301
|
Harris SE, Marioni RE, Martin-Ruiz C, Pattie A, Gow AJ, Cox SR, Corley J, von Zglinicki T, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Longitudinal telomere length shortening and cognitive and physical decline in later life: The Lothian Birth Cohorts 1936 and 1921. Mech Ageing Dev 2016; 154:43-8. [PMID: 26876762 PMCID: PMC4798845 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Telomere length is hypothesised to be a biological marker of both cognitive and physical ageing. Here we measure telomere length, and cognitive and physical abilities at mean ages 70, 73 and 76 years in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936), and at mean ages 79, 87, 90 and 92 years in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 (LBC1921). We investigate whether telomere length change predicts change in cognitive and physical abilities. In LBC1936 telomere length decreased by an average of 65 base pairs per year and in LBC1921 by 69 base pairs per year. However, change in telomere length did not predict change in cognitive or physical abilities. This study shows that, although cognitive ability, walking speed, lung function and grip strength all decline with age, they do so independently of telomere length shortening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Harris
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Medical Genetics Section, University of Edinburgh Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine and MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Medical Genetics Section, University of Edinburgh Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine and MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Carmen Martin-Ruiz
- Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
| | - Alison Pattie
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Alan J Gow
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Department of Psychology, School of Life Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Janie Corley
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Thomas von Zglinicki
- Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
| | - John M Starr
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
302
|
An R, Yan H. Body weight status and telomere length in U.S. middle-aged and older adults. Obes Res Clin Pract 2016; 11:51-62. [PMID: 26895795 DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Telomere length has been proposed as a biomarker of biological aging. This study examined the relationship between body weight status and telomere length in U.S. middle-aged and older adults. METHODS Nationally representative data (N=2749) came from the Health and Retirement Study. Linear regressions were performed to examine the relationship between baseline body weight status reported in 1992 and telomere length measured in 2008 in the overall sample and by sex and racial/ethnic groups, adjusted for individual characteristics. RESULTS Baseline overweight (25kg/m2≤body mass index [BMI]<30kg/m2) and obesity (BMI≥30kg/m2) status positively predicted telomere length 17 years later. Compared with their normal weight counterparts, telomere length ratio was on average 0.062 (95% confidence interval=0.016, 0.109) and 0.125 (0.048, 0.202) larger among overweight and obese adults, respectively. In comparison to women and racial/ethnic minorities, the estimated positive associations between overweight and obesity status and telomere length were more salient among men and non-Hispanic whites, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The positive association between body weight status and telomere length found in this study was opposite to what existing biological model predicts, and could partially relate to the nonlinear relationship between body weight status and telomere length across age cohorts, and/or the lack of reliability of BMI as an indicator for adiposity in the older population. Large-scale longitudinal studies with baseline telomere length measures are warranted to replicate this study finding and explore the potential heterogeneous relationship between body weight status and telomere length.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruopeng An
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.
| | - Hai Yan
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
| |
Collapse
|
303
|
Gu Y, Yu C, Miao L, Wang L, Xu C, Xue W, Du J, Yuan H, Dai J, Jin G, Hu Z, Ma H, Shen H. Telomere length, genetic variants and risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in Southeast Chinese. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20675. [PMID: 26857734 PMCID: PMC4746643 DOI: 10.1038/srep20675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere dysfunction participates in malignant transformation and tumorigenesis. Previous studies have explored the associations between telomere length (TL) and cancer susceptibility; however, the findings are inconclusive. The associations between genetic variants and TL have been verified by quite a few genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Yet, to date, there was no published study on the relationship between TL, related genetic variants and susceptibility to squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) in Chinese. Hence, we detected relative telomere length (RTL) by using quantitative PCR and genotyped seven selected single nucleotide polymorphisms by TaqMan allelic discrimination assay in 510 SCCHN cases and 913 controls in southeast Chinese. The results showed that RTL was significantly associated with SCCHN risk [(adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08–1.32, P = 0.001]. Furthermore, among seven selected SNPs, only G allele of rs2736100 related to RTL in Caucasians was significantly associated with both the decreased RTL (P = 0.002) and the increased susceptibility to SCCHN in Chinese (additive model: adjusted OR = 1.17, 95%CI = 1.00–1.38, P = 0.049). These findings provide evidence that shortened TL is a risk factor for SCCHN, and genetic variants can contribute to both TL and the susceptibility to SCCHN in southeast Chinese population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yayun Gu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Chengxiao Yu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Limin Miao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Lihua Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Chongquan Xu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Wenjie Xue
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Jiangbo Du
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Hua Yuan
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Juncheng Dai
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Guangfu Jin
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Zhibin Hu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Hongxia Ma
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Hongbing Shen
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| |
Collapse
|
304
|
Ridout KK, Ridout SJ, Price LH, Sen S, Tyrka AR. Depression and telomere length: A meta-analysis. J Affect Disord 2016; 191:237-47. [PMID: 26688493 PMCID: PMC4760624 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.11.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several recent studies have investigated the relationship between telomere length and depression with inconsistent results. This meta-analysis examined whether telomere length and depression are associated and explored factors that might affect this association. METHODS Studies measuring telomere length in subjects with clinically significant unipolar depression were included. A comprehensive search strategy identified studies in PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Global Health, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. A structured data abstraction form was used and studies were appraised for inclusion or exclusion using a priori conditions. Analyses were conducted using standardized mean differences in a continuous random effects model. RESULTS Thirty-eight studies (N=34,347) met the inclusion criteria. The association between depression and telomere length was significant, with a Cohen's d effect size of -0.205 (p<0.0001, I(2)=42%). Depression severity significantly associated with telomere length (p=0.03). Trim and fill analysis indicated the presence of publication bias (p=0.003), but that the association remained highly significant after accounting for the bias. Subgroup analysis revealed depression assessment tools, telomere measurement techniques, source tissue and comorbid medical conditions significantly affected the relationship. LIMITATIONS Other potentially important sub-groups, including antidepressant use, have not been investigated in sufficient detail or number yet and thus were not addressed in this meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS There is a negative association between depression and telomere length. Further studies are needed to clarify potential causality underlying this association and to elucidate the biology linking depression and this cellular marker of stress exposure and aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn K. Ridout
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School
of Brown University, Providence, RI,Address Correspondence to: Kathryn K. Ridout, M.D.,
Ph.D., Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI 02906. TEL: (401)
455-6270. FAX: (401) 455-6252.
| | - Samuel J. Ridout
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School
of Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Lawrence H. Price
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School
of Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Srijan Sen
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute and Department of
Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Audrey R. Tyrka
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School
of Brown University, Providence, RI
| |
Collapse
|
305
|
Meyer A, Salewsky B, Buchmann N, Steinhagen-Thiessen E, Demuth I. Relative Leukocyte Telomere Length, Hematological Parameters and Anemia - Data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II). Gerontology 2016; 62:330-6. [DOI: 10.1159/000430950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
|
306
|
Zhang J, Rane G, Dai X, Shanmugam MK, Arfuso F, Samy RP, Lai MKP, Kappei D, Kumar AP, Sethi G. Ageing and the telomere connection: An intimate relationship with inflammation. Ageing Res Rev 2016; 25:55-69. [PMID: 26616852 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are the heterochromatic repeat regions at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, whose length is considered to be a determinant of biological ageing. Normal ageing itself is associated with telomere shortening. Here, critically short telomeres trigger senescence and eventually cell death. This shortening rate may be further increased by inflammation and oxidative stress and thus affect the ageing process. Apart from shortened or dysfunctional telomeres, cells undergoing senescence are also associated with hyperactivity of the transcription factor NF-κB and overexpression of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ in circulating macrophages. Interestingly, telomerase, a reverse transcriptase that elongates telomeres, is involved in modulating NF-κB activity. Furthermore, inflammation and oxidative stress are implicated as pre-disease mechanisms for chronic diseases of ageing such as neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. To date, inflammation and telomere shortening have mostly been studied individually in terms of ageing and the associated disease phenotype. However, the interdependent nature of the two demands a more synergistic approach in understanding the ageing process itself and for developing new therapeutic approaches. In this review, we aim to summarize the intricate association between the various inflammatory molecules and telomeres that together contribute to the ageing process and related diseases.
