Table 4.
Effects of age, gender and alcohol drinking on Alu and LINE-1 methylation in multivariable models including percent lymphocytes in blood count, age, gender and study as independent variables (combined analysis of the five studies)
| Variable |
Alu |
LINE-1 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | %5mCa | 95% CIa | β (95% CI)a | N | %5mCa | 95% CIa | β (95% CI)a | |
| Age, years | ||||||||
| <48 | 285 | 26.2 | 25.9–26.5 | 264 | 77.4 | 76.8–77.9 | ||
| 48–63 | 279 | 26.0 | 25.8–26.2 | 271 | 77.5 | 77.1–77.9 | ||
| 64–69 | 314 | 26.0 | 25.8–26.2 | 307 | 77.2 | 76.8–77.6 | ||
| 70–74 | 267 | 25.9 | 25.7–26.1 | 263 | 77.1 | 76.7–77.5 | ||
| ≥75 | 320 | 25.9 | 25.7–26.1 | −0.012 (−0.022 to −0.002)b | 313 | 77.1 | 76.7–77.5 | −0.003 (−0.022 to 0.016)b |
| Gender | ||||||||
| Female | 206 | 26.3 | 26.0–26.6 | 202 | 76.5 | 76.0–77.0 | ||
| Male | 1238 | 25.9 | 25.8–26.0 | −0.361 (−0.642 to −0.079) | 1216 | 77.4 | 77.2–77.5 | 0.874 (0.339 to 1.409) |
| Alcohol drinking | ||||||||
| Non-drinker | 609 | 26.1 | 26.0–26.3 | 604 | 77.2 | 76.9–77.4 | ||
| Ever drinker | 717 | 25.9 | 25.8–26.0 | −0.208 (−0.409 to −0.007) | 700 | 77.1 | 76.9–77.3 | −0.049 (−0.425 to 0.327) |
%5mC, percentage of 5-methyl cytosine.
aAdjusted for age, gender, percent lymphocytes in blood count and study.
bβ for age were obtained using continuous variables.