybrid primer that attaches a predefined anchor sequence to the unknown end of the cDNA. The sequence in between is amplified by PCR with an anchor primer and a gene-specific...