51
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Wesch NL, Burlock LJ, Gooding RJ. Critical telomerase activity for uncontrolled cell growth. Phys Biol 2016; 13:046005. [DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/13/4/046005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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52
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Werner B, Traulsen A, Dingli D. Response to the Editor: On the Growth of Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Childhood Leukemias. Stem Cells 2016; 34:2610. [PMID: 27489237 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Werner
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Arne Traulsen
- Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.
| | - David Dingli
- Division of Hematology and Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
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53
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Udroiu I, Sgura A. Letter to the Editor: On the Growth of Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Childhood Leukemias. Stem Cells 2016; 34:2608-2609. [PMID: 27489197 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ion Udroiu
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Roma, Italy.
| | - Antonella Sgura
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Roma, Italy
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Spigoni V, Aldigeri R, Picconi A, Derlindati E, Franzini L, Haddoub S, Prampolini G, Vigna GB, Zavaroni I, Bonadonna RC, Dei Cas A. Telomere length is independently associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study. Acta Diabetol 2016; 53:661-7. [PMID: 27020053 DOI: 10.1007/s00592-016-0857-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Individuals with type 2 diabetes show shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) compared to people without diabetes. Reduced LTL is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in healthy subjects. The aim of the study is to assess whether LTL also correlates with IMT in patients with diabetes. METHODS In a cohort of 104 subjects with type 2 diabetes and atherogenic dyslipidemia, we assessed anthropometric, hemodynamic and metabolic parameters. Common carotid IMT was expressed as the maximum IMT. LTL was assessed by a specific real-time PCR reaction. RESULTS At univariate analysis, IMT values were positively correlated with age (p < 0.001), previous history of cardiovascular events (p < 0.005), fasting plasma glucose (p < 0.01), HbA1c (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with LTL (p < 0.05). In a multivariate model, age (p < 0.001) and LTL (p < 0.05) were the only independent predictors of maximum IMT, with an adjusted R (2) of 0.22. CONCLUSIONS LTL is an independent predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis pointing to a role of LTL as an early marker of vascular burden and cardiovascular disease also in type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Spigoni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Raffaella Aldigeri
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Angela Picconi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Eleonora Derlindati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Laura Franzini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Silvia Haddoub
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Giorgia Prampolini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Giovanni B Vigna
- Internal Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Ivana Zavaroni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Riccardo C Bonadonna
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dei Cas
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126, Parma, Italy.
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Stone RC, Horvath K, Kark JD, Susser E, Tishkoff SA, Aviv A. Telomere Length and the Cancer-Atherosclerosis Trade-Off. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006144. [PMID: 27386863 PMCID: PMC4936693 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern humans, the longest-living terrestrial mammals, display short telomeres and repressed telomerase activity in somatic tissues compared with most short-living small mammals. The dual trait of short telomeres and repressed telomerase might render humans relatively resistant to cancer compared with short-living small mammals. However, the trade-off for cancer resistance is ostensibly increased age-related degenerative diseases, principally in the form of atherosclerosis. In this communication, we discuss (a) the genetics of human telomere length, a highly heritable complex trait that is influenced by genetic ancestry, sex, and paternal age at conception, (b) how cancer might have played a role in the evolution of telomere biology across mammals, (c) evidence that in modern humans telomere length is a determinant (rather than only a biomarker) of cancer and atherosclerosis, and (d) the potential influence of relatively recent evolutionary forces in fashioning the variation in telomere length across and within populations, and their likely lasting impact on major diseases in humans. Finally, we propose venues for future research on human telomere genetics in the context of its potential role in shaping the modern human lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rivka C. Stone
- The Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Kent Horvath
- The Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jeremy D. Kark
- Epidemiology Unit, Hebrew University–Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ezra Susser
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sarah A. Tishkoff
- Department of Genetics, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Abraham Aviv
- The Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
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56
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Factor-Litvak P, Susser E, Kezios K, McKeague I, Kark JD, Hoffman M, Kimura M, Wapner R, Aviv A. Leukocyte Telomere Length in Newborns: Implications for the Role of Telomeres in Human Disease. Pediatrics 2016; 137:peds.2015-3927. [PMID: 26969272 PMCID: PMC4811318 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2015-3927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE In adults, leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is variable, familial, and longer in women and in offspring conceived by older fathers. Although short LTL is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, long LTL is associated with major cancers. The prevailing notion is that LTL is a "telomeric clock," whose movement (expressed in LTL attrition) reflects the pace of aging. Accordingly, individuals with short LTL are considered to be biologically older than their peers. Recent studies suggest that LTL is largely determined before adulthood. We examined whether factors that largely characterize LTL in adults also influence LTL in newborns. METHODS LTL was measured in blood samples from 490 newborns and their parents. RESULTS LTL (mean ± SD) was longer (9.50 ± 0.70 kb) in newborns than in their mothers (7.92 ± 0.67 kb) and fathers (7.70 ± 0.71 kb) (both P < .0001); there was no difference in the variance of LTL among the 3 groups. Newborn LTL correlated more strongly with age-adjusted LTL in mothers (r = 0.47; P < .01) than in fathers (r = 0.36; P < .01) (P for interaction = .02). Newborn LTL was longer by 0.144 kb in girls than in boys (P = .02), and LTL was longer by 0.175 kb in mothers than in fathers (P < .0001). For each 1-year increase in father's age, newborn LTL increased by 0.016 kb (95% confidence interval: 0.04 to 0.28) (P = .0086). CONCLUSIONS The large LTL variation across newborns challenges the telomeric clock model. Having inherently short or long LTL may be largely determined at birth, anteceding by decades disease manifestation in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ezra Susser
- Departments of Epidemiology, and,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | | | - Ian McKeague
- Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Jeremy D. Kark
- Hebrew University, Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Matthew Hoffman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware
| | - Masayuki Kimura
- The Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey; and
| | - Ronald Wapner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Abraham Aviv
- The Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey; and
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58
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Stochastic modeling reveals an evolutionary mechanism underlying elevated rates of childhood leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:1050-5. [PMID: 26755588 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1509333113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Young children have higher rates of leukemia than young adults. This fact represents a fundamental conundrum, because hematopoietic cells in young children should have fewer mutations (including oncogenic ones) than such cells in adults. Here, we present the results of stochastic modeling of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) clonal dynamics, which demonstrated that early HSC pools were permissive to clonal evolution driven by drift. We show that drift-driven clonal expansions cooperate with faster HSC cycling in young children to produce conditions that are permissive for accumulation of multiple driver mutations in a single cell. Later in life, clonal evolution was suppressed by stabilizing selection in the larger young adult pools, and it was driven by positive selection at advanced ages in the presence of microenvironmental decline. Overall, our results indicate that leukemogenesis is driven by distinct evolutionary forces in children and adults.
