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Schäfer Hackenhaar F, Josefsson M, Nordin Adolfsson A, Landfors M, Kauppi K, Porter T, Milicic L, Laws SM, Hultdin M, Adolfsson R, Degerman S, Pudas S. Sixteen-Year Longitudinal Evaluation of Blood-Based DNA Methylation Biomarkers for Early Prediction of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:1443-1464. [PMID: 37393498 PMCID: PMC10473121 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation (DNAm), an epigenetic mark reflecting both inherited and environmental influences, has shown promise for Alzheimer's disease (AD) prediction. OBJECTIVE Testing long-term predictive ability (>15 years) of existing DNAm-based epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) measures and identifying novel early blood-based DNAm AD-prediction biomarkers. METHODS EAA measures calculated from Illumina EPIC data from blood were tested with linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) in a longitudinal case-control sample (50 late-onset AD cases; 51 matched controls) with prospective data up to 16 years before clinical onset, and post-onset follow-up. Novel DNAm biomarkers were generated with epigenome-wide LMMs, and Sparse Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis applied at pre- (10-16 years), and post-AD-onset time-points. RESULTS EAA did not differentiate cases from controls during the follow-up time (p > 0.05). Three new DNA biomarkers showed in-sample predictive ability on average 8 years pre-onset, after adjustment for age, sex, and white blood cell proportions (p-values: 0.022-<0.00001). Our longitudinally-derived panel replicated nominally (p = 0.012) in an external cohort (n = 146 cases, 324 controls). However, its effect size and discriminatory accuracy were limited compared to APOEɛ4-carriership (OR = 1.38 per 1 SD DNAm score increase versus OR = 13.58 for ɛ4-allele carriage; AUCs = 77.2% versus 87.0%). Literature review showed low overlap (n = 4) across 3275 AD-associated CpGs from 8 published studies, and no overlap with our identified CpGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Schäfer Hackenhaar
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Maria Josefsson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Statistics, USBE, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Center for Ageing and Demographic Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Mattias Landfors
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Karolina Kauppi
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tenielle Porter
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
- Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Lidija Milicic
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
- Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | - Simon M. Laws
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
- Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Magnus Hultdin
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Rolf Adolfsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sofie Degerman
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sara Pudas
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Hackenhaar FS, Josefsson M, Adolfsson AN, Landfors M, Kauppi K, Hultdin M, Adolfsson R, Degerman S, Pudas S. Short leukocyte telomeres predict 25-year Alzheimer's disease incidence in non-APOE ε4-carriers. Alzheimers Res Ther 2021; 13:130. [PMID: 34266503 PMCID: PMC8283833 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00871-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) has been shown to predict Alzheimer's disease (AD), albeit inconsistently. Failing to account for the competing risks between AD, other dementia types, and mortality, can be an explanation for the inconsistent findings in previous time-to-event analyses. Furthermore, previous studies indicate that the association between LTL and AD is non-linear and may differ depending on apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele carriage, the strongest genetic AD predictor. METHODS We analyzed whether baseline LTL in interaction with APOE ε4 predicts AD, by following 1306 initially non-demented subjects for 25 years. Gender- and age-residualized LTL (rLTL) was categorized into tertiles of short, medium, and long rLTLs. Two complementary time-to-event models that account for competing risks were used; the Fine-Gray model to estimate the association between the rLTL tertiles and the cumulative incidence of AD, and the cause-specific hazard model to assess whether the cause-specific risk of AD differed between the rLTL groups. Vascular dementia and death were considered competing risk events. Models were adjusted for baseline lifestyle-related risk factors, gender, age, and non-proportional hazards. RESULTS After follow-up, 149 were diagnosed with AD, 96 were diagnosed with vascular dementia, 465 died without dementia, and 596 remained healthy. Baseline rLTL and other covariates were assessed on average 8 years before AD onset (range 1-24). APOE ε4-carriers had significantly increased incidence of AD, as well as increased cause-specific AD risk. A significant rLTL-APOE interaction indicated that short rLTL at baseline was significantly associated with an increased incidence of AD among non-APOE ε4-carriers (subdistribution hazard ratio = 3.24, CI 1.404-7.462, P = 0.005), as well as borderline associated with increased cause-specific risk of AD (cause-specific hazard ratio = 1.67, CI 0.947-2.964, P = 0.07). Among APOE ε4-carriers, short or long rLTLs were not significantly associated with AD incidence, nor with the cause-specific risk of AD. CONCLUSIONS Our findings from two complementary competing risk time-to-event models indicate that short rLTL may be a valuable predictor of the AD incidence in non-APOE ε4-carriers, on average 8 years before AD onset. More generally, the findings highlight the importance of accounting for competing risks, as well as the APOE status of participants in AD biomarker research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Schäfer Hackenhaar
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, SE-90 187, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Maria Josefsson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, SE-90 187, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Statistics, USBE, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
- Center for Ageing and Demographic Research, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Mattias Landfors
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, SE-901 85, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Karolina Kauppi
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Hultdin
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, SE-901 85, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Rolf Adolfsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, SE-901 85, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sofie Degerman
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, SE-901 85, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, SE-901 85, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sara Pudas
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, SE-90 187, Umeå, Sweden
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Wang X, Sundquist K, Hedelius A, Palmér K, Memon AA, Sundquist J. Leukocyte telomere length and depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders in primary health care patients. BMC Psychiatry 2017; 17:148. [PMID: 28438147 PMCID: PMC5404668 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1308-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The primary aim was to examine possible differences in telomere length between primary health care patients, with depression, anxiety or stress and adjustment disorders, and healthy controls. The second aim was to examine the association between telomere length and baseline characteristics in the patients. The third aim was to examine the potential effects of the 8-week treatments (mindfulness-based group therapy or treatment as usual, i.e. mostly cognitive-based therapy) on telomere length, and to examine whether there was a difference in the potential effect on telomere length between the two groups. METHODS A total of 501 individuals including 181 patients (aged 20-64 years), with depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders, and 320 healthy controls (aged 19-70 years) were recruited in the study. Patient data were collected from a randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness-based group therapy with treatment as usual. We isolated genomic DNA from blood samples, collected at baseline and after the 8-week follow-up. Telomere length was measured by quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR. RESULTS Telomere length was significantly shorter in the patients (mean = 0.77 ± 0.12,), compared to the controls (mean = 0.81 ± 0.14) (p = 0.006). The difference in telomere length remained significant after controlling for age and sex. Old age, male sex and being overweight were associated with shorter telomere length. There was no significant difference in telomere length between baseline and at the 8-week follow-up in any of the treatment groups and no difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION Our findings confirm that telomere length, as compared with healthy controls, is shortened in patients with depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders. In both groups (mindfulness-based group therapy or treatment as usual), the telomere length remained unchanged after the 8-week treatment/follow-up and there was no difference between the two groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01476371 ) Registered November 11, 2011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden.
