Table 1. Datasets analysed in this study.

Dataseta	Sample size		Platformb	GEO accession ID	Reference
N_MTL1	46		27k	GSE39981	Accomando et al, 2012
N_MTL2	48		450k	GSE35069	Reinius et al, 2012
	Case	Control
HNSCC_PB	92	92	27k	GSE30229	Langevin et al, 2012
HNSCC_SR	12	12	450k	GSE40005
OVC_PB	131	274	27k	GSE19711	Teschendorff et al, 2009
RA_PL	354	335	450k	GSE42861	Liu et al, 2013

Abbreviations: GEO=Gene Expression Omnibus database; HNSCC=head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; MTL=myeloid and lymphoid cells; N=normal; OVC=ovarian cancer; PB=peripheral whole blood; RA=rheumatoid arthritis; PL=peripheral leukocytes; SR=serum.

^aEach dataset is denoted by phenotype followed by sample type.

^b27k represents the Human Methylation 27 Bead Array platform and 450k represents the Illumina 450k Human DNA methylation platform.