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59
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Bernadotte A, Mikhelson VM, Spivak IM. Markers of cellular senescence. Telomere shortening as a marker of cellular senescence. Aging (Albany NY) 2016; 8:3-11. [PMID: 26805432 PMCID: PMC4761709 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 283] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
The cellular senescence definition comes to the fact of cells irreversible proliferation disability. Besides the cell cycle arrest, senescent cells go through some morphological, biochemical, and functional changes which are the signs of cellular senescence. The senescent cells (including replicative senescence and stress-induced premature senescence) of all the tissues look alike. They are metabolically active and possess the set of characteristics in vitro and in vivo, which are known as biomarkers of aging and cellular senescence. Among biomarkers of cellular senescence telomere shortening is a rather elegant frequently used biomarker. Validity of telomere shortening as a marker for cellular senescence is based on theoretical and experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Bernadotte
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm, 14157, Sweden
- St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, 197110 Russia
| | - Victor M. Mikhelson
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| | - Irina M. Spivak
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, 194064, Russia
- Saint-Petersburg's State University, Saint-Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- Saint-Petersburg's Polytechnic State University, Saint-Petersburg, 195251 Russia
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60
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Udroiu I, Sgura A. Genotoxic sensitivity of the developing hematopoietic system. MUTATION RESEARCH-REVIEWS IN MUTATION RESEARCH 2015; 767:1-7. [PMID: 27036061 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Genotoxic sensitivity seems to vary during ontogenetic development. Animal studies have shown that the spontaneous mutation rate is higher during pregnancy and infancy than in adulthood. Human and animal studies have found higher levels of DNA damage and mutations induced by mutagens in fetuses/newborns than in adults. This greater susceptibility could be due to reduced DNA repair capacity. In fact, several studies indicated that some DNA repair pathways seem to be deficient during ontogenesis. This has been demonstrated also in murine hematopoietic stem cells. Genotoxicity in the hematopoietic system has been widely studied for several reasons: it is easy to assess, deals with populations cycling also in the adults and may be relevant for leukemogenesis. Reviewing the literature concerning the application of the micronucleus test (a validated assay to assess genotoxicity) in fetus/newborns and adults, we found that the former show almost always higher values than the latter, both in animals treated with genotoxic substances and in those untreated. Therefore, we draw the conclusion that the genotoxic sensitivity of the hematopoietic system is more pronounced during fetal life and decreases during ontogenic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ion Udroiu
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Antonella Sgura
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
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61
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Toward an evolutionary model of cancer: Considering the mechanisms that govern the fate of somatic mutations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015. [PMID: 26195756 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1501713112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of cancer has greatly advanced since Nordling [Nordling CO (1953) Br J Cancer 7(1):68-72] and Armitage and Doll [Armitage P, Doll R (1954) Br J Cancer 8(1):1-12] put forth the multistage model of carcinogenesis. However, a number of observations remain poorly understood from the standpoint of this paradigm in its contemporary state. These observations include the similar age-dependent exponential rise in incidence of cancers originating from stem/progenitor pools differing drastically in size, age-dependent cell division profiles, and compartmentalization. This common incidence pattern is characteristic of cancers requiring different numbers of oncogenic mutations, and it scales to very divergent life spans of mammalian species. Also, bigger mammals with larger underlying stem cell pools are not proportionally more prone to cancer, an observation known as Peto's paradox. Here, we present a number of factors beyond the occurrence of oncogenic mutations that are unaccounted for in the current model of cancer development but should have significant impacts on cancer incidence. Furthermore, we propose a revision of the current understanding for how oncogenic and other functional somatic mutations affect cellular fitness. We present evidence, substantiated by evolutionary theory, demonstrating that fitness is a dynamic environment-dependent property of a phenotype and that oncogenic mutations should have vastly different fitness effects on somatic cells dependent on the tissue microenvironment in an age-dependent manner. Combined, this evidence provides a firm basis for understanding the age-dependent incidence of cancers as driven by age-altered systemic processes regulated above the cell level.
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62
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Dalgård C, Benetos A, Verhulst S, Labat C, Kark JD, Christensen K, Kimura M, Kyvik KO, Aviv A. Leukocyte telomere length dynamics in women and men: menopause vs age effects. Int J Epidemiol 2015; 44:1688-95. [PMID: 26385867 PMCID: PMC4681111 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyv165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: A longer leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in women than men has been attributed to a slow rate of LTL attrition in women, perhaps due to high estrogen exposure during the premenopausal period. Methods: To test this premise we performed a longitudinal study (an average follow-up of 12 years) in a subset of the population-based Danish National Twin Registry. Participants consisted of 405 women, aged 37.5 (range 18.0–64.3) years, and 329 men, aged 38.8 (range 18.0–58.5) years, at baseline examination. Results: Women showed a longer LTL [kb ± standard error(SE)] than men (baseline: 7.01 ± 0.03 vs 6.87 ± 0.04; follow-up: 6.79 ± 0.03 vs 6.65 ± 0.03; both P = 0.005). Women displayed deceleration of LTL attrition (bp/years ± SE), as they transitioned from the premenopausal period (20.6 ± 1.0) through the perimenopausal period (16.5 ± 1.3) to the postmenopausal period (15.1 ± 1.7). Age was not associated with LTL attrition in women after statistical control for menopausal status. Men, in contrast, displayed a trend for age-dependent increase in the rate of LTL attrition, which differed significantly from the pattern in women (P for interaction = 0.01). Conclusions: Results indicate that the premenopausal period is expressed in a higher rate of LTL attrition than the postmenopausal period. They further suggest that the sex gap in LTL stems from earlier ages—the period of growth and development. The higher rate of LTL attrition in premenopausal women, we propose, might relate to estrogen-mediated increased turnover of erythrocytes, menstrual bleeding or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Dalgård
- Department of Public Health - Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Athanase Benetos
- Département de Médecine Gériatrique, CHU de Nancy, Nancy, France, INSERM, U1116, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy F54000, Nancy, France, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carlos Labat
- INSERM, U1116, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy F54000, Nancy, France, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Jeremy D Kark
- Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark, Department of Clinical Genetics, Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Masayuki Kimura
- Center of Human Development and Aging, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA and
| | - Kirsten Ohm Kyvik
- Institute of Regional Health Services Research, University of Southern Denmark, and Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Abraham Aviv
- Center of Human Development and Aging, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA and
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Rozhok AI, Salstrom JL, DeGregori J. Stochastic modeling indicates that aging and somatic evolution in the hematopoetic system are driven by non-cell-autonomous processes. Aging (Albany NY) 2015; 6:1033-48. [PMID: 25564763 PMCID: PMC4298364 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Age-dependent tissue decline and increased cancer incidence are widely accepted to be rate-limited by the accumulation of somatic mutations over time. Current models of carcinogenesis are dominated by the assumption that oncogenic mutations have defined advantageous fitness effects on recipient stem and progenitor cells, promoting and rate-limiting somatic evolution. However, this assumption is markedly discrepant with evolutionary theory, whereby fitness is a dynamic property of a phenotype imposed upon and widely modulated by environment. We computationally modeled dynamic microenvironment-dependent fitness alterations in hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) within the Sprengel-Liebig system known to govern evolution at the population level. Our model for the first time integrates real data on age-dependent dynamics of HSC division rates, pool size, and accumulation of genetic changes and demonstrates that somatic evolution is not rate-limited by the occurrence of mutations, but instead results from aged microenvironment-driven alterations in the selective/fitness value of previously accumulated genetic changes. Our results are also consistent with evolutionary models of aging and thus oppose both somatic mutation-centric paradigms of carcinogenesis and tissue functional decline. In total, we demonstrate that aging directly promotes HSC fitness decline and somatic evolution via non-cell-autonomous mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrii I Rozhok
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Jennifer L Salstrom
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - James DeGregori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Integrated Department of Immunology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045,USA
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Rozhok AI, Wahl GM, DeGregori J. A Critical Examination of the "Bad Luck" Explanation of Cancer Risk. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2015; 8:762-4. [PMID: 26122457 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-15-0229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Tomasetti and Vogelstein (1) argue that lifetime cancer risk for particular tissues is mostly determined by the total number of stem cell (SC) divisions within the tissue, whereby most cancers arise due to "bad luck"—mutations occurring during DNA replication. We argue that the poorly substantiated estimations of SC division parameters and assumptions that oversimplify somatic evolution prevent such a conclusion from being drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrii I Rozhok
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Geoffrey M Wahl
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - James DeGregori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.
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65
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Insights into cell ontogeny, age, and acute myeloid leukemia. Exp Hematol 2015; 43:745-55. [PMID: 26051919 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2015.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogenous disease of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and progenitor cells (HSPCs). The pathogenesis of AML involves cytogenetic abnormalities, genetic mutations, and epigenetic anomalies. Although it is widely accepted that the cellular biology, gene expression, and epigenetic landscape of normal HSCs change with age, little is known about the interplay between the age at which the cell becomes leukemic and the resultant leukemia. Despite its rarity, childhood AML is a leading cause of childhood cancer mortality. Treatment is in general extrapolated from adult AML on the assumption that adult AML and pediatric AML are similar biological entities. However, distinct biological processes and epigenetic modifications in pediatric and adult AML may mean that response to novel therapies in children may differ from that in adults with AML. A better understanding of the key pathways involved in transformation and how these differ between childhood and adult AML is an important step in identifying effective treatment. This review highlights both the commonalities and differences between pediatric and adult AML disease biology with respect to age.