| | - Kristina Sundquist
- 0000 0001 0930 2361grid.4514.4Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Anna Hedelius
- 0000 0001 0930 2361grid.4514.4Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Karolina Palmér
- 0000 0001 0930 2361grid.4514.4Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Ashfaque A. Memon
- 0000 0001 0930 2361grid.4514.4Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Jan Sundquist
- 0000 0001 0930 2361grid.4514.4Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
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Svenson U, Roos G, Wikström P. Long leukocyte telomere length in prostate cancer patients at diagnosis is associated with poor metastasis-free and cancer-specific survival. Tumour Biol 2017; 39:1010428317692236. [PMID: 28222672 DOI: 10.1177/1010428317692236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that leukocyte telomere length is associated with risk of developing prostate cancer. Investigations of leukocyte telomere length as a prognostic factor in prostate cancer are, however, lacking. In this study, leukocyte telomere length was investigated both as a risk marker, comparing control subjects and patient risk groups (based on serum levels of prostate-specific antigen, tumor differentiation, and tumor stage), and as a prognostic marker for metastasis-free and cancer-specific survival. Relative telomere length was measured by a well-established quantitative polymerase chain reaction method in 415 consecutively sampled individuals. Statistical evaluation included 162 control subjects without cancer development during follow-up and 110 untreated patients with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer at the time of blood draw. Leukocyte telomere length did not differ significantly between control subjects and patients, or between patient risk groups. Interestingly, however, and in line with our previous results in breast and kidney cancer patients, relative telomere length at diagnosis was an independent prognostic factor. Patients with long leukocyte telomeres (⩾median) had a significantly worse prostate cancer-specific and metastasis-free survival compared to patients with short telomere length. In contrast, for patients who died of other causes than prostate cancer, long relative telomere length was not coupled to shorter survival time. To our knowledge, these results are novel and give further strength to our hypothesis that leukocyte telomere length might be used as a prognostic marker in malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Svenson
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Roos
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pernilla Wikström
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Spivak IM, Mikhelson VM, Spivak DL. Telomere length, telomerase activity, stress, and aging. ADVANCES IN GERONTOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1134/s2079057016010136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Svenson U, Öberg Å, Stenling R, Palmqvist R, Roos G. Telomere length in peripheral leukocytes is associated with immune cell tumor infiltration and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. Tumour Biol 2016; 37:10877-82. [PMID: 26883253 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-016-4987-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are protective structures at the end of chromosomes, essential for chromosomal integrity. A large number of studies have investigated leukocyte telomere length as a possible risk marker for various cancers, colorectal cancer (CRC) included. In contrast, studies investigating leukocyte telomere length in relation to CRC survival are lacking. We previously reported that relative telomere length (RTL) of leukocytes collected at diagnosis predicted survival in patients with breast and kidney cancer. We suggested that these findings might reflect various immunological mechanisms, affected by the presence of a tumor. In the present study, leukocyte RTL was examined in relation to immune cell tumor infiltration and prognosis in 130 patients with CRC diagnosis. RTL was measured with a well-established qPCR method. We found that patients with the highest degree of lymphocyte tumor infiltration had shorter leukocyte RTL. Consistent with our previous findings, short RTL was a favorable prognostic marker in univariate survival analysis. In the current study, RTL did not remain as an independent predictor in multivariate survival analysis, when including metastatic status in the model. However, a non-significant trend towards a similar telomere-associated survival pattern was observed in patients with limited disease. In contrast, for patients who died of other causes than CRC, short RTL was associated with significantly shorter survival time. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate an association between leukocyte RTL, immune cell tumor infiltration, and cancer-specific survival in CRC patients. Larger studies are warranted to verify these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Svenson
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Åke Öberg
- Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Roger Stenling
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Göran Roos
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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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.
