Research Article
The Impact of DNA Methylation on IL6 mRNA Levels in Hematinic Deficiency and Atopy-Associated Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis Patients
Figure 1
Overview of the genomic and epigenomic analysis of the three related conditions: recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), atopy (such as rhinitis allergy, bronchial asthma, and dermatitis atopy), and hematinic deficiency. The grey balls are genes responsible for RAS (left side) and atopy (right side). They interact by coexpression, sharing protein domain, and even direct gene interaction [37]. IL6 is the most important proinflammatory gene affecting RAS and atopy, while its upregulation is interfered with by some external factors (infection, toxin, or radiation), internal factors (folic acid, iron, or B-12 deficiency), as an environmental factor. Also, some epigenetic factors interfere with IL6 gene expression. Strong evidence support hematinic deficiency as a crucial internal environmental factor that affects DNA methylation of some genes. There is no previous study that analyzes the DNA methylation of some important genes in RAS, notably linking with the history of atopy.