Trial reportGut2005
Effect of folic acid supplementation on genomic DNA methylation in patients with colorectal adenoma.
Trial report in Gut, 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 85 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
85 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 246 citations in OpenAlex.
- Influence of methyl donor nutrients as epigenetic regulators in colorectal cancer: A systematic review of observational studies.World journal of gastroenterology · 2023Pooled it
- Meta- and pooled analyses of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and colorectal cancer: a HuGE-GSEC review.American journal of epidemiology · 2009Pooled it
- Nutritional status-dependent DNA methylation modifications on adipose tissue in systemic lupus erythematosus women following folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.Clinical epigenetics · 2026Trial
- Impact of folic acid supplementation on the epigenetic profile in healthy unfortified individuals - a randomized intervention trial.Epigenetics · 2024Trial
- Folic acid supplementation and risk of colorectal neoplasia during long-term follow-up of a randomized clinical trial.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2019Trial
- B vitamins attenuate the epigenetic effects of ambient fine particles in a pilot human intervention trial.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2017Trial
- Sex-Specific Associations between One-Carbon Metabolism Indices and Posttranslational Histone Modifications in Arsenic-Exposed Bangladeshi Adults.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2017Trial
- The association between MTHFR 677C>T genotype and folate status and genomic and gene-specific DNA methylation in the colon of individuals without colorectal neoplasia.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2013Trial
- Altered folate availability modifies the molecular environment of the human colorectum: implications for colorectal carcinogenesis.Cancer prevention research (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2011Trial
- No effect of folic acid supplementation on global DNA methylation in men and women with moderately elevated homocysteine.PloS one · 2011Trial
- Global DNA hypomethylation (LINE-1) in the normal colon and lifestyle characteristics and dietary and genetic factors.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2009Trial
- Review
- Epigenetically Active Supplements and the Risk of Sports Injuries: Narrative Review from Molecular Mechanisms to Practical Implications.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Interplay of Mitochondrial Dynamics, Nutrition, and Vitamins: Evidence From Experimental and Human Studies With Implications for Women's Health.Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity · 2026Review
- Adolescent dietary patterns and methyl-donor nutrient intakes in relation to blood leukocyte DNA methylation of circadian genes.Chronobiology international · 2025Article
- Causal association of folic acid supplementary therapy and gastric ulcer: a Mendelian randomisation study.The British journal of nutrition · 2024Article
- Methyl-donor supplementation in women with systemic lupus erythematosus with different nutritional status: the protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Lupus science & medicine · 2024Article
- Unveiling the Therapeutic Potential of Folate-Dependent One-Carbon Metabolism in Cancer and Neurodegeneration.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Epigenetics as a target to mitigate excess stroke risk in people of African ancestry: A scoping review.Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association · 2024Article
- Mitochondria: the epigenetic regulators of ovarian aging and longevity.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2024Review
25 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsA low dietary folate intake can cause genomic DNA hypomethylation and may increase the risk of colorectal neoplasia. The hypothesis that folic acid supplementation increases DNA methylation in leucocytes and colorectal mucosa was tested in 31 patients with histologically confirmed colorectal adenoma using a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel design.
methodsSubjects were randomised to receive either 400 microg/day folic acid supplement (n = 15) or placebo (n = 16) for 10 weeks. Genomic DNA methylation, serum and erythrocyte folate, and plasma homocysteine concentrations were measured at baseline and post intervention.
resultsFolic acid supplementation increased serum and erythrocyte folate concentrations by 81% (95% confidence interval (CI) 57-104%; p<0.001 v placebo) and 57% (95% CI 40-74%; p<0.001 v placebo), respectively, and decreased plasma homocysteine concentration by 12% (95% CI 4-20%; p = 0.01 v placebo). Folic acid supplementation resulted in increases in DNA methylation of 31% (95% CI 16-47%; p = 0.05 v placebo) in leucocytes and 25% (95% CI 11-39%; p = 0.09 v placebo) in colonic mucosa.
conclusionsThese results suggest that DNA hypomethylation can be reversed by physiological intakes of folic acid.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.