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66
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Blood Telomere Length Attrition and Cancer Development in the Normative Aging Study Cohort. EBioMedicine 2015; 2:591-6. [PMID: 26288820 PMCID: PMC4535161 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Accelerated telomere shortening may cause cancer via chromosomal instability, making it a potentially useful biomarker. However, publications on blood telomere length (BTL) and cancer are inconsistent. We prospectively examined BTL measures over time and cancer incidence. Methods We included 792 Normative Aging Study participants with 1–4 BTL measurements from 1999 to 2012. We used linear mixed-effects models to examine BTL attrition by cancer status (relative to increasing age and decreasing years pre-diagnosis), Cox models for time-dependent associations, and logistic regression for cancer incidence stratified by years between BTL measurement and diagnosis. Findings Age-related BTL attrition was faster in cancer cases pre-diagnosis than in cancer-free participants (pdifference = 0.017); all participants had similar age-adjusted BTL 8–14 years pre-diagnosis, followed by decelerated attrition in cancer cases resulting in longer BTL three (p = 0.003) and four (p = 0.012) years pre-diagnosis. Longer time-dependent BTL was associated with prostate cancer (HR = 1.79, p = 0.03), and longer BTL measured ≤ 4 years pre-diagnosis with any (OR = 3.27, p < 0.001) and prostate cancers (OR = 6.87, p < 0.001). Interpretation Age-related BTL attrition was faster in cancer cases but their age-adjusted BTL attrition began decelerating as diagnosis approached. This may explain prior inconsistencies and help develop BTL as a cancer detection biomarker. Normal, age-related telomere attrition is faster in subjects who later developed cancer. Telomere attrition began decelerating before cancer diagnosis, resulting in longer telomeres 3–4 years pre-diagnosis. Longer telomeres measured within four years of diagnosis were associated with all-cancer incidence.
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Hjelmborg JB, Dalgård C, Möller S, Steenstrup T, Kimura M, Christensen K, Kyvik KO, Aviv A. The heritability of leucocyte telomere length dynamics. J Med Genet 2015; 52:297-302. [PMID: 25770094 PMCID: PMC4413805 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2014-102736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Background Leucocyte telomere length (LTL) is a complex trait associated with ageing and longevity. LTL dynamics are defined by LTL and its age-dependent attrition. Strong, but indirect evidence suggests that LTL at birth and its attrition during childhood largely explains interindividual LTL variation among adults. A number of studies have estimated the heritability of LTL, but none has assessed the heritability of age-dependent LTL attrition. Methods We examined the heritability of LTL dynamics based on a longitudinal evaluation (an average follow-up of 12 years) in 355 monozygotic and 297 dizygotic same-sex twins (aged 19–64 years at baseline). Results Heritability of LTL at baseline was estimated at 64% (95% CI 39% to 83%) with 22% (95% CI 6% to 49%) of shared environmental effects. Heritability of age-dependent LTL attrition rate was estimated at 28% (95% CI 16% to 44%). Individually unique environmental factors, estimated at 72% (95% CI 56% to 84%) affected LTL attrition rate with no indication of shared environmental effects. Conclusions This is the first study that estimated heritability of LTL and also its age-dependent attrition. As LTL attrition is much slower in adults than in children and given that having a long or a short LTL is largely determined before adulthood, our findings suggest that heritability and early life environment are the main determinants of LTL throughout the human life course. Thus, insights into factors that influence LTL at birth and its dynamics during childhood are crucial for understanding the role of telomere genetics in human ageing and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob B Hjelmborg
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Christine Dalgård
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Soren Möller
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Troels Steenstrup
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Masayuki Kimura
- Center of Human Development and Aging, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Kirsten O Kyvik
- Institute of Regional Health Services Research, University of Southern Denmark and Odense Patient data Explorative Network (OPEN), Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Abraham Aviv
- Center of Human Development and Aging, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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Babovic S, Eaves CJ. Hierarchical organization of fetal and adult hematopoietic stem cells. Exp Cell Res 2014; 329:185-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2014.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Holohan B, Wright WE, Shay JW. Cell biology of disease: Telomeropathies: an emerging spectrum disorder. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 205:289-99. [PMID: 24821837 PMCID: PMC4018777 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201401012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A constellation of related genetic diseases are caused by defects in the telomere maintenance machinery. These disorders, often referred to as telomeropathies, share symptoms and molecular mechanisms, and mounting evidence indicates they are points along a spectrum of disease. Several new causes of these disorders have been recently discovered, and a number of related syndromes may be unrecognized telomeropathies. Progress in the clinical understanding of telomeropathies has in turn driven progress in the basic science of telomere biology. In addition, the pattern of genetic anticipation in some telomeropathies generates thought-provoking questions about the way telomere length impacts the course of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brody Holohan
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
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Copley MR, Eaves CJ. Developmental changes in hematopoietic stem cell properties. Exp Mol Med 2013; 45:e55. [PMID: 24232254 PMCID: PMC3849580 DOI: 10.1038/emm.2013.98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) comprise a rare population of cells that can regenerate and maintain lifelong blood cell production. This functionality is achieved through their ability to undergo many divisions without activating a poised, but latent, capacity for differentiation into multiple blood cell types. Throughout life, HSCs undergo sequential changes in several key properties. These affect mechanisms that regulate the self-renewal, turnover and differentiation of HSCs as well as the properties of the committed progenitors and terminally differentiated cells derived from them. Recent findings point to the Lin28b-let-7 pathway as a master regulator of many of these changes with important implications for the clinical use of HSCs for marrow rescue and gene therapy, as well as furthering our understanding of the different pathogenesis of childhood and adult-onset leukemia.
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Daniali L, Benetos A, Susser E, Kark JD, Labat C, Kimura M, Desai K, Granick M, Aviv A. Telomeres shorten at equivalent rates in somatic tissues of adults. Nat Commun 2013; 4:1597. [PMID: 23511462 PMCID: PMC3615479 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 467] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Accepted: 02/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere shortening in somatic tissues largely reflects stem cell replication. Previous human studies of telomere attrition were predominantly conducted on leukocytes. However, findings in leukocytes cannot be generalized to other tissues. Here we measure telomere length in leukocytes, skeletal muscle, skin and subcutaneous fat of 87 adults (aged 19–77 years). Telomeres are longest in muscle and shortest in leukocytes, yet are strongly correlated between tissues. Notably, the rates of telomere shortening are similar in the four tissues. We infer from these findings that differences in telomere length between proliferative (blood and skin) and minimally proliferative tissues (muscle and fat) are established during early life, and that in adulthood, stem cells of the four tissues replicate at a similar rate. Telomere shortening as a result of cell proliferation has been implicated in human ageing. Here, Daniali and colleagues show that telomere length and the rate of age-dependent shortening vary between adults but are similar within tissues of the same individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Daniali
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
