Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39821820›Full record

ArticleGeroScience2025

Accelerated epigenetic ageing after burn injury.

Jack Sullivan, Thomas Nicholson, Jon Hazeldine, Naiem Moiemen, Janet M Lord

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in GeroScience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jack SullivanInflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. j.sullivan.2@bham.ac.uk.ORCID 0009-0006-2042-5534
Thomas NicholsonInflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Jon HazeldineInflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Naiem MoiemenScar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Janet M LordInflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/X007243/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Individuals who suffer a major burn injury are at higher risk of developing a range of age-associated diseases prematurely leading to an increase in mortality in adult and juvenile burn injury survivors. One possible explanation is that injury is accelerating the biological ageing process. To test this hypothesis, we analysed DNA methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from adult burn-injured patients (> 5%TBSA) upon admission to hospital and 6 months later, to calculate an epigenetic clock value which can be used to determine biological age. Fifty-three burn-injured participants (mean age 45.43 years, 49 male, mean TBSA 37.65%) were recruited at admission and 34 again 6 months post injury (mean age 40.4 years, 34 male, mean TBSA 30.91%). Twenty-nine healthy controls (mean age 43.69 years, 24 male) were also recruited. Epigenetic age acceleration at admission by PhenoAge was + 7.2 years (P = 8.31e-5) but by month 6 was not significantly different from healthy controls. PCGrimAge acceleration was + 9.23 years at admission (P = 5.79e-11) and remained 4.18 years higher than in controls by month 6 (P = 2.64e-6). At admission, the burn-injured participants had a Dunedin PACE of ageing score 31.65% higher than the control group (P = 2.14e-12), the equivalent of + 115 days per year of biological ageing. Six months post injury the Dunedin PACE of ageing remained significantly higher (+ 11.36%, 41 days/year) than in the control group (P = 3.99e-5). No differences were seen using the Horvath and Hannum clocks. Enrichment analysis revealed that key pathways enriched with burn injury related to immune function, activation, and inflammation. The results reveal that epigenetic age, specifically the PACE of ageing and PCGrimAge, was accelerated in burn-injured adults at admission, with some return towards control values by 6 months. That these two clocks are built upon morbidity outcomes suggests that the injury is invoking a biological response that increases the risk of disease. Burn injury in adults induces epigenetic changes suggestive of an acceleration of the ageing process, which may contribute to the increased morbidity and mortality in these patients.

Indexed as

AgingBurnsEpigenesis, GeneticAdultCase-Control StudiesDNA MethylationFemaleHumansLeukocytes, MononuclearMaleMiddle AgedAgeingBurn injuryDNA methylationEpigenetic clock

Identifiers

PMID39821820
PMCPMC12181535

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Registered trials

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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.