Fig. 5: Conceptual figure summarizing patterns of relationships between DNA methylation at SLC2A9, its expression in monocytes, and serum urate levels.

The figure focuses on the two CpGs with significant causal effects on serum urate and association with gene expression in monocytes. The inferred relationship between gene expression and serum urate levels is inverse for the promoter-associated CpG cg11266682 (A, orange shading), and concordant for CpG cg03725404 (B, blue shading). Solid compound arrows indicate both observed cross-sectional association and causal effect of DNA methylation on serum urate based on Mendelian randomization analysis. Solid arrows indicate observed cross-sectional associations. Dashed arrows indicate inferred relationships.