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Benetos A, Kark JD, Susser E, Kimura M, Sinnreich R, Chen W, Steenstrup T, Christensen K, Herbig U, von Bornemann Hjelmborg J, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS, Labat C, Aviv A. Tracking and fixed ranking of leukocyte telomere length across the adult life course. Aging Cell 2013; 12:615-21. [PMID: 23601089 PMCID: PMC3798089 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Short leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with atherosclerosis in adults and diminished survival in the elderly. LTL dynamics are defined by LTL at birth, which is highly variable, and its age-dependent attrition thereafter, which is rapid during the first 20 years of life. We examined whether age-dependent LTL attrition during adulthood can substantially affect individuals’ LTL ranking (e.g., longer or shorter LTL) in relation to their peers. We measured LTL in samples donated 12 years apart on average by 1156 participants in four longitudinal studies. We observed correlations of 0.91–0.96 between baseline and follow-up LTLs. Ranking individuals by deciles revealed that 94.1% (95% confidence interval of 92.6–95.4%) showed no rank change or a 1 decile change over time. We conclude that in adults, LTL is virtually anchored to a given rank with the passage of time. Accordingly, the links of LTL with atherosclerosis and longevity appear to be established early in life. It is unlikely that lifestyle and its modification during adulthood exert a major impact on LTL ranking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanase Benetos
- Geriatric Service Nancy University Hospital Nancy 54511France
- Inserm U1116 Faculty of Medicine, Université de Lorraine Nancy 54500France
| | - Jeremy D. Kark
- The Hebrew University–Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine Ein Kerem Jerusalem Israel
| | - Ezra Susser
- Department of Epidemiology Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University New York NY 10032USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute New York NY 10032USA
| | - Masayuki Kimura
- The Center of Human Development and Aging University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School Newark NJ 07103 USA
| | - Ronit Sinnreich
- The Hebrew University–Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine Ein Kerem Jerusalem Israel
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Cardiovascular Health Tulane University New Orleans LA 70118USA
| | - Troels Steenstrup
- Epidemiology and Statistics Units Institute of Public Health, Danish Twin Registry and Danish Aging Research Center, University of Southern Denmark Odense Denmark
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Epidemiology and Statistics Units Institute of Public Health, Danish Twin Registry and Danish Aging Research Center, University of Southern Denmark Odense Denmark
| | - Utz Herbig
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School Newark NJ 07103 USA
| | - Jacob von Bornemann Hjelmborg
- Epidemiology and Statistics Units Institute of Public Health, Danish Twin Registry and Danish Aging Research Center, University of Southern Denmark Odense Denmark
| | | | - Gerald S. Berenson
- Center for Cardiovascular Health Tulane University New Orleans LA 70118USA
| | - Carlos Labat
- Geriatric Service Nancy University Hospital Nancy 54511France
- Inserm U1116 Faculty of Medicine, Université de Lorraine Nancy 54500France
| | - Abraham Aviv
- Department of Epidemiology Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University New York NY 10032USA
- The Center of Human Development and Aging University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School Newark NJ 07103 USA
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Leukocyte telomere length and coronary artery calcification in Palestinians. Atherosclerosis 2013; 229:363-8. [PMID: 23880188 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2013.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with higher incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and increased mortality. We examined the association of LTL with coronary artery calcification (CAC), which reflects the cumulative burden of coronary atherosclerosis, in an urban Arab sample of Palestinians, a population at high risk of CHD. METHODS Using a cross-sectional design, a random sample of East Jerusalem residents, comprising 250 men aged 45-77 and women aged 55-76 and free of CHD or past stroke, was drawn from the Israel national population register. LTL was measured by Southern blots. CAC was determined by 16-slice multidetector helical CT scanning using Agatston scoring. We applied multivariable logistic modeling to examine the association between sex-specific tertiles of LTL and CAC (comparing scores >100 vs. <100, and the upper third vs. the lower 2 thirds), controlling for age, sex, education and coronary risk factors. RESULTS CAC, evident in 65% of men and 52% of women, was strongly associated with age (sex-adjusted Spearman's rho 0.495). The multivariable-adjusted odds ratios for CAC >100 (found in 30% of men and 29% of women) were 2.92 (95% CI 1.28-6.68) and 2.29 (0.99-5.30) for the lower and mid-tertiles of LTL vs. the upper tertile, respectively (Ptrend = 0.008). Findings were similar for CAC scores in the upper tertile (Ptrend = 0.006), and persisted after the exclusion of patients with diabetes or receiving statins. CONCLUSIONS Shorter LTL was associated with a greater prevalence of asymptomatic coronary atherosclerosis in an urban Arab population-based sample. Mechanisms underlying this association should be sought.
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Aviv A, Susser E. Leukocyte telomere length and the father's age enigma: implications for population health and for life course. Int J Epidemiol 2013; 42:457-62. [PMID: 23382366 PMCID: PMC3619950 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dys236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
What are the implications for population health of the demographic trend toward increasing paternal age at conception (PAC) in modern societies? We propose that the effects of older PAC are likely to be broad and harmful in some domains of health but beneficial in others. Harmful effects of older PAC have received the most attention. Thus, for example, older PAC is associated with an increased risk of offspring having rare conditions such as achondroplasia and Marfan syndrome, as well as with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. However, newly emerging evidence in the telomere field suggests potentially beneficial effects, since older PAC is associated with a longer leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in offspring, and a longer LTL is associated with a reduced risk of atherosclerosis and with increased survival in the elderly. Thus, older PAC may cumulatively increase resistance to atherosclerosis and lengthen lifespan in successive generations of modern humans. In this paper we: (i) introduce these novel findings; (ii) discuss potential explanations for the effect of older PAC on offspring LTL; (iii) draw implications for population health and for life course; (iv) put forth an evolutionary perspective as a context for the multigenerational effects of PAC; and (v) call for broad and intensive research to understand the mechanisms underlying the effects of PAC. We draw together work across a range of disciplines to offer an integrated perspective of this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Aviv
- The Center of Human Development and Aging, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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76
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Sanders JL, Newman AB. Telomere length in epidemiology: a biomarker of aging, age-related disease, both, or neither? Epidemiol Rev 2013; 35:112-31. [PMID: 23302541 DOI: 10.1093/epirev/mxs008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 386] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are nucleoprotein caps flanking DNA. They are shortened by cell division and oxidative stress and are lengthened by the enzyme telomerase and DNA exchange during mitosis. Short telomeres induce cellular senescence. As an indicator of oxidative stress and senescence (2 processes thought to be fundamental to aging), telomere length is hypothesized to be a biomarker of aging. This hypothesis has been tested for more than a decade with epidemiologic study methods. In cross-sectional studies, researchers have investigated whether leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with demographic, behavioral, and health variables. In prospective studies, baseline LTL has been used to predict mortality and occasionally other adverse health outcomes. Conflicting data have generated heated debate about the value of LTL as a biomarker of overall aging. In this review, we address the epidemiologic data on LTL and demonstrate that shorter LTL is associated with older age, male gender, Caucasian race, and possibly atherosclerosis; associations with other markers of health are equivocal. We discuss the reasons for discrepancy across studies, including a detailed review of methods for measuring telomere length as they apply to epidemiology. Finally, we conclude with questions about LTL as a biomarker of aging and how epidemiology can be used to answer these questions.