Collapse
|
307
|
Meyer A, Salewsky B, Spira D, Steinhagen-Thiessen E, Norman K, Demuth I. Leukocyte telomere length is related to appendicular lean mass: cross-sectional data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II). Am J Clin Nutr 2016; 103:178-83. [PMID: 26675777 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.115.116806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Age-related progressive loss of muscle mass is an increasing problem in our aging society, affecting physical ability, risk of falls, and need for health care. Telomere length has been recognized as a marker of biological age on the population level. The relation between muscle mass in advanced age and telomere length, however, has rarely been examined. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the relation between appendicular lean mass (ALM) and relative leukocyte telomere length (rLTL) in 1398 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (mean ± SD age: 68.2 ± 3.7 y; 49.6% men). DESIGN rLTL was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Lean mass was estimated by dual X-ray absorptiometry and examined as leg lean mass (LLM), ALM, and the ratio of ALM to body mass index (ALMBMI). RESULTS Weak, but highly significant (P < 0.001), correlations of rLTL with ALM (r = 0.248), ALMBMI (r = 0.254), and LLM (r = 0.263) were found. In the fully adjusted model that included age, BMI, low-grade inflammation, lifestyle factors, and morbidities as potential confounders, rLTL was associated with ALM (β = 1.11, SEM = 0.46, P = 0.017), LLM (β = 1.20, SEM = 0.36, P = 0.001), and ALMBMI (β = 0.04, SEM = 0.02, P = 0.013) in men and with LLM in women (β = 0.78, SEM = 0.35, P = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that short telomeres may be a risk factor for lower ALM, particularly for low LLM. To confirm the association between telomere attrition and loss of LLM and ALMBMI, which are highly relevant for physical ability, further research in a longitudinal context is needed. The medical portion of this trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Registry (http://drks-neu.uniklinik-freiburg.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=start) as DRKS00009277.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bastian Salewsky
- Charité Research Group on Geriatrics and Institute of Medical and Human Genetics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
308
|
Kahl VFS, Simon D, Salvador M, Branco CDS, Dias JF, da Silva FR, de Souza CT, da Silva J. Telomere measurement in individuals occupationally exposed to pesticide mixtures in tobacco fields. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2016; 57:74-84. [PMID: 26426910 DOI: 10.1002/em.21984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Occupational exposure to pesticides in tobacco fields causes genetic damage in farmers. The aim of this study was to analyze tobacco farmers chronically exposed to low doses of pesticides and nicotine (present in the tobacco leaves) in relation to absolute telomere length (aTL), and explore the influence of lifestyle characteristics, oxidative stress, and inorganic element levels. DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples from agricultural workers and non-exposed individuals, and aTL was measured by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. Oxidative stress (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS], which measures oxidative damage to lipids; and toxic equivalent antioxidant capacity [TEAC], which measures total equivalent antioxidant capacity) was evaluated in serum, and inorganic element content was analyzed in whole blood through particle-induced X-ray emission technique. It was found that exposure to pesticides and tobacco smoking had significant effects on aTL. Individuals occupationally exposed to complex mixtures of pesticides in tobacco fields and individuals who smoked had decreased aTL compared with the non-exposed group. TBARS and TEAC were significantly elevated in the exposed group. There were no significant differences in inorganic elements. There was no evidence of an influence of age, gender, consumption of alcoholic beverages, or intake of fruits and vegetables on aTL within the groups. In addition, years of work in the tobacco field in the exposed group did not influence any of the variables analyzed. Although further studies were needed, these results suggested differences in telomere maintenance in tobacco farmers compared with the control group, indicating that telomere length may be a good biomarker of occupational exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vívian Francília Silva Kahl
- Laboratory of Genetic Toxicology Postgraduate Program in Molecular and Cell Biology Applied to Health, Lutheran University of Brazil, Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Daniel Simon
- Laboratory of Human Molecular Genetics Postgraduate Program in Molecular and Cell Biology Applied to Health, Lutheran University of Brazil, Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Mirian Salvador
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Caxias Do Sul, Caxias Do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Cátia dos Santos Branco
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Caxias Do Sul, Caxias Do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Johnny Ferraz Dias
- Ion Implantation Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Claudia Telles de Souza
- Ion Implantation Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Juliana da Silva
- Laboratory of Genetic Toxicology Postgraduate Program in Molecular and Cell Biology Applied to Health, Lutheran University of Brazil, Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
309
|
Wei YB, Martinsson L, Liu JJ, Forsell Y, Schalling M, Backlund L, Lavebratt C. hTERT genetic variation in depression. J Affect Disord 2016; 189:62-9. [PMID: 26406970 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomeres are protective DNA-protein complexes forming the chromosome ends. TL differs between tissues. Shorter telomere length (TL) in blood leukocytes (LTL) has been associated with major depression, and with previous exposure to childhood adversity. TL studies on non-invasively sampled salivary DNA are less common. Telomerase, with its catalytic subunit hTERT, counteracts telomere shortening. Reduced telomerase activity associates with depression-like behavior in mice. Recently, the minor allele of the hTERT polymorphism rs2736100 was associated with shorter LTL among primarily healthy individuals. We hypothesized that (i) TL in saliva DNA is shortened in adults with a history of depression, and that (ii) rs2736100 is implicated in depression and depressive episodes in bipolar disorder type 1 (BD1). METHODS Individuals with a history of depression and those without (controls) were identified using self-reported questionnaires from a well-characterized population-based cohort. Clinical BD1 patients were diagnosed by specialized psychiatrists. Saliva TL was measured in age-matched depressed individuals and controls (n=662) using qRT-PCR. rs2736100 was genotyped in 436 depressed individuals, 1590 controls, and 368 BD1 patients. RESULTS Saliva TL was shorter in depressed individuals compared to controls. The rs2736100 minor allele was associated with depression among those without experience of childhood adversity, and with number of depressive episodes in BD1 patients responding well to lithium. LIMITATION Psychopathological symptoms were recorded at two time points only, 3 and 6 years prior to DNA sampling. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report on hTERT genetic variation in mood disorder. It proposes that genetic variation in hTERT may influence the susceptibility to depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ya Bin Wei
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Neurogenetics Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lina Martinsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jia Jia Liu
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Neurogenetics Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Nursing, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yvonne Forsell
- Department of Public Health Science, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Schalling
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Neurogenetics Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lena Backlund
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Neurogenetics Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Catharina Lavebratt
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Neurogenetics Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
310
|
Sports and Exercise at Different Ages and Leukocyte Telomere Length in Later Life--Data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142131. [PMID: 26630493 PMCID: PMC4668005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical activity and sports have repeatedly been reported to be associated with telomere length. We studied the association of different types of sports across different stages of life on relative leukocyte telomere length (rLTL) in advanced age.815 participants (397 men) from the Berlin Aging Study II aged over 61 years were included in the analysis. rLTL was measured by real time PCR and physical activity was determined retrospectively by questionnaire, assessing type and duration of sports in the past as well as currently. Five separate multiple linear regression models adjusted for various control variables were performed. 67.3% of participants exercised currently, whereas 19.4% performed sports only between the age of 20 and 30. rLTL was higher in subjects who stated to exercise currently (N = 456), and in subjects who engaged in endurance (N = 138) or intensive activity sports (N = 32). Current physical activity was positively associated with rLTL in the risk factor adjusted regression model (β = 0.26, p < 0.001) and practicing sports for a minimum of 10 years preceding the assessment had a significant effect on rLTL (β = 0.39, p = 0.011). The highest impact was seen for intensive activity sports (β = 0.79, p < 0.001) and physical activity since at least 42 years (β = 0.47, p = 0.001). However, physical activity only between 20 and 30 years of age did not affect rLTL in old age when compared to no sports at all (β = -0.16, p = 0.21). Physical activity is clearly associated with longer rLTL. The effect is seen with longer periods of physical activity (at least 10 years), with intensive sports activities having the greatest impact on rLTL. Our data suggest that regular physical activity for at least 10 years is necessary to achieve a sustained effect on rLTL.
Collapse
|
311
|
Walker AE, Morgan RG, Ives SJ, Cawthon RM, Andtbacka RHI, Noyes D, Lesniewski LA, Richardson RS, Donato AJ. Age-related arterial telomere uncapping and senescence is greater in women compared with men. Exp Gerontol 2015; 73:65-71. [PMID: 26602606 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Telomere uncapping increases with advancing age in human arteries and this telomere uncapping is associated with increased markers of senescence, independent of mean telomere length. However, whether there are sex specific differences in arterial telomere uncapping is unknown. We found that telomere uncapping (serine 139 phosphorylated histone γ-H2A.X in telomeres) in arteries was ~2.5 fold greater in post-menopausal women (n=17, 63±2 years) compared with pre-menopausal women (n=11, 30±2 years, p=0.02), while there was only a trend towards greater telomere uncapping in older men (n=26, 66±2 years) compared with young men (n=11, 31±2, p=0.11). Senescence markers, p53 bound to the p21 gene promoter and p21 gene expression, were 3-4 fold greater in post-menopausal compared with pre-menopausal women (p=0.01-0.02), but only 1.5-2 fold greater in older compared with young men (p=0.02-0.08). Blood glucose was related to telomere uncapping in women, while systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and serum creatinine were related to telomere uncapping in men. Mean arterial telomere length decreased similarly in women and men with age (p<0.01). Thus, the age-related increase in arterial telomere uncapping and senescence is greater in women than men, despite similar age-related reductions in mean telomere length in both sexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley E Walker
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - R Garrett Morgan
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Research Department, Navy Experimental Diving Unit, Panama City, FL, USA
| | - Stephen J Ives
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Health and Exercise Sciences Department, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Richard M Cawthon
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Dirk Noyes
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lisa A Lesniewski
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Russell S Richardson
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Anthony J Donato
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
312
|
Julin B, Shui IM, Prescott J, Giovannucci EL, De Vivo I. Plasma vitamin D biomarkers and leukocyte telomere length in men. Eur J Nutr 2015; 56:501-508. [PMID: 26558766 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-015-1095-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Vitamin D may reduce telomere shortening through anti-inflammatory and anti-cell proliferation mechanisms. In women, higher plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) has been shown to be associated with longer telomere length, but the relationship has not been assessed in men. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 25(OH)D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) and relative leukocyte telomere length (LTL) among 2483 men [1832 men for 1,25(OH)2D] who were selected as cases and controls in three studies of telomeres and cancer nested within the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. We also genotyped 95 SNPs representing common genetic variation in vitamin D pathway genes. LTL was measured by quantitative PCR, and z-scores within each study were calculated. Associations were assessed by linear as well as logistic regression adjusting for age and other potential confounders. RESULTS Age (P-trend < 0.0001), pack-years of smoking (P-trend = 0.04) and body mass index (P-trend = 0.05) were inversely associated with LTL. Neither 25(OH)D nor 1,25(OH)2D was associated with LTL (multivariable-adjusted P-trend 0.69 and 0.41, respectively, for the linear regression model). One SNP in the retinoid X receptor alpha gene was associated with long LTL (P = 0.0003). CONCLUSIONS In this cross-sectional study of men, 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D were not associated with relative LTL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Julin
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Program in Genetic Epidemiology and Statistical Genetics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Irene M Shui
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jennifer Prescott
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Program in Genetic Epidemiology and Statistical Genetics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Edward L Giovannucci
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Immaculata De Vivo
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Program in Genetic Epidemiology and Statistical Genetics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
313
|
Is bipolar disorder associated with accelerating aging? A meta-analysis of telomere length studies. J Affect Disord 2015; 186:241-8. [PMID: 26253905 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with a reduced life expectancy compared to the general population mainly due to a high prevalence of comorbid somatic illnesses. A model of accelerated aging has been proposed as a potential explanation to these epidemiological findings. Nevertheless, studies measuring telomere length (TL) in patients with BD compared to healthy controls have provided mixed results. OBJECTIVE To compare TL between BD patients and healthy controls, and to search for potential modeP<rators for observed differences. METHODS We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of original studies comparing TL in patients with BD vs. healthy controls published up to February 24th, 2015 in main electronic databases. Heterogeneity was explored through meta-regression and subgroup analysis. RESULTS Seven studies met inclusion criteria (N=1115). There was no difference in TL between participants with BD and healthy controls (Hedges's g=-0.012; 95% CI=-0.418 to 0.393, P=0.952). There was no evidence for publication bias. Heterogeneity was high (I(2)=89.65%). In meta-regression analyses, the percentage of females in healthy control samples (P=0.04) and the methodological quality of included studies (P<0.001) emerged as significant moderators, while subgroup analyses suggest that the type of assay employed to measure TL and age- and gender-matching of BD and HC participants may contribute to heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS Telomere length does not differ between participants with BD vs. healthy controls; this finding does not support the view of BD as an illness associated with accelerated cellular aging. However, more studies controlling for potential confounders are necessary.