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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
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Haycock PC, Heydon EE, Kaptoge S, Butterworth AS, Thompson A, Willeit P. Leucocyte telomere length and risk of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2014; 349:g4227. [PMID: 25006006 PMCID: PMC4086028 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.g4227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 607] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the association between leucocyte telomere length and risk of cardiovascular disease. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES Studies published up to March 2014 identified through searches of Medline, Web of Science, and Embase. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Prospective and retrospective studies that reported on associations between leucocyte telomere length and coronary heart disease (defined as non-fatal myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease death, or coronary revascularisation) or cerebrovascular disease (defined as non-fatal stroke or death from cerebrovascular disease) and were broadly representative of general populations--that is, they did not select cohort or control participants on the basis of pre-existing cardiovascular disease or diabetes. RESULTS Twenty four studies involving 43,725 participants and 8400 patients with cardiovascular disease (5566 with coronary heart disease and 2834 with cerebrovascular disease) were found to be eligible. In a comparison of the shortest versus longest third of leucocyte telomere length, the pooled relative risk for coronary heart disease was 1.54 (95% confidence interval 1.30 to 1.83) in all studies, 1.40 (1.15 to 1.70) in prospective studies, and 1.80 (1.32 to 2.44) in retrospective studies. Heterogeneity between studies was moderate (I(2) = 64%, 41% to 77%, Phet<0.001) and was not significantly explained by mean age of participants (P = 0.23), the proportion of male participants (P = 0.45), or distinction between retrospective versus prospective studies (P = 0.32). Findings for coronary heart disease were similar in meta-analyses restricted to studies that adjusted for conventional vascular risk factors (relative risk 1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.17 to 1.73); studies with ≥ 200 cases (1.44, 1.20 to 1.74); studies with a high quality score (1.53, 1.22 to 1.92); and in analyses that corrected for publication bias (1.34, 1.12 to 1.60). The pooled relative risk for cerebrovascular disease was 1.42 (1.11 to 1.81), with no significant heterogeneity between studies (I(2) = 41%, 0% to 72%, Phet = 0.08). Shorter telomeres were not significantly associated with cerebrovascular disease risk in prospective studies (1.14, 0.85 to 1.54) or in studies with a high quality score (1.21, 0.83 to 1.76). CONCLUSION Available observational data show an inverse association between leucocyte telomere length and risk of coronary heart disease independent of conventional vascular risk factors. The association with cerebrovascular disease is less certain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip C Haycock
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, UK Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Emma E Heydon
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stephen Kaptoge
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adam S Butterworth
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alex Thompson
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, UK Roche, Welwyn Garden City, UK
| | - Peter Willeit
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, UK Department of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Austria
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Ueda Y, Calado RT, Norberg A, Kajigaya S, Roos G, Hellstrom-Lindberg E, Young NS. A mutation in the H/ACA box of telomerase RNA component gene (TERC) in a young patient with myelodysplastic syndrome. BMC MEDICAL GENETICS 2014; 15:68. [PMID: 24948335 PMCID: PMC4073180 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2350-15-68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Telomeres are repeated sequences (the hexanucleotide TTAGGG in vertebrates) located at chromosome ends of eukaryotes, protecting DNA from end joining or degradation. Telomeres become shorter with each cell cycle, but telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex, alleviates this attrition. The telomerase RNA component (TERC) is an essential element of telomerase, serving as a template for telomere elongation. The H/ACA domain of TERC is indispensable for telomere biogenesis. Mutations in the telomerase components allow accelerated telomere loss, resulting in various disease manifestations, including bone marrow failure. To date, this is the first detailed report of an H-box mutation in TERC that is related to human disease. Case presentation A 26-year-old man with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) had very short telomeres. Sequencing identified a single heterozygous mutation in the H box of the patient’s TERC gene. The same mutation was also present in his father and his son, demonstrating that it was germline in origin. The telomere length in the father’s blood was shorter compared to age-matched healthy controls, while it was normal in the son and also in the sperm cells of the patient. In vitro experiments suggested that the mutation was responsible for the telomere shortening in the patient’s leukocytes and contributed to the pathogenesis of bone marrow failure in our patient. Conclusion We analyzed a mutation (A377G) in the H box of TERC in a young MDS patient who had significantly short-for-age telomeres. As telomeres protect chromosomes from instability, it is highly plausible that this genetic lesion was responsible for the patient’s hematological manifestations, including marrow failure and aneuploidy in the hematopoietic stem cell compartment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasutaka Ueda
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bldg 10-CRC, Rm 3E-5216, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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10
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Wikgren M, Karlsson T, Söderlund H, Nordin A, Roos G, Nilsson LG, Adolfsson R, Norrback KF. Shorter telomere length is linked to brain atrophy and white matter hyperintensities. Age Ageing 2014; 43:212-7. [PMID: 24231584 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/aft172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND leukocyte telomere length (TL) is considered a marker of biological aging. Several studies have investigated the link between leukocyte TL and aging-associated functional attributes of the brain, but no prior study has investigated whether TL can be linked to brain atrophy and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs); two prominent structural manifestations of brain aging. METHODS we investigated whether leukocyte TL was related to brain atrophy and WMHs in a sample of 102 non-demented individuals aged 64-75 years. RESULTS shorter TL was related to greater degree of subcortical atrophy (β = -0.217, P = 0.034), but not to cortical atrophy. Furthermore, TL was 371 bp shorter (P = 0.041) in participants exhibiting subcortical WMHs, and 552 bp shorter (P = 0.009) in older participants exhibiting periventricular WMHs. CONCLUSION this study provides the first evidence of leukocyte TL being associated with cerebral subcortical atrophy and WMHs, lending further support to the concept of TL as a marker of biological aging, and in particular that of the aging brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Wikgren
