Figure 3. Comparison of methylation levels between intermediate- and low-methylation epigenotypes.

Methylation levels are represented by means ± standard errors. IME, intermediate-methylation epigenotype. LME, low-methylation epigenotype. All Group-2 markers showed significantly higher methylation levels in intermediate-methylation samples than in low-methylation samples (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, Student's t-test). Methylation levels of the six Group-1 markers were low in both intermediate- and low-methylation samples, and there was no significant difference between the two epigenotypes.