Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41068453›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2025

Biological sex impacts immune cell proportions and epigenetic profiles in the developing pediatric immune system.

Karlie Edwards, Sarah M Merrill, Chaini Konwar, Marcia S Jude, Beryl C Zhuang, Mandy Meijer, Erick Navarro-Delgado, Julie L MacIsaac, Piush Mandhane, Elinor Simons and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 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. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
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

17 authors.

Karlie EdwardsDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0333-2137
Sarah M MerrillEdwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Chaini KonwarEdwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Marcia S JudeEdwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Beryl C ZhuangEdwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4614-6457
Mandy MeijerEdwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9307-0643
Erick Navarro-DelgadoEdwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1040-3519
Julie L MacIsaacEdwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Piush MandhaneDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Elinor SimonsChildren's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Theo J MoraesDepartment of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9968-6601
Meghan B AzadChildren's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5942-4444
Padmaja SubbaraoDepartment of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0394-1933
Mariona BustamanteISGlobal, Institute of Global Health, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0127-2860
Martine VrijheidISGlobal, Institute of Global Health, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7090-1758
Stuart TurveyBC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Michael S KoborDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Michael.kobor@ubc.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4140-1743

Funding

Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (L'Institut Canadien de Recherches Avancées) FL-001600Gouvernement du Canada | Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Instituts de Recherche en Santé du Canada) PJT-173230
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Age- and sex-related differences in immune cell compositions and immune outcomes have been identified across the life course, but a comprehensive and nuanced characterization of these changes during the rapid developmental window of early life is lacking. We explore immune associated DNA methylation (DNAm) changes in the context of age and sex leveraging whole blood samples collected at ages one and five from CHILD, a Canadian longitudinal pediatric cohort (n = 760: 356 female and 404 male). DNAm-based computational cell type deconvolution reveals significant changes in all estimated immune cell types across time, with notable sex differences. In addition, we identify distinct DNAm signatures reflecting age- and sex-associated immune profiles in early life. While age-related DNAm changes are relatively limited, sex-associated differences are consistent across this developmental window and partially validate in independent pediatric cohorts. Together, these findings provide insights into early immune system maturation, underscoring the presence of sex differences prior to puberty.

Indexed as

DNA MethylationEpigenesis, GeneticImmune SystemSex CharacteristicsCanadaChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantLongitudinal StudiesMaleSex Factors

Identifiers

PMID41068453
PMCPMC12511422

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.