Epigenome-Wide Association Study of CpG Methylation in Aggressive Behavior

The DNA methylation profile can reflect both genetic features and exposure to the external factors that affect certain human traits, including behavioral characteristics and antisocial behavior in particular. To study an association of CpG methylation with aggressive behavior, the methylation level of 800K sites was determined in peripheral blood DNA samples from 122 men who have committed murder and 163 men of a control group. For 25 top CpG sites (p < 1E-22), the association with aggressive behavior was reproduced in the test sample and remained significant at the epigenome level after correction for concurrent factors (age, smoking status, and ethnicity). Phenotypes associated with the genes that correspond to the identified CpG sites include childhood adversity, smoking, alcohol abuse, and asthma, in agreement with published data on physical aggression-associated factors. The results contribute to understanding the biological basis of aggression and identifying biomarkers of aggressive behavior.