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå 90187, Sweden
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Speedy HE, Di Bernardo MC, Sava GP, Dyer MJS, Holroyd A, Wang Y, Sunter NJ, Mansouri L, Juliusson G, Smedby KE, Roos G, Jayne S, Majid A, Dearden C, Hall AG, Mainou-Fowler T, Jackson GH, Summerfield G, Harris RJ, Pettitt AR, Allsup DJ, Bailey JR, Pratt G, Pepper C, Fegan C, Rosenquist R, Catovsky D, Allan JM, Houlston RS. A genome-wide association study identifies multiple susceptibility loci for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Nat Genet 2014; 46:56-60. [PMID: 24292274 DOI: 10.1038/ng.2843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have shown that common genetic variation contributes to the heritable risk of CLL. To identify additional CLL susceptibility loci, we conducted a GWAS and performed a meta-analysis with a published GWAS totaling 1,739 individuals with CLL (cases) and 5,199 controls with validation in an additional 1,144 cases and 3,151 controls. A combined analysis identified new susceptibility loci mapping to 3q26.2 (rs10936599, P = 1.74 × 10(-9)), 4q26 (rs6858698, P = 3.07 × 10(-9)), 6q25.2 (IPCEF1, rs2236256, P = 1.50 × 10(-10)) and 7q31.33 (POT1, rs17246404, P = 3.40 × 10(-8)). Additionally, we identified a promising association at 5p15.33 (CLPTM1L, rs31490, P = 1.72 × 10(-7)) and validated recently reported putative associations at 5p15.33 (TERT, rs10069690, P = 1.12 × 10(-10)) and 8q22.3 (rs2511714, P = 2.90 × 10(-9)). These findings provide further insights into the genetic and biological basis of inherited genetic susceptibility to CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen E Speedy
- 1] Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK. [2]
| | | | - Georgina P Sava
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK
| | - Martin J S Dyer
- Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Amy Holroyd
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK
| | - Yufei Wang
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK
| | - Nicola J Sunter
- Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Larry Mansouri
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Juliusson
- Lund Strategic Research Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy, Hematology and Transplantation, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin E Smedby
- Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Göran Roos
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sandrine Jayne
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, Leicester University, Leicester, UK
| | - Aneela Majid
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, Leicester University, Leicester, UK
| | - Claire Dearden
- Haemato-Oncology, Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK
| | - Andrew G Hall
- Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | | | - Graham H Jackson
- Department of Haematology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Geoffrey Summerfield
- Department of Haematology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Robert J Harris
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Andrew R Pettitt
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - David J Allsup
- Department of Haematology, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, UK
| | - James R Bailey
- Hull York Medical School and University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Guy Pratt
- Department of Haematology, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Chris Pepper
- Department of Haematology, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Chris Fegan
- Cardiff and Vale National Health Service Trust, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - Richard Rosenquist
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Daniel Catovsky
- Haemato-Oncology, Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK
| | - James M Allan
- Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Richard S Houlston
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK
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Maubaret CG, Salpea KD, Romanoski CE, Folkersen L, Cooper JA, Stephanou C, Wah Li K, Palmen J, Hamsten A, Neil A, Stephens JW, Lusis AJ, Eriksson P, Talmud PJ, Humphries SE. Association of TERC and OBFC1 haplotypes with mean leukocyte telomere length and risk for coronary heart disease. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83122. [PMID: 24349443 PMCID: PMC3861448 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To replicate the associations of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with variants at four loci and to investigate their associations with coronary heart disease (CHD) and type II diabetes (T2D), in order to examine possible causal effects of telomere maintenance machinery on disease aetiology. Methods Four SNPs at three loci BICD1 (rs2630578 GγC), 18q12.2 (rs2162440 GγT), and OBFC1 (rs10786775 CγG, rs11591710 AγC) were genotyped in four studies comprised of 2353 subjects out of which 1148 had CHD and 566 T2D. Three SNPs (rs12696304 CγG, rs10936601G>T and rs16847897 GγC) at the TERC locus were genotyped in these four studies, in addition to an offspring study of 765 healthy students. For all samples, LTL had been measured using a real-time PCR-based method. Results Only one SNP was associated with a significant effect on LTL, with the minor allele G of OBFC1 rs10786775 SNP being associated with longer LTL (β=0.029, P=0.04). No SNPs were significantly associated with CHD or T2D. For OBFC1 the haplotype carrying both rare alleles (rs10786775G and rs11591710C, haplotype frequency 0.089) was associated with lower CHD prevalence (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.61–0.97; P= 0.03). The TERC haplotype GTC (rs12696304G, rs10936601T and rs16847897C, haplotype frequency 0.210) was associated with lower risk for both CHD (OR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.75-0.99; P=0.04) and T2D (OR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.61–0.91; P= 0.004), with no effect on LTL. Only the last association remained after adjusting for multiple testing. Conclusion Of reported associations, only that between the OBFC1 rs10786775 SNP and LTL was confirmed, although our study has a limited power to detect modest effects. A 2-SNP OBFC1 haplotype was associated with higher risk of CHD, and a 3-SNP TERC haplotype was associated with both higher risk of CHD and T2D. Further work is required to confirm these results and explore the mechanisms of these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécilia G. Maubaret
- Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories,University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
- ISPED, Université Bordeaux Ségalen/INSERM u.897, Bordeaux, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Klelia D. Salpea
- Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories,University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Athens, Greece
| | - Casey E. Romanoski
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Lasse Folkersen
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jackie A. Cooper
- Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories,University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Coralea Stephanou
- Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories,University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Ka Wah Li
- Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories,University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Jutta Palmen
- Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories,University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Anders Hamsten
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrew Neil
- Division Public Health & Primary Health Care, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey W. Stephens
- Diabetes Research Group, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Aldons J. Lusis
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Per Eriksson
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philippa J. Talmud
- Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories,University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Steve E. Humphries
- Cardiovascular Genetics, BHF Laboratories,University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
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13
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Mansouri L, Grabowski P, Degerman S, Svenson U, Gunnarsson R, Cahill N, Smedby KE, Geisler C, Juliusson G, Roos G, Rosenquist R. Short telomere length is associated with NOTCH1/SF3B1/TP53 aberrations and poor outcome in newly diagnosed chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients. Am J Hematol 2013; 88:647-51. [PMID: 23620080 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.23466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Revised: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Most previous studies on telomere length (TL) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are based on referral cohorts including a high proportion of aggressive cases. Here, the impact of TL was analyzed in a population-based cohort of newly diagnosed CLL (n = 265) and in relation to other prognostic markers. Short telomeres were particularly associated with high-risk genetic markers, such as NOTCH1, SF3B1, or TP53 aberrations, and predicted a short time to treatment (TTT) and overall survival (OS) (both P < 0.0001). TL was an independent prognostic factor and subdivided patients with otherwise good-prognostic features (e.g., mutated IGHV genes, favorable cytogenetics) into subgroups with different outcome. Furthermore, in follow-up samples (n = 119) taken 5-8 years after diagnosis, TL correlated well with TL at diagnosis and remained unaffected by treatment. Altogether, these novel data indicate that short TL already at diagnosis is associated with poor outcome in CLL and that TL can be measured at later stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry Mansouri
- Department of Immunology; Genetics; and Pathology; Rudbeck Laboratory; Uppsala University; Uppsala; Sweden
| | - Pawel Grabowski
- Department of Medical Biosciences; Umeå University; Umeå; Sweden
| | - Sofie Degerman
- Department of Medical Biosciences; Umeå University; Umeå; Sweden
| | - Ulrika Svenson
- Department of Medical Biosciences; Umeå University; Umeå; Sweden
| | - Rebeqa Gunnarsson
- Department of Immunology; Genetics; and Pathology; Rudbeck Laboratory; Uppsala University; Uppsala; Sweden
| | - Nicola Cahill
- Department of Immunology; Genetics; and Pathology; Rudbeck Laboratory; Uppsala University; Uppsala; Sweden
| | - Karin Ekström Smedby
- Department of Medicine; Clinical Epidemiology Unit; Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm; Sweden
| | | | - Gunnar Juliusson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine; Stem Cell Center; Hematology and Transplantation; Lund University; Lund; Sweden
| | - Göran Roos
- Department of Medical Biosciences; Umeå University; Umeå; Sweden
| | - Richard Rosenquist
- Department of Immunology; Genetics; and Pathology; Rudbeck Laboratory; Uppsala University; Uppsala; Sweden
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14
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Svenson U, Grönlund E, Söderström I, Sitaram RT, Ljungberg B, Roos G. Telomere length in relation to immunological parameters in patients with renal cell carcinoma. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55543. [PMID: 23383336 PMCID: PMC3562315 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 12/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, telomere length (TL) has gained attention as a potential biomarker in cancer disease. We previously reported that long blood TL was associated with a poorer outcome in patients with breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that certain immunological components may have an impact on TL dynamics in cancer patients. One aim of the present study was to investigate a possible association between serum cytokines and TL of peripheral blood cells, tumors and corresponding kidney cortex, in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. For this purpose, a multiplex cytokine assay was used. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between tumor TL and peripheral levels of three cytokines (IL-7, IL-8 and IL-10). In a parallel patient group with various kidney tumors, TL was investigated in whole blood and in immune cell subsets in relation to peripheral levels of regulatory T cells (Tregs). A significant positive association was found between whole blood TL and Treg levels. However, the strongest correlation was found between Tregs and TL of the T lymphocyte fraction. Thus, patients with higher Treg levels displayed longer T cell telomeres, which might reflect a suppressed immune system with fewer cell divisions and hence less telomere shortening. These results are in line with our earlier observation that long blood TL is an unfavorable prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival. In summary, we here show that immunological components are associated with TL in patients with renal cell carcinoma, providing further insight into the field of telomere biology in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Svenson
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Ingegerd Söderström
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Raviprakash T. Sitaram
- Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Urology and Andrology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Börje Ljungberg
- Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Urology and Andrology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Roos
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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15