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Mangino M, Hwang SJ, Spector TD, Hunt SC, Kimura M, Fitzpatrick AL, Christiansen L, Petersen I, Elbers CC, Harris T, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Kark JD, Benetos A, El Shamieh S, Visvikis-Siest S, Christensen K, Berenson GS, Valdes AM, Viñuela A, Garcia M, Arnett DK, Broeckel U, Province MA, Pankow JS, Kammerer C, Liu Y, Nalls M, Tishkoff S, Thomas F, Ziv E, Psaty BM, Bis JC, Rotter JI, Taylor KD, Smith E, Schork NJ, Levy D, Aviv A. Genome-wide meta-analysis points to CTC1 and ZNF676 as genes regulating telomere homeostasis in humans. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:5385-94. [PMID: 23001564 PMCID: PMC3510758 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with a number of common age-related diseases and is a heritable trait. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) identified two loci on chromosomes 3q26.2 (TERC) and 10q24.33 (OBFC1) that are associated with the inter-individual LTL variation. We performed a meta-analysis of 9190 individuals from six independent GWAS and validated our findings in 2226 individuals from four additional studies. We confirmed previously reported associations with OBFC1 (rs9419958 P = 9.1 × 10−11) and with the telomerase RNA component TERC (rs1317082, P = 1.1 × 10−8). We also identified two novel genomic regions associated with LTL variation that map near a conserved telomere maintenance complex component 1 (CTC1; rs3027234, P = 3.6 × 10−8) on chromosome17p13.1 and zinc finger protein 676 (ZNF676; rs412658, P = 3.3 × 10−8) on 19p12. The minor allele of rs3027234 was associated with both shorter LTL and lower expression of CTC1. Our findings are consistent with the recent observations that point mutations in CTC1 cause short telomeres in both Arabidopsis and humans affected by a rare Mendelian syndrome. Overall, our results provide novel insights into the genetic architecture of inter-individual LTL variation in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Mangino
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
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Aston KI, Hunt SC, Susser E, Kimura M, Factor-Litvak P, Carrell D, Aviv A. Divergence of sperm and leukocyte age-dependent telomere dynamics: implications for male-driven evolution of telomere length in humans. Mol Hum Reprod 2012; 18:517-22. [PMID: 22782639 PMCID: PMC3480822 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gas028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) dynamics in vivo are defined by TL and its age-dependent change, brought about by cell replication. Leukocyte TL (LTL), which reflects TL in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), becomes shorter with age. In contrast, sperm TL, which reflects TL in the male germ cells, becomes longer with age. Moreover, offspring of older fathers display longer LTL. Thus far, no study has examined LTL and sperm TL relations with age in the same individuals, nor considered their implications for the paternal age at conception (PAC) effect on offspring LTL. We report that in 135 men (mean age: 34.4 years; range: 18–68 years) on average, LTL became shorter by 19 bp/year (r = −0.3; P = 0.0004), while sperm TL became longer by 57 bp/year (r = 0.32; P = 0.0002). Based on previously reported replication rates of HSCs and male germ cells, we estimate that HSCs lose 26 bp per replication. However, male germ cells gain only 2.48 bp per replication. As TL is inherited in an allele-specific manner, the magnitude of the PAC effect on the offspring's LTL should be approximately half of age-dependent sperm-TL elongation. When we compared the PAC effect data from previous studies with sperm-TL data from this study, the result was consistent with this prediction. As older paternal age is largely a feature of contemporary humans, we suggest that there may be progressive elongation of TL in future generations. In this sense, germ cell TL dynamics could be driving the evolution of TL in modern humans and perhaps telomere-related diseases in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth I Aston
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
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Abstract
Telomeres are located at the end of chromosomes. They are composed of repetitive TTAGGG tandem repeats and associated proteins of crucial importance for telomere function. Telomeric DNA is shortened by each cell division until a critical length is achieved and the cell enters senescence and eventually apoptosis. Telomeres are therefore considered a 'biological clock' of the cell. Telomerase adds nucleotides to telomeric DNA thereby contributing to telomere maintenance, genomic stability, functions, and proliferative capacity of the cell. In certain rare forms of progeria, point mutations within the telomere lead to accelerated telomere attrition and premature aging. Endogenous factors causing telomere shortening are aging, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) shortening is inhibited by estrogen and endogenous antioxidants. Accelerated telomere attrition is associated with cardiovascular risk factors such as age, gender, obesity, smoking, sedentary life-style, excess alcohol intake, and even mental stress. Cardiovascular (CV) diseases and CV aging are usually but not invariably associated with shorter telomeres than in healthy subjects. LTL appears to be a biomarker of CV aging, reflecting the cumulative burden of endogenous and exogenous factors negatively affecting LTL. Whether accelerated telomere shortening is cause or consequence of CV aging and disease is not clear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frej Fyhrquist
- Minerva Institute for Medical Research and Department of Internal Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
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Burnett-Hartman AN, Fitzpatrick AL, Kronmal RA, Psaty BM, Jenny NS, Bis JC, Tracy RP, Kimura M, Aviv A. Telomere-associated polymorphisms correlate with cardiovascular disease mortality in Caucasian women: the Cardiovascular Health Study. Mech Ageing Dev 2012; 133:275-81. [PMID: 22449406 PMCID: PMC3391009 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2012.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Revised: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 03/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, it is unclear if LTL has an etiologic role in CVD. To gain insight into the LTL and CVD relationship, a cohort study of CVD mortality and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in OBFC1 and TERC, genes related to LTL, was conducted among 3271 Caucasian participants ages ≥65 years enrolled 1989-1990 in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Leukocyte DNA was genotyped for SNPs in OBFC1 (rs4387287 and rs9419958) and TERC (rs3772190) that were previously associated with LTL through genome-wide association studies. Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The OBFC1 SNPs were in linkage disequilibrium (r(2)=0.99), and both SNPs were similarly associated with CVD mortality in women. For women, there was a decreased risk of CVD death associated with the minor allele (rs4387287), HR=0.7; 95% CI: 0.5-0.9 (CC vs. AC) and HR=0.5; 95% CI: 0.20-1.4 (CC vs. AA) (P-trend <0.01). For men there was no association, HR=1.0; 95% CI: 0.7-1.3 (CC vs. AC) and HR=1.7; 95% CI: 0.8-3.6 (CC vs. AA) (P-trend=0.64). These findings support the hypothesis that telomere biology and associated genes may play a role in CVD-related death, particularly among women.
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81
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Kark JD, Goldberger N, Kimura M, Sinnreich R, Aviv A. Energy intake and leukocyte telomere length in young adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2012; 95:479-87. [PMID: 22237065 PMCID: PMC3260074 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.111.024521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dietary energy restriction in mammals, particularly at a young age, extends the life span. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is thought to be a bioindicator of aging in humans. High n-6 (omega-6) PUFA intake may accelerate LTL attrition. OBJECTIVE We determined whether lower energy and higher PUFA intakes in young adulthood are associated with shorter LTL in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. DESIGN In a longitudinal observational study (405 men, 204 women), diet was determined at baseline by a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire, and LTL was determined by Southern blots at mean ages of 30.1 y (baseline) and 43.2 y (follow-up). Spearman correlations and multivariable linear regression were used. RESULTS Baseline energy intake was inversely associated with follow-up LTL in men (standardized β = -0.171, P = 0.0005) but not in women (P = 0.039 for sex interaction). The difference in men between the highest and lowest quintiles of energy was 244 base pairs (bp) (95% CI: 59, 429 bp) and between extreme quintiles of LTL was 440 kcal (95% CI: 180, 700 kcal). Multivariable adjustment modestly attenuated the association (β = -0.157, P = 0.002). Inverse associations, which were noted for all macronutrients, were strongest for the unsaturated fatty acids. In multivariable models including energy and the macronutrients (as percentage of energy), the significant inverse energy-LTL association (but not the PUFA-LTL association) persisted. The energy-LTL association was restricted to never smokers (standardized β = -0.259, P = 0.0008; P = 0.050 for the smoking × calorie interaction). CONCLUSIONS The inverse calorie intake-LTL association is consistent with trial data showing beneficial effects of calorie restriction on aging biomarkers. Further exploration of energy intake and LTL dynamics in the young is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy D Kark
- Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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82
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Aviv A. Genetics of leukocyte telomere length and its role in atherosclerosis. Mutat Res 2012; 730:68-74. [PMID: 21600224 PMCID: PMC3202050 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2011.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2011] [Revised: 04/27/2011] [Accepted: 05/02/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Humans display a large inter-individual variation in leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which is influenced by heredity, sex, race/ethnicity, paternal age at conception and environmental exposures. LTL dynamics (birth LTL and its age-dependent attrition thereafter) mirror telomere dynamics in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). LTL at birth is evidently a major determinant of LTL throughout the human lifespan, such that individuals endowed with short (or long) LTL at birth probably have short (or long) LTL later in life. Therefore, the associations of short LTL with atherosclerosis and with diminished survival in the elderly may relate to short birth LTL, accelerated age-dependent LTL attrition, or both. The mechanisms underlying these associations are still not well understood, but they stem in part from genetic factors in control of telomere maintenance and the rate of HSC replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Aviv
- The Center for Human Development and Aging, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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Benetos A, Kimura M, Labat C, Buchoff GM, Huber S, Labat L, Lu X, Aviv A. A model of canine leukocyte telomere dynamics. Aging Cell 2011; 10:991-5. [PMID: 21917112 DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2011.00744.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have found associations of leukocyte telomere length (TL) with diseases of aging and with longevity. However, it is unknown whether birth leukocyte TL or its age-dependent attrition--the two factors that determine leukocyte TL dynamics--explains these associations because acquiring this information entails monitoring individuals over their entire life course. We tested in dogs a model of leukocyte TL dynamics, based on the following premises: (i) TL is synchronized among somatic tissues; (ii) TL in skeletal muscle, which is largely postmitotic, is a measure of TL in early development; and (iii) the difference between TL in leukocytes and muscle (ΔLMTL) is the extent of leukocyte TL shortening since early development. Using this model, we observed in 83 dogs (ages, 4-42 months) no significant change with age in TLs of skeletal muscle and a shorter TL in leukocytes than in skeletal muscle (P<0.0001). Age explained 43% of the variation in ΔLMTL (P<0.00001), but only 6% of the variation in leukocyte TL (P=0.035) among dogs. Accordingly, muscle TL and ΔLMTL provide the two essential factors of leukocyte TL dynamics in the individual dog. When applied to humans, the partition of the contribution of leukocyte TL during early development vs. telomere shortening afterward might provide information about whether the individual's longevity is calibrated to either one or both factors that define leukocyte TL dynamics.