Collapse
|
314
|
Simons MJP. Questioning causal involvement of telomeres in aging. Ageing Res Rev 2015; 24:191-6. [PMID: 26304838 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Multiple studies have demonstrated that telomere length predicts mortality and that telomeres shorten with age. Although rarely acknowledged these associations do not dictate causality. I review telomerase knockout and overexpression studies and find little support that telomeres cause aging. In addition, the causality hypothesis assumes that there is a critical telomere length at which senescence is induced. This generates the prediction that variance in telomere length decreases with age. In contrast, using meta-analysis of human data, I find no such decline. Inferring the causal involvement of telomeres in aging from current knowledge is therefore speculative and could hinder scientific progress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mirre J P Simons
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
315
|
Telomere length is not associated with frailty in older Chinese elderly: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. Mech Ageing Dev 2015; 152:74-9. [PMID: 26483096 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Telomere shortening has been associated with biological age and several chronic degenerative diseases. However, less is known about telomere length and frailty, which is an indicator of biological age. This study examines the association between telomere length and frailty in a prospective study over five years of 2006 men and women aged 65 years and older living in the community. The frailty status was determined by the Fried's criteria. Telomere length in leukocytes was measured using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between telomere length and incidence of frailty. Among 2006 subjects (mean age 72.4±5.1 years, 51.3% women), the mean telomere length at baseline was 9.1±2.0kb and the frailty phenotype was detected in 127 subjects (6.3%). Male gender was related to shorter telomere length, with increased years of age related to a shortened telomere length (P<0.05). In both men and women, no statistically significant difference of telomere length and the frailty phenotype was observed at baseline. After 4 years of follow-up, 116 cases of frailty were identified. There was no association between telomere length and incident frailty. In conclusion, telomere length was not associated with frailty in this study population.
Collapse
|
316
|
Telomere length and recurrence risk after curative resection in patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer: a prospective cohort study. J Thorac Oncol 2015; 10:302-8. [PMID: 25299235 DOI: 10.1097/jto.0000000000000398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We hypothesized that telomere length in peripheral blood would have significant predictive value for risk of recurrence after curative resection in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS This prospective study included 473 patients with histologically confirmed early stage NSCLC who underwent curative therapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1995 and 2008. Relative telomere length (RTL) of peripheral leukocytes was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The risk of recurrence was estimated as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS Median duration of follow-up was 61 months, and 151 patients (32%) had developed recurrence at time of analysis. Patients who developed recurrence had significantly longer mean RTL compared with those without recurrence (1.13 versus 1.07, p = 0.046). A subgroup analysis indicates that women had longer RTL compared with men (1.12 versus 1.06, p = 0.025), and the patients with adenocarcinoma demonstrated longer RTL compared with those with other histologic types (1.11 versus 1.05, p = 0.042). To determine whether longer RTL in women and adenocarcinoma subgroup would predict risk of recurrence, multivariate Cox analysis adjusting for age, sex, stage, pack year and treatment regimens was performed. Longer telomeres were significantly associated with higher risk of developing recurrence in women (hazard ratio [HR], 2.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-4.96, p = 0.044) and adenocarcinoma subgroups (HR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.05-4.55, p = 0.036). The increased risk of recurrence due to long RTL was more apparent in women with adenocarcinoma (HR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.19-6.03, p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS This is the first prospective study to suggest that long RTL is associated with recurrence in early stage NSCLC after curative resection. Women and adenocarcinoma seem to be special subgroups in which telomere biology may play an important role.
Collapse
|
317
|
Telomere Length Is Not Related to Established Cardiovascular Risk Factors but Does Correlate with Red and White Blood Cell Counts in a German Blood Donor Population. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139308. [PMID: 26445269 PMCID: PMC4596489 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is considered a marker of biological aging and has been associated with the presence of various coronary risk factors in patients. Much less is known about the relationships between TL and classic coronary risk factors in other populations. We measured TL in peripheral blood leukocytes of 343 middle-aged blood donors (mean age 40.2 ± 12.4 years; 201 men, 142 women) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Median TL was 0.86 (range: 0.48–1.85) relative TL units. In linear regression analyses with natural log-transformed T to S ratio as the dependent variable, there was a significant association with age (per year: beta = -0.007, p<0.001) and sex (males vs. females: beta = 0.075, p = 0.007) with longer telomeres in men. After adjusting for these two variables, we observed no association of TL with classic coronary risk factors including cholesterol (p = 0.36), triglyceride (p = 0.09), HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.26), LDL-cholesterol (p = 0.36), smoking (p = 0.97), and personal (p = 0.46) or family history (p = 0.63) of cardiovascular disease. However, we did find a significant positive association with white (p = 0.011) and red blood cell count (p = 0.031), hemoglobin (p = 0.014) and hematocrit (p = 0.013); we also found a borderline positive association with thrombocytes (p = 0.074). Positive associations remained significant for hemoglobin (p = 0.017), hematocrit (p = 0.023), and leukocytes (p = 0.009) in a subgroup with no reported vascular disease; associations were of borderline significance for erythrocytes (p = 0.053) and thrombocytes (p = 0.088) in this subgroup. The data do not support the concept that classic coronary risk factors contribute to telomere attrition in a blood donor population. However, telomere attrition may be a marker for reduced proliferation reserve in hematopoietic progenitor cells.