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Zhang W, Chen Y, Yang X, Fan J, Mi X, Wang J, Zhang C, Hu FB, Hui R. Functional haplotypes of the hTERT gene, leukocyte telomere length shortening, and the risk of peripheral arterial disease. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47029. [PMID: 23082138 PMCID: PMC3474805 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is heterogeneous even in the presence of similar risk factors. Our aim was to determine whether inter-individual differences in leukocyte telomere length contribute to the susceptibility of PAD. METHODS A total of 485 patients with PAD (defined by the ankle-brachial index) and 970 age- and gender-matched controls were recruited from seven rural communities in Henan Province in China. The relative leukocyte telomere length was determined by a quantitative PCR-based method. Two common promoter variants of the hTERT gene were genotyped to assess their effects on telomere length and the risk of PAD. In vivo luciferase assay was performed to study the transcriptional activity. RESULTS After adjustment for vascular risk factors and genetic variants in the hTERT gene, individuals in the lowest and middle tertiles of telomere length had a significantly higher risk of PAD than did those in the highest tertile (odds ratio [OR] 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-2.49 in the middle tertile; 3.15, 95%CI 2.31-4.29 in the lowest tertile). Haplotype analysis using the 2 variants (rs2735940 and rs2853669) showed that subjects with the at-risk C-C haplotype had shorter telomere length than those individuals with the T-T haplotype and consistently had 1.30-fold (OR 1.30, 95%CI 1.06-1.58; P=0.005) increased risk for PAD. The C-C haplotype had 43% lowered transcription activity of hTERT promoter (P<0.001). CONCLUSION The associations between the functional haplotype of hTERT gene and telomere length and the risk of atherosclerotic PAD suggested that mean leukocyte telomere length may independently serve as a potential predictor of PAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weili Zhang
- Sino-German Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, FuWai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
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16
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Sheng X, Tong N, Tao G, Luo D, Wang M, Fang Y, Li J, Xu M, Zhang Z, Wu D. TERT polymorphisms modify the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Chinese children. Carcinogenesis 2012; 34:228-35. [PMID: 23066086 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgs325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is essential for the maintenance of telomere DNA length, chromosomal stability and cellular immortality. We hypothesized that TERT polymorphisms are associated with risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We first conducted a case-control study of 570 ALL cases and 673 cancer-free controls of Chinese children, using the tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) approach. We then examined the functionality of the important SNPs. We found that TERT promoter region tSNP (rs2735940) and two intron region tSNPs (rs2736100 and rs10069690) were associated with risk of childhood ALL (P = 0.036, 0.011 and 0.022, respectively, in allele comparison). The in vitro luciferase assays in Jurkat cells showed an increased transcriptional activity of rs2735940 T allele compared with the C allele. Additional experiments with ALL bone marrow revealed that the rs2735940 T allele increased levels of the TERT messenger RNA. Notably, TERT intron 2 polymorphism (rs2736100) was associated with lower telomerase activity and longer telomeres. Our findings suggested that TERT promoter rs2735940 polymorphism may affect the TERT activity, and rs2736100 may be associated with telomere function, and thus, it is a potential biomarker for genetic susceptibility to ALL in Chinese children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Sheng
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Cancer Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
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17
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Aging Process in Chromatin of Animals. ANNALS OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2012. [DOI: 10.2478/v10220-012-0025-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Aging Process in Chromatin of AnimalsThe aging process is a variable, stochastic and pleiotropic phenomenon which is regulated by different environmental and genetic factors. The age-associated changes, which occur at the molecular and cellular levels and disturb biological homeostasis, may directly or indirectly contribute to aging, causing apoptosis or cellular senescence and consequently leading to the death of the organism. In this context, it is particularly interesting to observe changes in somatic cell chromatin. In the present paper, we summarized the knowledge on the biological aspects of aging with special consideration of age-related changes in chromatin like DNA damage, shortening telomeres or age-related changes in methylation of DNA.
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18
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Wikgren M, Karlsson T, Lind J, Nilbrink T, Hultdin J, Sleegers K, Van Broeckhoven C, Roos G, Nilsson LG, Nyberg L, Adolfsson R, Norrback KF. Longer leukocyte telomere length is associated with smaller hippocampal volume among non-demented APOE ε3/ε3 subjects. PLoS One 2012; 7:e34292. [PMID: 22506016 PMCID: PMC3323621 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2011] [Accepted: 02/25/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere length shortens with cellular division, and leukocyte telomere length is used as a marker for systemic telomere length. The hippocampus hosts adult neurogenesis and is an important structure for episodic memory, and carriers of the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele exhibit higher hippocampal atrophy rates and differing telomere dynamics compared with non-carriers. The authors investigated whether leukocyte telomere length was associated with hippocampal volume in 57 cognitively intact subjects (29 ε3/ε3 carriers; 28 ε4 carriers) aged 49–79 yr. Leukocyte telomere length correlated inversely with left (rs = −0.465; p = 0.011), right (rs = −0.414; p = 0.025), and total hippocampus volume (rs = −0.519; p = 0.004) among APOE ε3/ε3 carriers, but not among ε4 carriers. However, the ε4 carriers fit with the general correlation pattern exhibited by the ε3/ε3 carriers, as ε4 carriers on average had longer telomeres and smaller hippocampi compared with ε3/ε3 carriers. The relationship observed can be interpreted as long telomeres representing a history of relatively low cellular proliferation, reflected in smaller hippocampal volumes. The results support the potential of leukocyte telomere length being used as a biomarker for tapping functional and structural processes of the aging brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Wikgren
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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19
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Wikgren M, Maripuu M, Karlsson T, Nordfjäll K, Bergdahl J, Hultdin J, Del-Favero J, Roos G, Nilsson LG, Adolfsson R, Norrback KF. Short telomeres in depression and the general population are associated with a hypocortisolemic state. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 71:294-300. [PMID: 22055018 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2011] [Revised: 09/02/2011] [Accepted: 09/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a central role in stress regulation, and leukocyte telomere length (TL) has been suggested to represent a cumulative measure of stress. Depression is intimately related with stress and frequently exhibits a dysregulated HPA axis. We aimed to study the relationships between TL and biological and psychological facets of stress in recurrent major depressive disorder and controls. METHODS Leukocyte TL was measured in 91 subjects with recurrent major depressive disorder and 451 control subjects. Stress was assessed from both a biological perspective, by assessing HPA axis function with a weight-adjusted very-low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (DST), and a psychological perspective, with self-report questionnaires. RESULTS TL was shorter among patients compared with control subjects (277 base pairs, p = .001). Overall, short TL was associated with a hypocortisolemic state (low post-DST cortisol and high percentage of cortisol reduction after the DST) among both patients and control subjects but more pronounced among patients. This state, which was overrepresented among patients, was characterized by high familial loading of affective disorders among patients (p = .001) and high C-reactive protein levels among control subjects (p = .040). TL was also inversely associated with stress measured with the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (r(s) = -.258, p = .003). CONCLUSIONS Short TL is associated with depression and hypocortisolism. Because hypocortisolism has been shown to develop from chronic stress exposure, our findings corroborate the concept of TL as a cumulative measure of stress and provide novel insights into the detrimental role of stress in depressive illness and the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Wikgren
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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Björck M, Ravn H, Nilsson T, Wanhainen A, Nilsson P. Blood cell telomere length among patients with an isolated popliteal artery aneurysm and those with multiple aneurysm disease. Atherosclerosis 2011; 219:946-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2011.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2011] [Revised: 09/18/2011] [Accepted: 09/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Sizing the ends: normal length of human telomeres. Ann Anat 2010; 192:284-91. [PMID: 20732797 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2010.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2010] [Accepted: 07/18/2010] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The ends of human chromosomes are constituted of telomeres, a nucleoprotein complex. They are mainly formed by the entanglement of repeat DNA and telomeric and non-telomeric proteins. Telomeric sequences are lost in each cell division and this loss happens in vitro as well as in vivo. The diminution of telomere length over the cell cycle has led to the consideration of telomeres as a 'mitotic clock'. Telomere lengths are heterogeneous because they differ among tissues, cells, and chromosome arms. Cell proliferation capacity, cellular environment, and epigenetic factors are some elements that affect this telomere heterogeneity. Also, genetic and environmental factors modulate the difference in telomere lengths between individuals. Telomere length is regulated by telomere structure, telomerase, the enzyme that elongates the 3'-end of telomeres, and alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) used exclusively in immortalized and cancer cells. The understanding of telomere length dynamic in the normal population is essential to develop a deeper insight into the role of telomere function in pathological settings.
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Catarino R, Araújo A, Coelho A, Gomes M, Nogueira A, Lopes C, Medeiros RM. Prognostic significance of telomerase polymorphism in non-small cell lung cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2010; 16:3706-12. [PMID: 20606038 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-09-3030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in oncologic patients of western countries, with very low survival rates. Telomerase main components are the catalytic subunit (hTERT) and the RNA template (hTR). A functional polymorphism in the hTERT gene was found in the promoter region (-1327T/C), and individuals homozygous for the -1327C/C genotype present shorter telomere length compared with T-carrier genotypes. Our purpose was to investigate the potential prognostic role of the hTERT functional genetic variant in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We prospectively conducted a study involving 226 patients with NSCLC treated with a first-line chemotherapeutic standard protocol. A follow-up study was undertaken (median follow-up time, 26 months) to evaluate treatment response and overall survival of NSCLC patients. The hTERT -1327T/C genetic variants were analyzed by allelic discrimination with real-time PCR. RESULTS Our results indicate an influence of the telomerase genetic variants in the overall survival of NSCLC patients. Cox regression analysis showed a significantly higher median estimated cumulative survival of 26.5 months in T-carrier patients, compared with that of 19.3 months in CC patients (hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.77; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Telomerase functional polymorphism in the hTERT gene may contribute as a prognostic factor in NSCLC patients. Our findings indicate that hTERT genetic variants, by modulating telomere length, may confer an advantage in chemotherapy response. The assessment of telomerase genetic variants could supplement prognosis of survival in the course of NSCLC and may be a promising molecular marker of treatment response in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Catarino
- Molecular Oncology Unit CI, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal.
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Wikgren M, Karlsson T, Nilbrink T, Nordfjäll K, Hultdin J, Sleegers K, Van Broeckhoven C, Nyberg L, Roos G, Nilsson LG, Adolfsson R, Norrback KF. APOE ε4 is associated with longer telomeres, and longer telomeres among ε4 carriers predicts worse episodic memory. Neurobiol Aging 2010; 33:335-44. [PMID: 20395015 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2009] [Revised: 02/05/2010] [Accepted: 03/03/2010] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Both leukocyte telomere length and the apolipoprotein ε4 allele have been associated with mortality, cardiovascular disease, cognition, and dementia. The authors investigated whether leukocyte telomere length was associated with APOE genotype or cognitive abilities in the context of APOE genotype. The setting for this cross-sectional study was 427 nondemented individuals aged 41-81 yr. The authors found that ε4 carriers overall exhibited significantly longer telomeres compared with non-carriers (difference of 268 bp, p = 0.001). This difference was greatest at the lower limit of the age span and nonsignificant at the upper limit, which translated into a significantly higher telomere attrition rate (p = 0.049) among ε4 carriers (37 bp/years) compared with non-carriers (21 bp/year). Further, longer telomeres among ε4 carriers significantly predicted worse performance on episodic memory tasks. No significant associations were found on tasks tapping semantic and visuospatial ability, or among ε3/ε3 carriers. In conclusion, APOE ε4 carriers had longer telomeres compared with non-carriers, but higher rate of attrition. Among them, longer telomeres predicted worse performance on episodic memory tasks. These observations suggest that the ε4 allele is associated with abnormal cell turnover of functional and possibly clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Wikgren
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
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24
