Evidence mapPaperPMID 40405102Full record

ReviewBMC nephrology2025

Molecular insights and clinical implications of DNA methylation in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury: a narrative review.

Lili Liu, Saisai Ni, Lianna Zhang, Yingying Chen, Mengqi Xie, Xiaojing Huang

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in BMC nephrology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing 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

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. 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

6 authors.

Lili Liu *Department of Emergency Medicine, Ningbo Yinzhou No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. 756568281@qq.com.
Saisai Ni *Department of Emergency Medicine, Ningbo Yinzhou No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
Lianna Zhang *Department of Emergency Medicine, Ningbo Yinzhou No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
Yingying ChenDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Ningbo Yinzhou No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
Mengqi XieDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Ningbo Yinzhou No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
Xiaojing HuangDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Ningbo Yinzhou No.2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

Funding

The Medical and Health Research Project of Zhejiang Province 2023KY1137
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (S-AKI) is a life-threatening complication of sepsis, marked by dysregulated inflammation, metabolic derangements, and immune dysfunction, driving high mortality. Its multifactorial pathogenesis increasingly implicates DNA methylation-a core epigenetic mechanism-as a critical disease modulator. This review synthesizes current knowledge of DNA methylation in S-AKI, covering molecular mechanisms, cellular dysfunction, and translational potential. In immune cells, sepsis-induced aberrant DNA methylation promotes hypomethylation of pro-inflammatory genes and hypermethylation of anti-inflammatory loci, exacerbating cytokine storms and immunosuppression. In renal tubular epithelial cells, abnormal methylation disrupts apoptosis, oxidative stress responses, and mitochondrial bioenergetics, impairing repair and accelerating S-AKI progression. Renal vascular endothelial cells exhibit methylation-dependent dysregulation of vasoactive and inflammatory pathways, compromising microvascular homeostasis and renal hemodynamics. DNA methylation signatures offer promise as early S-AKI biomarkers, with cell-type-specific patterns reflecting severity, injury, and prognosis. Targeting DNA methyltransferases with epigenetic modifiers represents a novel therapy, though challenges arise from sepsis's complex epigenetic landscape-bidirectional methylation changes, histone crosstalk, and context-dependent responses. A key paradox lies in DNA methylation's dual traits: stability underpinning biomarker reliability and plasticity enabling dynamic inflammatory adaptation, yet introducing therapeutic heterogeneity. Future research should prioritize dissecting cell-specific methylation mechanisms, integrating multi-omics to identify epigenetic subnetworks, and developing real-time monitoring tools for precision diagnosis and tailored interventions. Advancing these frontiers may translate epigenetic insights into transformative strategies to improve outcomes for this devastating condition.

Indexed as

Acute Kidney InjuryDNA MethylationSepsisAnimalsEpigenesis, GeneticHumansAcute kidney injuryBiomarkersDNA methylationEpigeneticsInflammationSepsis

Identifiers

PMID40405102
PMCPMC12100964

What Socratic 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 Socratic graph.