Collapse
|
318
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
319
|
Lustig AJ. Potential Risks in the Paradigm of Basic to Translational Research: A Critical Evaluation of qPCR Telomere Size Techniques. JOURNAL OF CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY & TREATMENT 2015; 1:28-37. [PMID: 26435846 PMCID: PMC4590993 DOI: 10.24218/jcet.2015.08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Real time qPCR has become the method of choice for rapid large-scale telomere length measurements. Large samples sizes are critical for clinical trials, and epidemiological studies. QPCR has become such routine procedure that it is often used with little critical analysis. With proper controls, the mean telomere size can be derived from the data and even the size can be estimated. But there is a need for more consistent and reliable controls that will provide closer to the actual mean size can be obtained with uniform consensus controls. Although originating at the level of basic telomere research, many researchers less familiar with telomeres often misunderstand the source and significance of the qPCR metric. These include researchers and clinicians who are interested in having a rapid tool to produce exciting results in disease prognostics and diagnostics than in the multiple characteristics of telomeres that form the basis of the measurement. But other characteristics of the non-bimodal and heterogeneous telomeres as well as the complexities of telomere dynamics are not easily related to qPCR mean telomere values. The qPCR metric does not reveal the heterogeneity and dynamics of telomeres. This is a critical issue since mutations in multiple genes including telomerase can cause telomere dysfunction and a loss of repeats. The smallest cellular telomere has been shown to arrest growth of the cell carrying the dysfunction telomere. A goal for the future is a simple method that takes into account the heterogeneity by measuring the highest and lowest values as part of the scheme to compare. In the absence of this technique, Southern blots need to be performed in a subset of qPCR samples for both mean telomere size and the upper and lower extremes of the distribution. Most importantly, there is a need for greater transparency in discussing the limitations of the qPCR data. Given the potentially exciting qPCR telomere size results emerging from clinical studies that relate qPCR mean telomere size estimates to disease states, the current ambiguities have become urgent issues to validate the findings and to set the right course for future clinical investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur J Lustig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, USA
| |
Collapse
|
320
|
Lindqvist D, Epel ES, Mellon SH, Penninx BW, Révész D, Verhoeven JE, Reus VI, Lin J, Mahan L, Hough CM, Rosser R, Bersani FS, Blackburn EH, Wolkowitz OM. Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:333-64. [PMID: 25999120 PMCID: PMC4501875 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Many psychiatric illnesses are associated with early mortality and with an increased risk of developing physical diseases that are more typically seen in the elderly. Moreover, certain psychiatric illnesses may be associated with accelerated cellular aging, evidenced by shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which could underlie this association. Shortened LTL reflects a cell's mitotic history and cumulative exposure to inflammation and oxidation as well as the availability of telomerase, a telomere-lengthening enzyme. Critically short telomeres can cause cells to undergo senescence, apoptosis or genomic instability, and shorter LTL correlates with poorer health and predicts mortality. Emerging data suggest that LTL may be reduced in certain psychiatric illnesses, perhaps in proportion to exposure to the psychiatric illnesses, although conflicting data exist. Telomerase has been less well characterized in psychiatric illnesses, but a role in depression and in antidepressant and neurotrophic effects has been suggested by preclinical and clinical studies. In this article, studies on LTL and telomerase activity in psychiatric illnesses are critically reviewed, potential mediators are discussed, and future directions are suggested. A deeper understanding of cellular aging in psychiatric illnesses could lead to re-conceptualizing them as systemic illnesses with manifestations inside and outside the brain and could identify new treatment targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lindqvist
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Section for Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Synthia H Mellon
- Department of OB-GYN and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brenda W Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dóra Révész
- Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Josine E Verhoeven
- Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Victor I Reus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Laura Mahan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christina M Hough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca Rosser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - F Saverio Bersani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Owen M Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
321
|
Edmonds GW, Côté HCF, Hampson SE. Childhood Conscientiousness and Leukocyte Telomere Length 40 Years Later in Adult Women--Preliminary Findings of a Prospective Association. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26218760 PMCID: PMC4517862 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) shortens with age, and is a prospective marker of mortality related to cardiovascular disease. Many health behaviors and social environmental factors have been found to be associated with LTL. Several of these are also associated with conscientiousness, a dispositional personality trait. Conscientiousness is a propensity to be planful, adhere to social norms, and inhibit pre-potent responses. Like LTL, conscientiousness is prospectively related to mortality, possibly through cumulative effects on health over the life course via multiple pathways. As a result, we hypothesized that childhood levels of conscientiousness would predict LTL prospectively in adulthood. We selected a sample of 60 women in the Hawaii Personality and Health Cohort; 30 described by their teachers as high on conscientiousness in childhood and 30 described as low on the trait. Dried blood spot samples collected in adulthood 40 years later were used as sources of DNA for the LTL assay. Conscientiousness was associated with longer LTL (p = .02). Controlling for age did not account for this association. Controlling for education and physiological dysregulation partially attenuated the association, and the effect remained significant when accounting for differences in LTL across cultural groups. These results represent the first evidence that childhood personality prospectively predicts LTL 40 years later in adulthood. Our findings would be consistent with a mediation hypothesis whereby conscientiousness predicts life paths and trajectories of health that are reflected in rates of LTL erosion across the lifespan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grant W. Edmonds
- Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail: (GE)
| | - Hélène C. F. Côté
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sarah E. Hampson
- Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
322
|
Hunt SC, Kimura M, Hopkins PN, Carr JJ, Heiss G, Province MA, Aviv A. Leukocyte telomere length and coronary artery calcium. Am J Cardiol 2015; 116:214-8. [PMID: 25960381 PMCID: PMC4475426 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2015.03.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Patients with histories of myocardial infarction display shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL), but conflicting findings have been reported on the relation between LTL and subclinical coronary artery atherosclerosis, as expressed by coronary artery calcium (CAC). The aim of this study was to examine the relation between LTL, measured by Southern blots, and CAC in 3,169 participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. Participants consisted of 2,556 whites, 613 blacks, 1,790 women, and 1,379 men. The odds of having CAC ≥100 for the shortest LTL tertile versus the longest LTL tertile were 1.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28 to 3.16) in white men and 1.76 (95% CI 1.18 to 2.45) in white women, after adjusting for multiple covariates of CAC. The corresponding odds ratios for blacks were 1.53 (95% CI 0.67 to 3.50) and 0.87 (95% CI 0.37 to 2.00). Significance levels of tests for trend across LTL tertiles were p = 0.002 in white men, p = 0.006 in white women, p = 0.32 in black men, and p = 0.74 in black women. The associations, or lack of associations, were independent of C-reactive protein levels and other risk factors for CAC. As previously shown in other studies, whites displayed shorter LTLs than blacks (p <0.0001). In conclusion, the higher the coronary artery atherosclerotic burden in whites, the shorter the LTL. This LTL-atherosclerosis connection is not found in blacks. The mechanisms for the racial difference in LTL, CAC, and their interrelations do not seem to be related to inflammation and merit further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven C Hunt
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar; Cardiovascular Genetics Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Masayuki Kimura
- The Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Paul N Hopkins
- Cardiovascular Genetics Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - J Jeffrey Carr
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Gerardo Heiss
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Michael A Province
- Division of Statistical Genomics, Department of Genetics, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Abraham Aviv
- The Center of Human Development and Aging, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey
| |
Collapse
|
323
|
Ma L, Li Y, Wang J. Telomeres and essential hypertension. Clin Biochem 2015; 48:1195-9. [PMID: 26169243 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2015.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Revised: 07/05/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This review aims to clarify the relationship between telomeres and essential hypertension. DESIGN AND METHODS A PubMed search and a critical review were performed relating to studies about the clinical and biological relevance of telomeres in essential hypertension. RESULTS Telomeres and telomerase activity play an important role in the occurrence and development of hypertension in both animal and human studies. CONCLUSIONS A more complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of hypertension could reduce the incidence of hypertension-related diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lina Ma
- Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
| | - Jieyu Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
| |
Collapse
|
324
|
Eisenberg DT, Kuzawa CW, Hayes MG. Improving qPCR telomere length assays: Controlling for well position effects increases statistical power. Am J Hum Biol 2015; 27:570-5. [PMID: 25757675 PMCID: PMC4478151 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Telomere length (TL) is commonly measured using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Although, easier than the southern blot of terminal restriction fragments (TRF) TL measurement method, one drawback of qPCR is that it introduces greater measurement error and thus reduces the statistical power of analyses. To address a potential source of measurement error, we consider the effect of well position on qPCR TL measurements. METHODS qPCR TL data from 3,638 people run on a Bio-Rad iCycler iQ are reanalyzed here. To evaluate measurement validity, correspondence with TRF, age, and between mother and offspring are examined. RESULTS First, we present evidence for systematic variation in qPCR TL measurements in relation to thermocycler well position. Controlling for these well-position effects consistently improves measurement validity and yields estimated improvements in statistical power equivalent to increasing sample sizes by 16%. We additionally evaluated the linearity of the relationships between telomere and single copy gene control amplicons and between qPCR and TRF measures. We find that, unlike some previous reports, our data exhibit linear relationships. We introduce the standard error in percent, a superior method for quantifying measurement error as compared to the commonly used coefficient of variation. Using this measure, we find that excluding samples with high measurement error does not improve measurement validity in our study. CONCLUSIONS Future studies using block-based thermocyclers should consider well position effects. Since additional information can be gleaned from well position corrections, rerunning analyses of previous results with well position correction could serve as an independent test of the validity of these results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan T.A. Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington
| | - Christopher W. Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University
| | - M. Geoffrey Hayes
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
| |
Collapse
|
325
|
Pinkerton KE, Harbaugh M, Han MK, Jourdan Le Saux C, Van Winkle LS, Martin WJ, Kosgei RJ, Carter EJ, Sitkin N, Smiley-Jewell SM, George M. Women and Lung Disease. Sex Differences and Global Health Disparities. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2015; 192:11-6. [PMID: 25945507 PMCID: PMC4511423 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201409-1740pp] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that a number of pulmonary diseases affect women differently and with a greater degree of severity than men. The causes for such sex disparity is the focus of this Blue Conference Perspective review, which explores basic cellular and molecular mechanisms, life stages, and clinical outcomes based on environmental, sociocultural, occupational, and infectious scenarios, as well as medical health beliefs. Owing to the breadth of issues related to women and lung disease, we present examples of both basic and clinical concepts that may be the cause for pulmonary disease disparity in women. These examples include those diseases that predominantly affect women, as well as the rising incidence among women for diseases traditionally occurring in men, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sociocultural implications of pulmonary disease attributable to biomass burning and infectious diseases among women in low- to middle-income countries are reviewed, as are disparities in respiratory health among sexual minority women in high-income countries. The implications of the use of complementary and alternative medicine by women to influence respiratory disease are examined, and future directions for research on women and respiratory health are provided.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mary Harbaugh
- Public Advisory Roundtable of the American Thoracic Society, New York, New York
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
326
|
Nelson CA, Varcin KJ, Coman NK, De Vivo I, Tager-Flusberg H. Shortened Telomeres in Families With a Propensity to Autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2015; 54:588-94. [PMID: 26088664 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Shortened telomeres have been linked to poorer health outcomes. Exposure to psychological stress is associated with accelerated telomere shortening, and a well-established body of evidence indicates that families with a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience heightened levels of psychological stress. Also, alterations in a number of biological processes implicated in telomere length dynamics (i.e., oxidative stress, DNA methylation) have been linked to ASD susceptibility. We examined whether families of children with ASD who have an infant show shortened telomeres. METHOD Saliva samples were collected from infants, their older sibling (proband), and parents in families with or without a child with ASD. Infants and their families were designated as high-risk for ASD (HRA; n = 86) or low-risk for ASD (LRA; n = 118) according to the older siblings' diagnostic status. We used the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) telomere assay to determine relative average telomere length for each participant. RESULTS HRA families demonstrated significantly shorter telomere length relative to LRA families. This effect was observed at the individual family member level, with infants, probands, and mothers in HRA families showing reduced relative telomere length compared to individuals in LRA families; although not significant, fathers of high-risk infants showed a similar pattern of decreased telomere length. CONCLUSION Families of children with ASD who have an infant show shortened telomeres relative to families with no history of ASD. These results suggest that such "high-risk" families should be monitored for the physical and mental health consequences that are often associated with accelerated telomere shortening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.
