Living in poverty is associated with gene expression changes in immune cells

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Social Epidemiology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Socioeconomic factors, particularly poverty, are known to influence health outcomes and life expectancy.
• Poverty is associated with chronic inflammation and adverse health in cardiovascular, renal, and pulmonary systems.
• The molecular mechanisms linking poverty to disease risk and health disparities remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the association between poverty and adverse health outcomes.
• To identify specific genes and biological pathways affected by poverty at the molecular level.
• To bridge the gap in understanding how living in poverty impacts health disparities.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing was performed on blood immune cells from 204 participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study.
• Differential gene expression analysis was conducted to identify genes associated with poverty.
• Transcriptome-wide association studies were used to explore associations with hypertension.

Main Results:

• 138 genes were found to be differentially expressed in association with poverty.
• Enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes are involved in wound healing and coagulation processes.
• Two specific genes, EEF1DP7 and VIL1, differentially expressed in poverty, are also linked to hypertension.

Conclusions:

• Living in poverty can alter gene expression in immune cells, influencing inflammatory processes.
• These gene expression changes may contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
• The findings provide molecular insights into how socioeconomic status contributes to health disparities.