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84
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Abstract
The model we propose to explain the links between atherosclerosis and telomere dynamics (birth telomere length and its age-dependent shortening) in leukocytes takes cues from three facts: atherosclerosis is a disease of the vascular endothelium; the hematopoietic system and the vascular endothelium share a common embryonic origin; interindividual variation in leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in the general population has a genetic explanation. The model posits that LTL dynamics mirror telomere dynamics in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), where telomere length is an index of HSC reserves. Diminished HSC reserves at birth, their accelerated attrition rate afterward, or both are are reflected in shortened LTL during adulthood-a phenomenon that confers increased risk for atherosclerosis. We explain how telomere length in HSCs serves as both a biomarker of atherosclerosis and a determinant of its development. Our model comes down to this proposition: Shortened LTL predicts increased atherosclerotic risk because the injurious component of atherosclerosis exceeds the repair capacity of HSC reserves, which largely depend on HSC telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Aviv
- The Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07103-2714, USA.
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85
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Smith DL, Mattison JA, Desmond RA, Gardner JP, Kimura M, Roth GS, Ingram DK, Allison DB, Aviv A. Telomere dynamics in rhesus monkeys: no apparent effect of caloric restriction. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2011; 66:1163-8. [PMID: 21860014 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glr136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of telomere attrition in limiting the replicative capacity of cells in culture is well established. In humans, epidemiologic evidence suggests telomere length (TL) in leukocytes is highly variable at birth and inversely related to age. Although calorie restriction (CR) significantly increases life span in most rodent models, its association with TL is unknown. Using linear regression analysis, TLs (as measured by Southern blot analysis) of skeletal muscle (a postmitotic tissue that largely represents early development TL), fat, leukocytes, and skin were tested for effects of age, sex, and diet in 48 control and 23 calorie restriction rhesus monkeys. After controlling for the individual's muscle mean TL, differences between leukocytes muscle and skin muscle were significantly associated with age (p = .002; p = .002) and sex (p = .003; p = .042), but not calorie restriction (p = .884; p = .766). Despite an age-dependent shortening of TL in leukocytes and skin, calorie restriction did not significantly affect TL dynamics in these samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Smith
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Main Campus, Birmingham, AL 35294-3360, USA.
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86
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Aviv A, Hunt SC, Lin J, Cao X, Kimura M, Blackburn E. Impartial comparative analysis of measurement of leukocyte telomere length/DNA content by Southern blots and qPCR. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 39:e134. [PMID: 21824912 PMCID: PMC3203599 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere length/DNA content has been measured in epidemiological/clinical settings with the goal of testing a host of hypotheses related to the biology of human aging, but often the conclusions of these studies have been inconsistent. These inconsistencies may stem from various reasons, including the use of different telomere length measurement techniques. Here, we report the first impartial evaluation of measurements of leukocyte telomere length by Southern blot of the terminal restriction fragments and quantitative PCR (qPCR) of telomere DNA content, expressed as the ratio of telomeric product (T)/single copy gene (S) product. Blind measurements on the same samples from 50 donors were performed in two independent laboratories on two different occasions. Both the qPCR and Southern blots displayed highly reproducible results as shown by r values > 0.9 for the correlations between results obtained by either method on two occasions. The inter-assay CV measurement for the qPCR was 6.45%, while that of the Southern blots was 1.74%. The relation between the results generated by Southern blots versus those generated by qPCR deviated from linearity. We discuss the ramifications of these findings with regard to measurements of telomere length/DNA content in epidemiological/clinical circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Aviv
- The Center of Human development and Aging, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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87
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Akushevich IV, Veremeyeva GA, Dimov GP, Ukraintseva SV, Arbeev KG, Akleyev AV, Yashin AI. Modeling hematopoietic system response caused by chronic exposure to ionizing radiation. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2011; 50:299-311. [PMID: 21259022 PMCID: PMC3830531 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-011-0351-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2010] [Accepted: 01/04/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A new model of the hematopoietic system response in humans chronically exposed to ionizing radiation describes the dynamics of the hematopoietic stem cell compartment as well as the dynamics of each of the four blood cell types (lymphocytes, neutrophiles, erythrocytes, and platelets). The required model parameters were estimated based on available results of human and experimental animal studies. They include the steady-state number of hematopoietic stem cells and peripheral blood cell lines in an unexposed organism, amplification parameters for each blood line, parameters describing proliferation and apoptosis, parameters of feedback functions regulating the steady-state numbers, and characteristics of radiosensitivity related to cell death and non-lethal cell damage. The model predictions were tested using data on hematological measurements (e.g., blood counts) performed in 1950-1956 in the Techa River residents chronically exposed to ionizing radiation since 1949. The suggested model of hematopoiesis is capable of describing experimental findings in the Techa River Cohort, including: (1) slopes of the dose-effect curves reflecting the inhibition of hematopoiesis due to chronic ionizing radiation, (2) delay in effect of chronic exposure and accumulated character of the effect, and (3) dose-rate patterns for different cytopenic states (e.g., leukopenia, thrombocytopenia).
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Akushevich
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, 002 Trent Hall, Box 90408, Durham, NC 27708-0408, USA.
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88
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Buxton JL, Walters RG, Visvikis-Siest S, Meyre D, Froguel P, Blakemore AIF. Childhood obesity is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011; 96:1500-5. [PMID: 21349907 PMCID: PMC3137462 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2010-2924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Obesity in adults is associated with shorter mean leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker of biological age that is also associated with age-related conditions including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. However, studies of childhood obesity and LTL have proved inconclusive. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to clarify the relationship between telomere length and childhood obesity by measuring the average LTL in a large case-control cohort. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS LTL was measured in 793 French children aged 2-17 yr (471 with early onset obesity and 322 nonobese controls) using multiplex quantitative real-time PCR. The average LTL in the two groups was compared, and the relationships between telomere length and selected anthropometric and biochemical measurements were examined. RESULTS Obese children had a mean LTL that was 23.9% shorter than that of nonobese children (P < 0.0001). Telomere length was inversely associated with age (R = -0.17, P = 0.002 in controls; R = -0.15, P = 0.001 in cases), log weight (R= -0.13, P = 0.017 in controls; R = -0.16, P = 0.0004 in cases), and height (R = -0.15, P = 0.008 in controls; R = -0.17, P = 0.0002 in cases). The mean LTL of girls and boys was not significantly different in either the cases or controls or in the group overall. CONCLUSION Obese girls and boys have significantly shorter leukocyte telomeres than their nonobese counterparts, a finding that highlights a potentially deleterious impact of early onset obesity on future health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Buxton
- Department of Genomics of Common Disease, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, Burlington-Danes Building, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.
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89
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Telomere length and cardiovascular aging: the means to the ends? Ageing Res Rev 2011; 10:297-303. [PMID: 21109027 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2010.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2010] [Revised: 11/09/2010] [Accepted: 11/12/2010] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiologic and other evidence clearly indicates that peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length, a systemic marker for biological aging, can be useful as a cardiovascular aging biomarker. Although telomere biology might yield new insights into the underlying molecular biology of vascular aging and even radically improve current cardiovascular risk stratification, the specific nature of the association between telomere length and cardiovascular disease still remains to be elucidated. Here, we review several candidate hypotheses and critically review supporting and contesting scientific evidence for the underlying theories. For each hypothesis, we discuss the potential implications. We conclude that the most promising theory is based on an acceleration of the telomere attrition rate due to cardiovascular aging related factors, possibly complemented by telomere mediated hematopoietic senescence.