| | - Kandice J Varcin
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
| | - Nicole K Coman
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital
| | - Immaculata De Vivo
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health Program in Genetic Epidemiology, Boston, and Statistical Genetics and Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
| | | |
Collapse
|
327
|
Automated Assay of Telomere Length Measurement and Informatics for 100,000 Subjects in the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) Cohort. Genetics 2015; 200:1061-72. [PMID: 26092717 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.178624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Kaiser Permanente Research Program on Genes, Environment, and Health (RPGEH) Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) cohort includes DNA specimens extracted from saliva samples of 110,266 individuals. Because of its relationship to aging, telomere length measurement was considered an important biomarker to develop on these subjects. To assay relative telomere length (TL) on this large cohort over a short time period, we created a novel high throughput robotic system for TL analysis and informatics. Samples were run in triplicate, along with control samples, in a randomized design. As part of quality control, we determined the within-sample variability and employed thresholds for the elimination of outlying measurements. Of 106,902 samples assayed, 105,539 (98.7%) passed all quality control (QC) measures. As expected, TL in general showed a decline with age and a sex difference. While telomeres showed a negative correlation with age up to 75 years, in those older than 75 years, age positively correlated with longer telomeres, indicative of an association of longer telomeres with more years of survival in those older than 75. Furthermore, while females in general had longer telomeres than males, this difference was significant only for those older than age 50. An additional novel finding was that the variance of TL between individuals increased with age. This study establishes reliable assay and analysis methodologies for measurement of TL in large, population-based human studies. The GERA cohort represents the largest currently available such resource, linked to comprehensive electronic health and genotype data for analysis.
Collapse
|
328
|
Park M, Verhoeven JE, Cuijpers P, Reynolds III CF, Penninx BWJH. Where You Live May Make You Old: The Association between Perceived Poor Neighborhood Quality and Leukocyte Telomere Length. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128460. [PMID: 26083263 PMCID: PMC4471265 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Strong evidence supports that living in disadvantaged neighborhoods has direct unfavorable impact on mental and physical health. However, whether it also has direct impact on cellular health is largely unknown. Thus we examined whether neighborhood quality was associated with leukocyte telomere length, an indicator of cellular aging. Methods In May 2014, we extracted and analyzed baseline data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), a large epidemiological study of individuals age between 18–65 years (n=2902). Telomere length was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Neighborhood quality was assessed using modified measures of perceived neighborhood disorder, fear of crime, and noise. We used multivariable linear regression models to examine association between perceived neighborhood quality and telomere length with comprehensive adjustment for individual and community characteristics related to socioeconomic and demographic status, urbanization level, mental and physical health, and lifestyle. Results Compared to individuals who reported good neighborhood quality, the mean telomere length of those who reported moderate neighborhood quality was approximately 69 base pair shorter (β =-69.33, 95% CI: -119.49, -19.17, p= 0.007), and that of those who reported poor neighborhood quality were 174 base pair shorter (β =-173.80, 95% CI: -298.80, -49.01, p=0.006). For illustrative purposes, one could extrapolate these outcomes to 8.7 and 11.9 years in chronological age, respectively. Conclusion We have established an association between perceived neighborhood quality and cellular aging over and above a range of individual attributes. Biological aging processes may be impacted by socioeconomic milieu.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mijung Park
- Department of Health and Community Systems, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Josine E. Verhoeven
- Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pim Cuijpers
- Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Charles F. Reynolds III
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Brenda W. J. H. Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
329
|
Drury SS, Esteves K, Hatch V, Woodbury M, Borne S, Adamski A, Theall KP. Setting the trajectory: racial disparities in newborn telomere length. J Pediatr 2015; 166:1181-6. [PMID: 25681203 PMCID: PMC4414786 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore racial differences in newborn telomere length (TL) and the effect moderation of the sex of the infant while establishing the methodology for the use of newborn blood spots for TL analyses. STUDY DESIGN Pregnant mothers were recruited from the Greater New Orleans area. TL was determined via monochrome multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction on DNA extracted from infant blood spots. Demographic data and other covariates were obtained via maternal report before the infant's birth. Birth outcome data were obtained from medical records and maternal report. RESULTS Black infants weighed significantly less than white infants at birth and had significantly longer TL than white infants (P=.0134), with the strongest effect observed in black female infants. No significant differences in gestational age were present. CONCLUSIONS Significant racial differences in TL were present at birth in this sample, even after we controlled for a range of birth outcomes and demographic factors. Because longer initial TL is predictive of more rapid TL attrition across the life course, these findings provide evidence that, even at birth, biological vulnerability to early life stress may differ by race and sex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stacy S Drury
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
| | - Kyle Esteves
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
| | - Virginia Hatch
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
| | | | - Sophie Borne
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
| | - Alys Adamski
- Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
| | - Katherine P Theall
- Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
| |
Collapse
|
330
|
No strong correlations between serum cytokine levels, CMV serostatus and hand-grip strength in older subjects in the Berlin BASE-II cohort. Biogerontology 2015; 17:189-98. [PMID: 25906063 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-015-9577-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Hand-grip strength is strongly correlated with measures of muscle mass and can be taken to predict morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between hand-grip strength and other markers associated with immune ageing, such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, leukocyte telomere length and serum levels of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers in the elderly. We have assessed grip strength with the Smedley Dynamometer in younger (22-37 years) and older (60-85 years) men and women in a sample of people living in Berlin (the BASE-II study). Serum cytokine levels were determined by flow-cytometry, CMV serostatus via ELISA and leukocyte telomere length by quantitative PCR. IL-1β levels tended to be negatively associated with grip strength, but we did not find a significant association with IL-6 levels. CMV-seropositivity was not associated with higher levels of IL-1β, IL-6 or TNF, nor with weaker grip strength in men or women at any age. A putative general measure of organismal ageing, overall leukocyte telomere length, was also found not to be associated with lower grip strength in the elderly. Hand-grip strength remains an important biomarker independent of CMV infection or shorter telomere lengths, and poorly reflected in peripheral pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, all of which have been associated in some studies with frailty and mortality.
Collapse
|
331
|
Comparative Meta-Analysis of Transcriptomics Data during Cellular Senescence and In Vivo Tissue Ageing. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2015; 2015:732914. [PMID: 25977747 PMCID: PMC4419258 DOI: 10.1155/2015/732914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have employed DNA microarrays to identify gene expression signatures that mark human ageing; yet the features underlying this complicated phenomenon remain elusive. We thus conducted a bioinformatics meta-analysis on transcriptomics data from human cell- and biopsy-based microarrays experiments studying cellular senescence or in vivo tissue ageing, respectively. We report that coregulated genes in the postmitotic muscle and nervous tissues are classified into pathways involved in cancer, focal adhesion, actin cytoskeleton, MAPK signalling, and metabolism regulation. Genes that are differentially regulated during cellular senescence refer to pathways involved in neurodegeneration, focal adhesion, actin cytoskeleton, proteasome, cell cycle, DNA replication, and oxidative phosphorylation. Finally, we revealed genes and pathways (referring to cancer, Huntington's disease, MAPK signalling, focal adhesion, actin cytoskeleton, oxidative phosphorylation, and metabolic signalling) that are coregulated during cellular senescence and in vivo tissue ageing. The molecular commonalities between cellular senescence and tissue ageing are also highlighted by the fact that pathways that were overrepresented exclusively in the biopsy- or cell-based datasets are modules either of the same reference pathway (e.g., metabolism) or of closely interrelated pathways (e.g., thyroid cancer and melanoma). Our reported meta-analysis has revealed novel age-related genes, setting thus the basis for more detailed future functional studies.
