Physical activity, black carbon exposure, and DNA methylation in the FOXP3 promoter

Clinical Epigenetics

Table 2 Active children with high exposure to BC have lower FOXP3 promoter methylation compared to non-active children with high BC

	Difference in percent methylation in active vs. non-active children β _estimate (95% confidence interval)
	Overall sample (n = 135)	High BC^a (n = 63)	Low BC^a (n = 72)	p _interaction
Promoter 1	−0.59 (−1.72, 0.54)	−1.32 (−2.74, 0.11)	0.30 (−1.36, 1.97)	NA
Promoter 2	−0.60 (−1.79, 0.60)	−2.37 (−4.04, −0.70)	0.54 (−1.12, 2.20)	0.04
Promoter 3	−0.68 (−2.10, 0.74)	−2.57 (−4.62, −0.51)	−0.41 (−2.16, 1.34)	0.26

β _estimate represents the effect size or the difference in percent methylation when comparing active children to non-active children (reference). Models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, BMI Z-score, asthma, atopy, secondhand smoke exposure, BC (only in non-stratified model), and heating season. Italicized values represent p value ≤0.01 and p < 0.05 for interaction term. P _interaction represents the p value for the interaction term between physical activity and BC
^aDichotomized at the median, 1210 ng/m³

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