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90
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Masi S, Salpea KD, Li K, Parkar M, Nibali L, Donos N, Patel K, Taddei S, Deanfield JE, D'Aiuto F, Humphries SE. Oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and telomere length in patients with periodontitis. Free Radic Biol Med 2011; 50:730-5. [PMID: 21195167 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2010.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2010] [Revised: 12/09/2010] [Accepted: 12/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in individuals with periodontitis and controls, exploring its relationship with systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Five hundred sixty-three participants were recruited for this case-control study: 356 subjects with and 207 subjects without periodontitis. LTL was measured by a qPCR technique from leukocytes' DNA. Global measures of oxidative stress (reactive oxygen metabolites) and biological antioxidant potential in plasma were performed together with high-sensitivity assays for C-reactive protein (CRP). Leukocyte counts and lipid profiles were performed using standard biochemistry. Cases had higher levels of CRP (2.1±3.7mg/L vs 1.3±5.4mg/L, P<0.001) and reactive oxygen metabolites (378.1±121.1 U Carr vs 277.4±108.6 U Carr, P<0.001) compared to controls. Overall, cases had shorter LTL with respect to controls (1.23±0.42 vs 1.12±0.31T/S ratio, P=0.006), independent of age, gender, ethnicity, and smoking habit. When divided by subgroup of periodontal diagnosis (chronic, n=285; aggressive, n=71), only chronic cases displayed shorter LTL (P=0.01). LTL was negatively correlated with age (P=0.001; R=-0.2), oxidative stress (P=0.008; R=-0.2), and severity of periodontitis (P=0.003; R=-0.2) in both the whole population and the subgroups (cases and controls). We conclude that shorter telomere lengths are associated with a diagnosis of periodontitis and their measures correlate with the oxidative stress and severity of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Masi
- Vascular Physiology Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
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91
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Maeda T, Oyama JI, Sasaki M, Arima T, Makino N. The correlation between the clinical laboratory data and the telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes of Japanese female patients with hypertension. J Nutr Health Aging 2011; 15:240-4. [PMID: 21369674 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-010-0137-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study investigated the correlation between the chronological age, telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes and blood laboratory data of female patients with mild hypertension to identify laboratory data that reflect the biological aging of individuals. DESIGN Cross-sectional population-based study. SETTING Outpatient clinic of the Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and Geriatric Medicine Kyushu University Hospital at Beppu in Japan. PARTICIPANTS Outpatients with mild hypertension treated with a low dose of amlodipine. MEASUREMENTS The laboratory data of female patients were collected and the telomere length parameters in their peripheral blood leukocytes were determined by Southern blotting. Any correlations between the laboratory data and the telomere length parameters were assessed. RESULTS The patients showed a positive correlation between the telomere length and the high density lipoprotein, albumin, creatinine, hemoglobin levels, red blood cell counts, and a negative correlation with the globulin level. The extent of subtelomeric methylation of long telomeres tended to correlate negatively with the telomeric attrition. Only the creatinine level correlated with subtelomeric methylation, but not with telomeric length. CONCLUSION HDL and the albumin/globulin ratio were potential indicators for individual somatic genomic aging. Creatinine may therefore be a useful indicator for a predisposition for telomeric attrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Maeda
- The Division of Molecular and Clinical Gerontology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Oita, 874-0838, Japan.
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92
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Eisenberg DTA. An evolutionary review of human telomere biology: the thrifty telomere hypothesis and notes on potential adaptive paternal effects. Am J Hum Biol 2011; 23:149-67. [PMID: 21319244 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.21127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2010] [Revised: 08/03/2010] [Accepted: 09/30/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres, repetitive DNA sequences found at the ends of linear chromosomes, play a role in regulating cellular proliferation, and shorten with increasing age in proliferating human tissues. The rate of age-related shortening of telomeres is highest early in life and decreases with age. Shortened telomeres are thought to limit the proliferation of cells and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Although natural selection is widely assumed to operate against long telomeres because they entail increased cancer risk, the evidence for this is mixed. Instead, here it is proposed that telomere length is primarily limited by energetic constraints. Cell proliferation is energetically expensive, so shorter telomeres should lead to a thrifty phenotype. Shorter telomeres are proposed to restrain adaptive immunity as an energy saving mechanism. Such a limited immune system, however, might also result in chronic infections, inflammatory stress, premature aging, and death--a more "disposable soma." With an increased reproductive lifespan, the fitness costs of premature aging are higher and longer telomeres will be favored by selection. Telomeres exhibit a paternal effect whereby the offspring of older fathers have longer telomeres due to increased telomere lengths of sperm with age. This paternal effect is proposed to be an adaptive signal of the expected age of male reproduction in the environment offspring are born into. The offspring of lineages of older fathers will tend to have longer, and thereby less thrifty, telomeres, better preparing them for an environment with higher expected ages at reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan T A Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-1330, USA.
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93
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Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) replicate (self-renew) to create 2 daughter cells with capabilities equivalent to their parent, as well as differentiate, and thus can both maintain and restore blood cell production. Cell labeling with division-sensitive markers and competitive transplantation studies have been used to estimate the replication rate of murine HSCs in vivo. However, these methods are not feasible in humans and surrogate assays are required. In this report, we analyze the changing ratio with age of maternal/paternal X-chromosome phenotypes in blood cells from females and infer that human HSCs replicate on average once every 40 weeks (range, 25-50 weeks). We then confirm this estimate with 2 independent approaches, use the estimate to simulate human hematopoiesis, and show that the simulations accurately reproduce marrow transplantation data. Our simulations also provide evidence that the number of human HSCs increases from birth until adolescence and then plateaus, and that the ratio of contributing to quiescent HSCs in humans significantly differs from mouse. In addition, they suggest that human marrow failure, such as the marrow failure that occurs after umbilical cord blood transplantation and with aplastic anemia, results from insufficient numbers of early progenitor cells, and not the absence of HSCs.
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94
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Chen W, Kimura M, Kim S, Cao X, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS, Kark JD, Aviv A. Longitudinal versus cross-sectional evaluations of leukocyte telomere length dynamics: age-dependent telomere shortening is the rule. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2011; 66:312-9. [PMID: 21310811 PMCID: PMC3041470 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glq223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is considered a biomarker of human aging and based on cross-sectional studies it shortens with age. However, longitudinal studies reported that many adults display LTL lengthening. METHODS Using Southern blots, we compared cross-sectional rates of age-related LTL change across a ∼20 year age range with those based on longitudinal evaluations in three surveys (S1, S2, and S3) with three time intervals: S1-S2 (5.8 years), S2-S3 (6.6 years), and S1-S3 (12.4 years). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to explore LTL dynamics using LTL data from S1, S2, and S3. RESULTS Cross-sectionally, mean LTL shortenings were 24.6, 25.4, and 23.6 bp/y at S1, S2, and S3, respectively. Longitudinally, more variation was observed in the rate of LTL change during the shorter than longer follow-up periods. Furthermore, using simple differences in LTL, 14.4% and 10.7% of individuals displayed LTL lengthening during S1-S2 and S2-S3, respectively, but only 1.5% during S1-S3 (p < 0.001). The estimated mean rate of LTL shortening based on averaging empirical Bayes' estimates of LTL from a parsimonious hierarchical linear modeling model was 31 bp/y with a range from 23 to 47 bp/y with none of the participants showing LTL lengthening over the average 12.4 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS As aging displays a unidirectional progression, it is unlikely that LTL elongates with age. LTL elongation in longitudinal studies primarily reflects measurement errors of LTL in relation to the duration of follow-up periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Chen
- Tulane Center for Cardiovascular Health, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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95
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Synchrony of telomere length among hematopoietic cells. Exp Hematol 2010; 38:854-9. [PMID: 20600576 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2010.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2010] [Revised: 06/15/2010] [Accepted: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Little is known about the relationship of telomere length among leukocyte subsets and cells up the hematopoietic hierarchy. This information is relevant because telomere dynamics in granulocytes were postulated to mirror those of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS In newborn umbilical cord blood (UCB), we examined the relationships of telomere length in hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) (CD34(+)CD45(-)) with those in T lymphocytes and granulocytes. In addition, we correlated telomere length in granulocytes with those in whole leukocyte samples of individuals ranging in age from birth to 100 years. RESULTS In the UCB, we found strong correlations of telomere length in HPCs with telomere length in T lymphocytes (r ranging from 0.882 to 0.935; p ranging from 0.0038 to 0.0007) and in granulocytes (r = 0.930; p = 0.0072). At birth, strong correlations were also observed between telomere length in granulocytes and those in all leukocytes (r = 0.979; p = 0.0003). Throughout the human lifespan, the relationship between telomere length in granulocytes and that in all leukocytes was r > 0.980 and p < 0.0001. CONCLUSIONS Robust synchrony exists among leukocyte subsets throughout the human lifespan; individuals with relatively long (or short) telomeres in one leukocyte subset have long (or short) telomeres in other leukocyte subsets. Moreover, telomere length in leukocytes reflects its length in cells up the hematopoietic hierarchy, i.e., HPCs and, by inference, HSCs. Strong links have been found by many studies between leukocyte telomere length and a host of aging-related diseases. Our findings suggest, therefore, that these links might be traced to telomere dynamics in HSCs.