Collapse
|
332
|
Liu JCY, Leung JM, Ngan DA, Nashta NF, Guillemi S, Harris M, Lima VD, Um SJ, Li Y, Tam S, Shaipanich T, Raju R, Hague C, Leipsic JA, Bourbeau J, Tan WC, Harrigan PR, Sin DD, Montaner J, Man SFP. Absolute leukocyte telomere length in HIV-infected and uninfected individuals: evidence of accelerated cell senescence in HIV-associated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124426. [PMID: 25885433 PMCID: PMC4401786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has extended the longevity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. However, this has resulted in greater awareness of age-associated diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Accelerated cellular senescence may be responsible, but its magnitude as measured by leukocyte telomere length is unknown and its relationship to HIV-associated COPD has not yet been established. We measured absolute telomere length (aTL) in peripheral leukocytes from 231 HIV-infected adults. Comparisons were made to 691 HIV-uninfected individuals from a population-based sample. Subject quartiles of aTL were assessed for relationships with measures of HIV disease severity, airflow obstruction, and emphysema severity on computed tomographic (CT) imaging. Multivariable regression models identified factors associated with shortened aTL. Compared to HIV-uninfected subjects, the mean aTL in HIV-infected patients was markedly shorter by 27 kbp/genome (p<0.001); however, the slopes of aTL vs. age were not different (p=0.469). Patients with longer known durations of HIV infection (p=0.019) and lower nadir CD4 cell counts (p=0.023) had shorter aTL. Shorter aTL were also associated with older age (p=0.026), smoking (p=0.005), reduced forced expiratory volume in one second (p=0.030), and worse CT emphysema severity score (p=0.049). HIV-infected subjects demonstrate advanced cellular aging, yet in a cART-treated cohort, the relationship between aTL and age appears no different from that of HIV-uninfected subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David A. Ngan
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Negar F. Nashta
- AIDS Research Program, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Silvia Guillemi
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Division of HIV/AIDS, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marianne Harris
- AIDS Research Program, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Division of HIV/AIDS, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Viviane D. Lima
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Soo-Jung Um
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Yuexin Li
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sheena Tam
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tawimas Shaipanich
- UBC Department of Medicine and Division of Respiratory Medicine, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rekha Raju
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Cameron Hague
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jonathon A. Leipsic
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jean Bourbeau
- Respiratory Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Montreal Chest Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Wan C. Tan
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - P. Richard Harrigan
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Don D. Sin
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- UBC Department of Medicine and Division of Respiratory Medicine, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Julio Montaner
- Division of HIV/AIDS, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - S. F. Paul Man
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- UBC Department of Medicine and Division of Respiratory Medicine, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
333
|
Haver VG, Hartman MHT, Mateo Leach I, Lipsic E, Lexis CP, van Veldhuisen DJ, van Gilst WH, van der Horst IC, van der Harst P. Leukocyte telomere length and left ventricular function after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: data from the glycometabolic intervention as adjunct to primary coronary intervention in ST elevation myocardial infarction (GIPS-III) trial. Clin Res Cardiol 2015; 104:812-21. [PMID: 25840550 PMCID: PMC4580719 DOI: 10.1007/s00392-015-0848-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Telomere length has been associated with coronary artery disease and heart failure. We studied whether leukocyte telomere length is associated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods and results Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was determined using the monochrome multiplex quantitative PCR method in 353 patients participating in the glycometabolic intervention as adjunct to primary percutaneous coronary intervention in STEMI III trial. LVEF was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. The mean age of patients was 58.9 ± 11.6 years, 75 % were male. In age- and gender-adjusted models, LTL at baseline was significantly associated with age (beta ± standard error; −0.33 ± 0.01; P < 0.01), gender (0.15 ± 0.03; P < 0.01), TIMI flow pre-PCI (0.05 ± 0.03; P < 0.01), TIMI flow post-PCI (0.03 ± 0.04; P < 0.01), myocardial blush grade (−0.05 ± 0.07; P < 0.01), serum glucose levels (−0.11 ± 0.01; P = 0.03), and total leukocyte count (−0.11 ± 0.01; P = 0.04). At 4 months after STEMI, LVEF was well preserved (54.1 ± 8.4 %) and was not associated with baseline LTL (P = 0.95). Baseline LTL was associated with
n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) at 4 months (−0.14 ± 0.01; P = 0.02), albeit not independent for age and gender. Conclusion Our study does not support a role for LTL as a causal factor related to left ventricular ejection fraction after STEMI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent G Haver
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Minke H T Hartman
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Mateo Leach
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Erik Lipsic
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chris P Lexis
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J van Veldhuisen
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wiek H van Gilst
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Iwan C van der Horst
- Department of Intensive Care, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pim van der Harst
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
334
|
Gruszecka A, Kopczyński P, Cudziło D, Lipińska N, Romaniuk A, Barczak W, Rozwadowska N, Totoń E, Rubiś B. Telomere shortening in Down syndrome patients--when does it start? DNA Cell Biol 2015; 34:412-7. [PMID: 25786194 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2014.2746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common aneuploidy. In general population, its prevalence is 1:600-1:800 live births. It is caused by a trisomy of chromosome 21. DS is phenotypically manifested by premature aging, upward slant to the eyes, epicanthus, flattened face, and poor muscle tone. In addition to physical changes, this syndrome is characterized by early onset of diseases specific to old age, such as Alzheimer's disease, vision and hearing problems, and precocious menopause. Since DS symptoms include premature aging, the shortening of telomeres might be one of the markers of cellular aging. Consequently, the aim of the study was to determine the length of the telomeres in leukocytes from the blood of juvenile patients with DS (n=68) compared to an age-matched control group (n=56) and also to determine the diagnostic or predictive value for this parameter. We show that, for the first time, in juveniles, the average relative telomere length in studied subjects is significantly longer than in the control group (50.46 vs. 40.56, respectively arbitrary units [AU]; p=0.0026). The results provide interesting basis for further research to determine the causes and consequences of telomere maintaining and the dynamics of this process in patients with DS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Gruszecka
- 1Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Przemysław Kopczyński
- 2Centre for Orthodontic Mini-implants at the Department and Clinic of Maxillofacial Orthopedics and Orthodontics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Dorota Cudziło
- 3Orthodontic Department, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Lipińska
- 1Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Romaniuk
- 1Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wojciech Barczak
- 4Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland.,5Radiobiology Laboratory, Department of Medical Physics, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Ewa Totoń
- 1Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Błażej Rubiś
- 1Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
335
|
Wei YB, Backlund L, Wegener G, Mathé AA, Lavebratt C. Telomerase dysregulation in the hippocampus of a rat model of depression: normalization by lithium. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 18:pyv002. [PMID: 25618407 PMCID: PMC4540104 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyv002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomeres are protective DNA-protein complexes at the ends of each chromosome, maintained primarily by the enzyme telomerase. Shortening of the blood leukocyte telomeres is associated with aging, several chronic diseases, and stress, eg, major depression. Hippocampus is pivotal in the regulation of cognition and mood and the main brain region of telomerase activity. Whether there is telomere dysfunction in the hippocampus of depressed subjects is unknown. Lithium, used in the treatment and relapse prevention of mood disorders, was found to protect against leukocyte telomere shortening in humans, but the mechanism has not been elucidated. To answer the questions whether telomeres are shortened and the telomerase activity changed in the hippocampus and whether lithium could reverse the process, we used a genetic model of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line rat, and treated the animals with lithium. METHODS Telomere length, telomerase reverse transcriptase (Tert) expression, telomerase activity, and putative mediators of telomerase activity were investigated in the hippocampus of these animals. RESULTS The naïve Flinders Sensitive Line had shorter telomere length, downregulated Tert expression, reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels, and reduced telomerase activity compared with the Flinders Resistant Line controls. Lithium treatment normalized the Tert expression and telomerase activity in the Flinders Sensitive Line and upregulated β-catenin. CONCLUSION This is the first report showing telomere dysregulation in hippocampus of a well-defined depression model and restorative effects of lithium treatment. If replicated in other models of mood disorder, the findings will contribute to understanding both the telomere function and the mechanism of lithium action in hippocampus of depressed patients.
