Genome-wide 5-hydroxymethylation mapping and epigenetic pathways in multiple myeloma.

7566 Background: Multiple myeloma (MM), a B-cell neoplasm characterized by bone marrow infiltration of malignant plasma cells, is the second most common blood malignancy, with an estimated number of ~35,000 new patients annually in the United States. The molecular pathogenesis of MM is complex and involves various genetic and epigenetic alterations. Key molecular mechanisms, including chromosomal abnormalities such as translocations involving the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus and various oncogenes (e.g., MMSET, FGFR3, CCND1, MAF), alterations in epigenetic regulators (e.g., EZH2, DNMT3A), dysregulation of cell cycle control, and aberrant activation of signaling pathways (e.g., NF-kB, PI3K/AKT, and JAK/STAT), play critical roles in MM pathogenesis. However, epigenetic pathways implicated in MM has not been comprehensively investigated, partly due to technical limitations that cannot distinguish major cytosine modification types. Methods: Using the 5hmC-Seal, a highly sensitive chemical labeling technique, we profiled genome-wide 5-hydroxymethylcytosines (5hmC) in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from a population-based case-control study of MM (cases, n = 313; controls, n = 317) conducted in Canada. Results: The 5hmC modification levels were summarized for various genomic features, showing an enrichment in gene bodies and enhancer markers, consistent with the putative role of gene regulation for 5hmC modification. A genome-wide scan of gene bodies identified 771 differential features between cases and controls, adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, education, and first two principal components, at a permutation-based empirical p-value cutoff of 10-4. For instance, IL1RAP, a component of the interleukin-1 signaling cascade, may impact tumor progression and immune system evasion. Furthermore, functional analysis indicated canonical pathways associated with MM pathology and treatment, such as calcium signaling, and synthesis and secretion of cortisol/aldosterone, were enriched in the differential 5hmC features between cases and controls. Notably, the calcium signaling pathway, integral to Ca2+ transport and involved in various physiological and pathological processes, plays a critical role in MM pathogenesis. Within this pathway, the CAMK1D gene, which has been identified as a crucial regulator of tumor-intrinsic immune resistance, showed differential 5hmC level between cases and controls, highlighting a vital connection between epigenetic modifications and immune evasion mechanisms in MM. Conclusions: Leveraging a state-of-the-art technique, we identified novel epigenetic modifications and pathways in the risk of MM. This approach establishes a solid foundation for further investigating etiology of MM, deepening our understanding of the disease, and advancing the discovery of biomarkers, which could potentially guide preventive strategies.

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