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96
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Levy D, Neuhausen SL, Hunt SC, Kimura M, Hwang SJ, Chen W, Bis JC, Fitzpatrick AL, Smith E, Johnson AD, Gardner JP, Srinivasan SR, Schork N, Rotter JI, Herbig U, Psaty BM, Sastrasinh M, Murray SS, Vasan RS, Province MA, Glazer NL, Lu X, Cao X, Kronmal R, Mangino M, Soranzo N, Spector TD, Berenson GS, Aviv A. Genome-wide association identifies OBFC1 as a locus involved in human leukocyte telomere biology. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:9293-8. [PMID: 20421499 PMCID: PMC2889047 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0911494107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are engaged in a host of cellular functions, and their length is regulated by multiple genes. Telomere shortening, in the course of somatic cell replication, ultimately leads to replicative senescence. In humans, rare mutations in genes that regulate telomere length have been identified in monogenic diseases such as dyskeratosis congenita and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which are associated with shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and increased risk for aplastic anemia. Shortened LTL is observed in a host of aging-related complex genetic diseases and is associated with diminished survival in the elderly. We report results of a genome-wide association study of LTL in a consortium of four observational studies (n = 3,417 participants with LTL and genome-wide genotyping). SNPs in the regions of the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding folds containing one gene (OBFC1; rs4387287; P = 3.9 x 10(-9)) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 gene (CXCR4; rs4452212; P = 2.9 x 10(-8)) were associated with LTL at a genome-wide significance level (P < 5 x 10(-8)). We attempted replication of the top SNPs at these loci through de novo genotyping of 1,893 additional individuals and in silico lookup in another observational study (n = 2,876), and we confirmed the association findings for OBFC1 but not CXCR4. In addition, we confirmed the telomerase RNA component (TERC) as a gene associated with LTL (P = 1.1 x 10(-5)). The identification of OBFC1 through genome-wide association as a locus for interindividual variation in LTL in the general population advances the understanding of telomere biology in humans and may provide insights into aging-related disorders linked to altered LTL dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Levy
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA
- Center for Population Studies, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
- Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Susan L. Neuhausen
- Department Population Sciences, The Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - Steven C. Hunt
- Cardiovascular Genetics Division, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Masayuki Kimura
- Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101
| | - Shih-Jen Hwang
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA
- Center for Population Studies, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
- Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Wei Chen
- Bogalusa Heart Study, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Joshua C. Bis
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit and Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
- Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Annette L. Fitzpatrick
- Departments of Epidemiology and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Erin Smith
- The Scripps Translational Science Institute and The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, CA 92037
| | - Andrew D. Johnson
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA
- Center for Population Studies, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
- Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Jeffrey P. Gardner
- Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101
| | - Sathanur R. Srinivasan
- Bogalusa Heart Study, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Nicholas Schork
- The Scripps Translational Science Institute and The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, CA 92037
| | - Jerome I. Rotter
- Medical Genetics Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Utz Herbig
- Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101
| | - Bruce M. Psaty
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit and Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
- Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle, WA 98105
- Departments of Epidemiology and Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Malinee Sastrasinh
- Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101
| | - Sarah S. Murray
- The Scripps Translational Science Institute and The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, CA 92037
| | - Ramachandran S. Vasan
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA
- Center for Population Studies, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
- Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118
| | - Michael A. Province
- Division of Statistical Genomics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108
| | - Nicole L. Glazer
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit and Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
- Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Xiaobin Lu
- Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101
| | - Xiaojian Cao
- Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101
| | - Richard Kronmal
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Massimo Mangino
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom; and
| | - Nicole Soranzo
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom; and
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton CB10 1HH, United Kingdom
| | - Tim D. Spector
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom; and
| | - Gerald S. Berenson
- Bogalusa Heart Study, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Abraham Aviv
- Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101
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Hjelmborg JVB, Nzietchueng R, Kimura M, Gardner JP, Bladbjerg EM, Christensen K, Aviv A, Benetos A. Leukocyte telomere length is inversely correlated with plasma Von Willebrand factor. Thromb Res 2010; 125:e339-42. [PMID: 20398917 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2010.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2010] [Revised: 03/04/2010] [Accepted: 03/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is short, while the plasma level of Von Willebrand (VWF) is high in persons with atherosclerosis. Moreover, both short LTLs and high VWF levels are observed in individuals who display risks for atherosclerosis, including hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance, cigarette smoking and low socio-economic status. We examined the association between LTL and VWF plasma levels to test the hypothesis that high levels of VWF promote an increase in the turnover of blood cells, including leukocytes. Such a process would heighten the rate of age-dependent LTL attrition, ultimately resulting in shortened LTL. METHODS We studied 3 cohorts: the ADELAHYDE study (age 60-87years), the ERA study (age 41-88years) and the Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins (LSADT) (age 73-94years). RESULTS Multiple regression analysis with LTL as the dependent variable, and age, sex and VWF as the independent variables showed that LTL was inversely correlated with VWF in the ADELAHYDE (beta=-0.125, p<0.001) and the ERA study (beta=-0.148, p=0.010). The LSADT displayed VWF x age interaction, which was incorporated into the model, showing that LTL was also inversely correlated with VWF (beta=-0.057, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS The inverse relationship between LTL and VWF, observed in 3 different populations, suggests that LTL might be linked to the coagulative status of the individual. Further research will be required to confirm our observations and their clinical ramifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob V B Hjelmborg
- The Danish Aging Research Center and Research unit of Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark
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Vasan RS, Demissie S, Kimura M, Cupples LA, White C, Gardner JP, Cao X, Levy D, Benjamin EJ, Aviv A. Association of leukocyte telomere length with echocardiographic left ventricular mass: the Framingham heart study. Circulation 2009; 120:1195-202. [PMID: 19752323 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.109.853895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) decreases over the adult life course owing to the cumulative burden of oxidative stress, inflammation, and exposure to vascular risk factors. Left ventricular (LV) mass is a biomarker of long-standing exposure to cardiovascular disease risk factors. We hypothesized that LTL is related inversely to LV mass. METHODS AND RESULTS We related LTL (measured by Southern blot analysis) to echocardiographic LV mass and its components (LV diastolic dimension and LV wall thickness) in 850 Framingham Heart Study participants (mean age 58 years, 58% women) using multivariable linear regression with adjustment for age, sex, height, weight, systolic blood pressure, hypertension treatment, and smoking. Overall, multivariable-adjusted LTL was positively related to LV mass (beta-coefficient per SD increase 0.072; P=0.001), LV wall thickness (beta=0.053; P=0.01), and LV diastolic dimension (beta=0.035; P=0.09). We observed effect modification by hypertension status (P for interaction=0.02 for LV mass); LTL was more strongly associated with LV mass and LV wall thickness in individuals with hypertension (beta-coefficient per SD increment of 0.10 and 0.08, respectively; P<0.01 for both). Participants with hypertension who were in the top quartile of LV mass had LTL that was 250 base pairs longer than those in the lowest quartile (P for trend across quartiles=0.009). CONCLUSIONS In contrast to our expectation, in the present community-based sample, LTL was positively associated with LV mass and wall thickness, especially so in participants with hypertension. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that longer LTL may be a marker of propensity to LV hypertrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramachandran S Vasan
- Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt Wayte Ave, Suite 2, Framingham, MA 01702-5827, USA.
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De Meyer T, Rietzschel ER, De Buyzere ML, Langlois MR, De Bacquer D, Segers P, Van Damme P, De Backer GG, Van Oostveldt P, Van Criekinge W, Gillebert TC, Bekaert S. Systemic telomere length and preclinical atherosclerosis: the Asklepios Study. Eur Heart J 2009; 30:3074-81. [DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehp324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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