Collapse
|
336
|
Factor-Litvak P, Susser E. The importance of early life studies of telomere attrition. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2015; 29:144-5. [PMID: 25711129 PMCID: PMC4382587 DOI: 10.1111/ppe.12181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pam Factor-Litvak
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
| | - Ezra Susser
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| |
Collapse
|
337
|
Qi Nan W, Ling Z, Bing C. The influence of the telomere-telomerase system on diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2015; 19:849-64. [PMID: 25677239 DOI: 10.1517/14728222.2015.1016500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The telomere-telomerase system plays an important role in the pathogenesis and disease progression of diabetes mellitus as well as in its vascular complications. Recent studies suggest that telomere shortening and abnormal telomerase activity occur in patients with diabetes mellitus, and targeting the telomere-telomerase system has become a prospective treatment for diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications. This review highlights the significance of the telomere-telomerase system and supports its role as a possible therapeutic target for patients with diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications Areas covered: This review covers the advances in understanding the telomere-telomerase system over the last 30 years and its significance in diabetes mellitus. In addition, it provides knowledge regarding the significance of the telomere-telomerase system in diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications as well as its role and mechanisms in oxidative stress, cell therapy and antioxidant activity Expert opinion: The telomere-telomerase system may be a potential therapeutic target that can protect against DNA damage and apoptosis in patients with diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications. DNA damage and apoptosis are associated with oxidative stress and are involved in the dysfunction of pancreatic β cells, insulin resistance, and its vascular complications. Abnormalities in the telomere-telomerase system may be associated with diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications. Therapies targeting telomere-telomerase system, telomerase reverse transcriptase transfection and alterative telomere lengthening must be identified before gene therapy can commence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wu Qi Nan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of the Third Military Medical University, Endocrine Department , Chongqing, Post number: 400038 , China
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
338
|
Population-specific association of genes for telomere-associated proteins with longevity in an Italian population. Biogerontology 2015; 16:353-64. [DOI: 10.1007/s10522-015-9551-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
339
|
Sridharan DM, Asaithamby A, Bailey SM, Costes SV, Doetsch PW, Dynan WS, Kronenberg A, Rithidech KN, Saha J, Snijders AM, Werner E, Wiese C, Cucinotta FA, Pluth JM. Understanding cancer development processes after HZE-particle exposure: roles of ROS, DNA damage repair and inflammation. Radiat Res 2015; 183:1-26. [PMID: 25564719 DOI: 10.1667/rr13804.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
During space travel astronauts are exposed to a variety of radiations, including galactic cosmic rays composed of high-energy protons and high-energy charged (HZE) nuclei, and solar particle events containing low- to medium-energy protons. Risks from these exposures include carcinogenesis, central nervous system damage and degenerative tissue effects. Currently, career radiation limits are based on estimates of fatal cancer risks calculated using a model that incorporates human epidemiological data from exposed populations, estimates of relative biological effectiveness and dose-response data from relevant mammalian experimental models. A major goal of space radiation risk assessment is to link mechanistic data from biological studies at NASA Space Radiation Laboratory and other particle accelerators with risk models. Early phenotypes of HZE exposure, such as the induction of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage signaling and inflammation, are sensitive to HZE damage complexity. This review summarizes our current understanding of critical areas within the DNA damage and oxidative stress arena and provides insight into their mechanistic interdependence and their usefulness in accurately modeling cancer and other risks in astronauts exposed to space radiation. Our ultimate goals are to examine potential links and crosstalk between early response modules activated by charged particle exposure, to identify critical areas that require further research and to use these data to reduced uncertainties in modeling cancer risk for astronauts. A clearer understanding of the links between early mechanistic aspects of high-LET response and later surrogate cancer end points could reveal key nodes that can be therapeutically targeted to mitigate the health effects from charged particle exposures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D M Sridharan
- a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
340
|
Kalpouzos G, Rizzuto D, Keller L, Fastbom J, Santoni G, Angleman S, Graff C, Bäckman L, Fratiglioni L. Telomerase Gene (hTERT) and Survival: Results From Two Swedish Cohorts of Older Adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2014; 71:188-95. [PMID: 25452402 PMCID: PMC4707686 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glu222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere length has been associated with longevity. As telomere length is partly determined by the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), we investigated the association between an hTERT polymorphism located in its promoter region (−1327T/C) and longevity in two cohorts of older adults. Participants from the Kungsholmen project (KP; n = 1,205) and the Swedish National study of Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K; n = 2,764) were followed for an average period of 7.5 years. The main outcomes were hazard ratios (HR) of mortality and median age at death. In both cohorts, mortality was lower in female T/T carriers, aged 75+ years in KP (HR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.5–0.9) and 78+ years in SNAC-K (HR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4–0.8) compared with female C/C carriers. T/T carriers died 1.8–3 years later than the C/C carriers. This effect was not present in men, neither in SNAC-K women aged 60–72 years. The association was not modified by presence of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, number of chronic diseases, or markers of inflammation, and did not interact with APOE genotype or estrogen replacement therapy. The gender-specific increased survival in T/T carriers can be due to a synergistic effect between genetic background and the life-long exposure to endogenous estrogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grégoria Kalpouzos
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Debora Rizzuto
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lina Keller
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Division of Neurogeriatrics, NVS, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Fastbom
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Giola Santoni
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Angleman
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Caroline Graff
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, NVS, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura Fratiglioni
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
341
|
Shorter telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes is associated with childhood autism. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7073. [PMID: 25399515 PMCID: PMC4233346 DOI: 10.1038/srep07073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are protective chromosomal structures that play a key role in preserving genomic stability. Epidemiologic studies have shown that the abnormal telomere length in leukocytes is associated with some mental disorders and age-related diseases. However, the association between leukocyte telomere length and autism has not been investigated. Here we investigated the possible association between relative telomere length (RTL) in peripheral blood leukocytes and childhood autism by using an established real-time polymerase chain reaction method. We observed significantly shorter RTL in patients with childhood autism than in controls (p = 0.006). Individuals with shorter RTL had a significantly increased presence of childhood autism compared with those who had long RTL. In patients, we found that family training interventions have a significant effect on telomere length (P = 0.012), but no correlations between RTL and clinical features (paternal age, maternal age, age of onset, illness of duration, CARS score and ABC score) were observed in this study. These results provided the first evidence that shorter leukocytes telomere length is significantly associated with childhood autism. The molecular mechanism underlying telomere length may be implicated in the development of autism.
Collapse
|
342
|
Shalev I, Caspi A, Ambler A, Belsky DW, Chapple S, Cohen HJ, Israel S, Poulton R, Ramrakha S, Rivera CD, Sugden K, Williams B, Wolke D, Moffitt TE. Perinatal complications and aging indicators by midlife. Pediatrics 2014; 134:e1315-23. [PMID: 25349321 PMCID: PMC4210799 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-1669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perinatal complications predict increased risk for morbidity and early mortality. Evidence of perinatal programming of adult mortality raises the question of what mechanisms embed this long-term effect. We tested a hypothesis related to the theory of developmental origins of health and disease: that perinatal complications assessed at birth predict indicators of accelerated aging by midlife. METHODS Perinatal complications, including both maternal and neonatal complications, were assessed in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study cohort (N = 1037), a 38-year, prospective longitudinal study of a representative birth cohort. Two aging indicators were assessed at age 38 years, objectively by leukocyte telomere length (TL) and subjectively by perceived facial age. RESULTS Perinatal complications predicted both leukocyte TL (β = -0.101; 95% confidence interval, -0.169 to -0.033; P = .004) and perceived age (β = 0.097; 95% confidence interval, 0.029 to 0.165; P = .005) by midlife. We repeated analyses with controls for measures of family history and social risk that could predispose to perinatal complications and accelerated aging, and for measures of poor health taken in between birth and the age-38 follow-up. These covariates attenuated, but did not fully explain the associations observed between perinatal complications and aging indicators. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide support for early-life developmental programming by linking newborns' perinatal complications to accelerated aging at midlife. We observed indications of accelerated aging "inside," as measured by leukocyte TL, an indicator of cellular aging, and "outside," as measured by perceived age, an indicator of declining tissue integrity. A better understanding of mechanisms underlying perinatal programming of adult aging is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health and The Network on Child Protection and Well-Being, Social Science Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania;
| | - Avshalom Caspi
- Departments of Psychology & Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, and Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Antony Ambler
- Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Daniel W Belsky
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Simon Chapple
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Harvey Jay Cohen
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Richie Poulton
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sandhya Ramrakha
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Christine D Rivera
- Center for Developmental Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and
| | | | | | - Dieter Wolke
- Department of Psychology, Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Group and Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Terrie E Moffitt
- Departments of Psychology & Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, and Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
343
|
Jergović M, Tomičević M, Vidović A, Bendelja K, Savić A, Vojvoda V, Rac D, Lovrić-Čavar D, Rabatić S, Jovanovic T, Sabioncello A. Telomere shortening and immune activity in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 54:275-83. [PMID: 24977331 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing evidence that chronic stress accelerates telomere erosion in leukocytes/peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). However, functional changes associated with telomere shortening are poorly understood. We hypothesized that war veterans with PTSD would have shorter telomeres in PBMCs and that these cells might exhibit changes in measures of immune reactivity such as proliferation, cytokine production and expression of regulators of immune responses. METHODS We measured relative telomere length and basal telomerase activity in PBMCs of 62 individuals (PTSD patients (N=30); age-matched healthy controls (N=17), elderly volunteers (N=15)). In parallel, we have assessed proliferation of activated T cells, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-6 cytokine production and expression of programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor and its ligand PD-L1 on activated T cells. RESULTS Middle-aged war veterans with current PTSD had shorter PBMC telomere length than their age-matched healthy controls while the elderly had the shortest telomeres. There was no difference in telomerase activity between PTSD patients and healthy controls while telomerase activity was significantly lower in the elderly. While the elderly group exhibited robust changes in immune activity such as increased production of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) and reduced proliferation of all T cells, the PTSD group showed reduced proliferative response of CD8(+) T cells to high concentrations of mitogen and reduced spontaneous production of IL-2 and IFN-γ. CONCLUSIONS This study adds to the accumulating evidence that psychological trauma and chronic stress are associated with accelerated telomere attrition. However, changes in immune function associated with stress-related telomere shortening are not well understood. Although much less pronounced in PTSD patients than in elderly persons, reduced proliferative responses of T cells accompanied by shorter telomeres might be a sign of early immunosenescence. Together with reduced production of Th1 cytokines, observed immune changes may contribute to health risks associated with PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mladen Jergović
