# The association of Tai Chi exercise with the methylation levels of the IL20 promoter

## TL;DR

This study found that practicing Tai Chi is linked to higher methylation levels in the IL-20 gene, which may explain some of its health benefits.

## Contribution

The study identifies a novel association between Tai Chi exercise and IL-20 promoter methylation.

## Key findings

- Tai Chi participants had significantly higher IL-20 promoter methylation compared to non-exercisers.
- Tai Chi showed a positive association with IL-20 methylation in both univariate and multivariate analyses.
- Other forms of exercise were associated with lower IL-20 methylation levels.

## Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the associations between DNA methylation levels of the IL-20 and Tai Chi exercise.

Data from the Taiwan Biobank, including 2,286 individuals aged 30–70, were analyzed. Methylation levels were assessed using the Infinium® MethylationEPIC BeadChipEPIC array. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine the associations between exercise types and methylation levels. The analysis revealed that participants who engaged in Tai Chi exhibited significantly higher methylation levels of the IL-20 promoter (mean β = 0.9405, SE ± 0.0019) compared to those who did not exercise (mean β = 0.9376, SE ± 0.0004). In univariate regression, Tai Chi exercise was positively associated with IL-20 promoter methylation (β = 0.00422, 95% CI: 0.00001–0.00843, p = 0.0493), whereas other forms of exercise showed a negative association (β = −0.00160, 95% CI: −0.00266 to −0.00053). Men exhibited lower IL-20 methylation levels, while older age and obesity showed similar trends. In the multivariate regression analysis, Tai Chi exercise remained positively associated with IL-20 promoter methylation (β = 0.00454, 95% CI: 0.00012–0.00896). Conversely, other exercise types were associated with a β-coefficient of −0.00125 (95% CI: −0.00239 to −0.00012).

The findings suggest that Tai Chi exercise was associated with higher methylation levels of the IL-20 promoter. This association may indicate that the health benefits of Tai Chi are linked to immunological processes mediated by IL-20.