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Marko Tomičević
- Dr. Josip Benčević General Hospital, Slavonski Brod, Croatia
| | | | - Krešo Bendelja
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Savić
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Valerija Vojvoda
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dijana Rac
- Dr. Josip Benčević General Hospital, Slavonski Brod, Croatia
| | | | - Sabina Rabatić
- Institute of Immunology, Department for Cellular Immunology, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Emory University, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ante Sabioncello
- Institute of Immunology, Department for Cellular Immunology, Zagreb, Croatia
| |
Collapse
|
344
|
Sudyka J, Arct A, Drobniak S, Dubiec A, Gustafsson L, Cichoń M. Experimentally increased reproductive effort alters telomere length in the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus
). J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2258-64. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Revised: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Sudyka
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Kraków Poland
| | - A. Arct
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Kraków Poland
| | - S. Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Kraków Poland
| | - A. Dubiec
- Museum and Institute of Zoology; Polish Academy of Sciences; Warszawa Poland
| | - L. Gustafsson
- Department of Animal Ecology/Ecology and Genetics; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - M. Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Kraków Poland
| |
Collapse
|
345
|
Abstract
There is evidence from epidemiologic data that cataract is more common in women than men. This is not solely due to a higher rate of cataract extraction in women, as is the case in the western world, but several population-based studies show that females have a higher prevalence of lens opacities, especially cortical. There is no firm evidence that lifestyle-related factors are the cause of this gender discrepancy. Focus has therefore been directed towards the role of estrogen in cataract formation. Although data on endogenous and exogenous estrogen involvement in cataractogenesis are conflicting, some studies have indicated that hormone therapy may decrease the risk of cataract and thus be protective. It has been hypothesized that the decrease in estrogen at menopause cause increased risk of cataract in women, i.e. not strictly the concentration of estrogen, but more the withdrawal effect. Estrogens are known to exert several anti-aging effects that may explain the longer lifespan in women, including metabolically beneficial effects, neuroprotection, preservation of telomeres and anti-oxidative properties. Since oxidative stress is considered important in cataractogenesis, studies have investigated the effects of estrogens on lens epithelial cells in culture or in animal models. Several investigators have found protection by physiological concentrations of 17β-estradiol against oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in cultured lens epithelial cells. Although both main types of estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ, have been demonstrated in lens epithelium, most studies so far indicate that the estrogen-mediated protection in the lens is exerted through non-genomic, i.e. receptor-independent mechanisms, possibly through phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/ERK2), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-signaling pathway. Further studies are needed, both epidemiologic as to the role of hormone therapies, and laboratory studies regarding molecular estrogen-mediated mechanisms, in order to comprehend the role of estrogens on cataract formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Zetterberg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation/Ophthalmology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg , Gothenburg , Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
346
|
Baylis D, Ntani G, Edwards MH, Syddall HE, Bartlett DB, Dennison EM, Martin-Ruiz C, von Zglinicki T, Kuh D, Lord JM, Aihie Sayer A, Cooper C. Inflammation, telomere length, and grip strength: a 10-year longitudinal study. Calcif Tissue Int 2014; 95:54-63. [PMID: 24858709 PMCID: PMC4098723 DOI: 10.1007/s00223-014-9862-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Telomere attrition has been associated with age-related diseases, although causality is unclear and controversial; low-grade systemic inflammation (inflammaging) has also been implicated in age-related pathogenesis. Unpicking the relationship between aging, telomere length (TL), and inflammaging is hence essential to the understanding of aging and management of age-related diseases. This longitudinal study explored whether telomere attrition is a cause or consequence of aging and whether inflammaging explains some of the associations between TL and one marker of aging, grip strength. We studied 253 Hertfordshire Ageing Study participants at baseline and 10-year follow-up (mean age at baseline 67.1 years). Participants completed a health questionnaire and had blood samples collected for immune-endocrine and telomere analysis at both time points. Physical aging was characterized at follow-up using grip strength. Faster telomere attrition was associated with lower grip strength at follow-up (β = 0.98, p = 0.035). This association was completely attenuated when adjusted for inflammaging burden (p = 0.86) over the same period. Similarly, greater inflammaging burden was associated with lower grip strength at follow-up (e.g., interleukin [IL]-1β: β = -2.18, p = 0.001). However, these associations were maintained when adjusted for telomere attrition (IL-1β, p = 0.006). We present evidence that inflammaging may be driving telomere attrition and in part explains the associations that have previously been reported between TL and grip strength. Thus, biomarkers of physical aging, such as inflammaging, may require greater exploration. Further work is now indicated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Baylis
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
347
|
Drury SS, Mabile E, Brett ZH, Esteves K, Jones E, Shirtcliff EA, Theall KP. The association of telomere length with family violence and disruption. Pediatrics 2014; 134:e128-37. [PMID: 24936002 PMCID: PMC4067635 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2013-3415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To enhance the understanding of biological mechanisms connecting early adversity and negative health, we examine the association between family interpersonal violence and disruption and telomere length in youth. These specific exposures were selected because of their established links with negative health consequences across the life-course. METHODS Children, age 5 to 15, were recruited from the greater New Orleans area, and exposure to family disruption and violence was assessed through caregiver report. Telomere length, from buccal cell DNA (buccal telomere length [bTL]), was determined by using monochrome multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The association between bTL and adversity exposure was tested (n = 80). RESULTS Cumulative exposure to interpersonal violence and family disruption was correlated with bTL. Controlling for other sociodemographic factors, bTL was significantly shorter in children with higher exposure to family violence and disruption. Witnessing family violence exerted a particularly potent impact. A significant gender interaction was found (β = -0.0086, SE = 0.0031, z test= -2.79, P = .0053) and analysis revealed the effect only in girls. CONCLUSIONS bTL is a molecular biomarker of adversity and allostatic load that is detectable in childhood. The present results extend previous studies by demonstrating that telomeres are sensitive to adversity within the overarching family domain. These findings suggest that the family ecology may be an important target for interventions to reduce the biological impact of adversity in the lives of children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stacy S. Drury
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Emily Mabile
- Department of Global Community Health, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana; and
| | - Zoë H. Brett
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Kyle Esteves
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Edward Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | | | - Katherine P. Theall
- Department of Global Community Health, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana; and
| |
Collapse
|
348
|
Buxton JL, Das S, Rodriguez A, Kaakinen M, Couto Alves A, Sebert S, Millwood IY, Laitinen J, O’Reilly PF, Jarvelin MR, Blakemore AIF. Multiple measures of adiposity are associated with mean leukocyte telomere length in the northern Finland birth cohort 1966. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99133. [PMID: 24919187 PMCID: PMC4053385 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and adiposity have produced conflicting results, and the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and telomere length throughout life remains unclear. We therefore tested association of adult LTL measured in 5,598 participants with: i) childhood growth measures (BMI and age at adiposity rebound (AR)); ii) change in BMI from childhood to adulthood and iii) adult BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body adiposity index (BAI). Childhood BMI at AR was positively associated with LTL at 31 years in women (P = 0.041). Adult BMI and WHR in both men (P = 0.025 and P = 0.049, respectively) and women (P = 0.029 and P = 0.008, respectively), and BAI in women (P = 0.021) were inversely associated with LTL at 31 years. An increase in standardised BMI between early childhood and adulthood was associated with shorter adult LTL in women (P = 0.008). We show that LTL is inversely associated with multiple measures of adiposity in both men and women. Additionally, BMI increase in women from childhood to adulthood is associated with shorter telomeres at age 31, potentially indicating accelerated biological ageing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Buxton
- Section of Investigative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Shikta Das
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alina Rodriguez
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden
| | - Marika Kaakinen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Alexessander Couto Alves
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvain Sebert
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Iona Y. Millwood
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jaana Laitinen
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paul F. O’Reilly
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Research Council (MRC) Public Health England (PHE) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Children and Young People and Families, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Oulu, Finland
- Unit of Primary Care, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Alexandra I. F. Blakemore
- Section of Investigative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
349
|
Telomeres in molecular epidemiology studies. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2014; 125:113-31. [PMID: 24993700 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-397898-1.00005-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are long nucleotide repeats and protein complexes at the ends of chromosomes that are essential for maintaining chromosomal stability. They shorten with each cell division, and therefore, telomere length is a marker for cellular aging and senescence. Epidemiological research of telomeres investigates the role that these genetic structures have in disease risk and mortality in human populations. This chapter provides an overview of the current telomere epidemiology research and discusses approaches taken in these investigations. We also highlight important methodological considerations that may affect data interpretation.
Collapse
|
350
|
Ives SJ, Andtbacka RHI, Park SY, Donato AJ, Gifford JR, Noyes RD, Lesniewski LA, Richardson RS. Human skeletal muscle feed arteries: evidence of regulatory potential. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2012; 206:135-41. [PMID: 22726882 DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2012.02464.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2012] [Revised: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
AIM Recently, it has been recognized that human skeletal muscle feed arteries can be harvested during exploratory surgery for melanoma. This approach provides vessels for in vitro study from a wide spectrum of relatively healthy humans. Although, the regulatory role of skeletal muscle feed arteries in rodent models has been documented, whether such vessels in humans possess this functionality is unknown. METHODS Therefore, skeletal muscle feed arteries (~950 μm OD) from 10 humans (48 ± 4, 27-64 years) were studied using pressure myography. Vessel function was assessed using potassium chloride (KCl), phenylephrine (PE), acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) concentration-response curves (CRCs) to characterize non-receptor and receptor-mediated vasoconstriction as well as endothelium-dependent and independent vasodilation respectively. To understand the physiological relevance of the diameter changes as a result of pharmacological stimulation, the estimated conductance ratio (CR) was calculated. RESULTS Vessel function protocols revealed significant vasoconstriction in response to PE and KCl (35 ± 6; 43 ± 9%vasoconstriction, respectively) and significant vasodilation with ACh and SNP (85 ± 7; 121 ± 17% vasodilation, respectively). Both PE and KCl significantly reduced the CR (0.26 ± 0.05 and 0.23 ± 0.07, respectively), whereas ACh and SNP increased the CR (2.56 ± 0.10 and 5.32 ± 1.3, respectively). CONCLUSION These novel findings provide evidence that human skeletal muscle feed arteries are capable of generating significant diameter changes that would translate into significant changes in vascular conductance. Thus, human skeletal muscle feed arteries likely play a significant role in regulating vascular conductance and subsequently blood flow in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - R. H. I. Andtbacka
- Department of Surgery, Huntsman Cancer Hospital; University of Utah; Salt Lake City; UT; USA
| | | | | | | | - R. D. Noyes
- Department of Surgery, Huntsman Cancer Hospital; University of Utah; Salt Lake City; UT; USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|