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Shen J, Gammon MD, Wu HC, Terry MB, Wang Q, Bradshaw PT, Teitelbaum SL, Neugut AI, Santella RM. Multiple genetic variants in telomere pathway genes and breast cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010; 19:219-28. [PMID: 20056641 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-09-0771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the etiologic role of genetic variants in telomere pathway genes and breast cancer risk. METHODS A population-based case-control study, the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project, was conducted, and 1,067 cases and 1,110 controls were included in the present study. Fifty-two genetic variants of nine telomere-related genes were genotyped. RESULTS Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) showed significant case-control differences at the level of P < 0.05. The top three statistically significant SNPs under a dominant model were TERT-07 (rs2736109), TERT-54 (rs3816659), and POT1-03 (rs33964002). The odds ratios (OR) were 1.56 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.22-1.99] for the TERT-07 G-allele, 1.27 (95% CI, 1.05-1.52) for the TERT-54 T-allele, and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.67-0.95) for the POT1-03 A-allele. TERT-67 (rs2853669) was statistically significant under a recessive model; the OR of the CC genotype was 0.69 (95% CI, 0.69-0.93) compared with the T-allele. However, none of the SNPs retained significance after Bonferroni adjustment for multiple testing at the level of P < 0.001 (0.05/52) except for TERT-07. When restricted to Caucasians (94% of the study subjects), a stronger association for the TERT-07 G-allele was observed with an OR of 1.60 (95% CI, 1.24-2.05; P = 0.0002). No effect modifications were found for variant alleles and menopausal status, telomere length, cigarette smoking, body mass index status, and family history of breast cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS Four SNPs in the TERT and POT1 genes were significantly related with overall breast cancer risk. This initial analysis provides valuable clues for further exploration of the biological role of telomere pathway genes in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Shen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 19-418, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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25
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Andrews NP, Fujii H, Goronzy JJ, Weyand CM. Telomeres and immunological diseases of aging. Gerontology 2009; 56:390-403. [PMID: 20016137 DOI: 10.1159/000268620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2009] [Accepted: 09/07/2009] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A defining feature of the eukaryotic genome is the presence of linear chromosomes. This arrangement, however, poses several challenges with regard to chromosomal replication and maintenance. To prevent the loss of coding sequences and to suppress gross chromosomal rearrangements, linear chromosomes are capped by repetitive nucleoprotein structures, called telomeres. Each cell division results in a progressive shortening of telomeres that, below a certain threshold, promotes genome instability, senescence, and apoptosis. Telomeric erosion, maintenance, and repair take center stage in determining cell fate. Cells of the immune system are under enormous proliferative demand, stressing telomeric intactness. Lymphocytes are capable of upregulating telomerase, an enzyme that can elongate telomeric sequences and, thus, prolong cellular lifespan. Therefore, telomere dynamics are critical in preserving immune function and have become a focus for studies of immunosenescence and autoimmunity. In this review, we describe the role of telomeric nucleoproteins in shaping telomere architecture and in suppressing DNA damage responses. We summarize new insights into the regulation of telomerase activity, hereditary disorders associated with telomere dysfunction, the role of telomere loss in immune aging, and the impact of telomere dysfunction in chronic inflammatory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas P Andrews
- Lowance Center for Human Immunology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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26
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Pavanello S, Pesatori AC, Dioni L, Hoxha M, Bollati V, Siwinska E, Mielzyńska D, Bolognesi C, Bertazzi PA, Baccarelli A. Shorter telomere length in peripheral blood lymphocytes of workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Carcinogenesis 2009; 31:216-21. [PMID: 19892797 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgp278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Shorter telomere length (TL) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) is predictive of lung cancer risk. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are established lung carcinogens that cause chromosome instability. Whether PAH exposure and its molecular effects are linked with shorter TL has never been evaluated. In the present study, we investigated the effect of chronic exposure to PAHs on TL measured in PBLs of Polish male non-current smoking cokeoven workers and matched controls. PAH exposure and molecular effects were characterized using measures of internal dose (urinary 1-pyrenol), effective dose [anti-benzo[a]pyrene diolepoxide (anti-BPDE)-DNA adduct], genetic instability (micronuclei, MN) and DNA methylation [p53 promoter and Alu and long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) repetitive elements, as surrogate measures of global methylation] in PBLs. TL was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cokeoven workers were heavily exposed to PAHs (79% exceeded the urinary 1-pyrenol biological exposure index) and exhibited lower TL (P = 0.038) than controls, as well as higher levels of genetic and chromosomal alterations [i.e. anti-BPDE-DNA adduct and MN (P < 0.0001)] and epigenetic changes [i.e. p53 gene-specific promoter and global methylation (P <or= 0.001)]. TL decreased with longer duration of work as cokeoven worker (P = 0.039) and in all subjects with higher levels of anti-BPDE-DNA adduct (P = 0.042), p53 hypomethylation (P = 0.005) and MN (P = 0.009). In multivariate analysis, years of work in cokery (P = 0.008) and p53 hypomethylation (P = 0.001) were the principal determinants of shorter TL. Our results indicate that shorter TL is associated with chronic PAH exposure. The interrelations with other genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in our data suggest that shorter TL could be a central event in PAH carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Pavanello
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Università of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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27
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Nordfjäll K, Svenson U, Norrback KF, Adolfsson R, Roos G. Large-scale parent-child comparison confirms a strong paternal influence on telomere length. Eur J Hum Genet 2009; 18:385-9. [PMID: 19826452 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2009.178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere length is documented to have a hereditary component, and both paternal and X-linked inheritance have been proposed. We investigated blood cell telomere length in 962 individuals with an age range between 0 and 102 years. Telomere length correlations were analyzed between parent-child pairs in different age groups and between grandparent-grandchild pairs. A highly significant correlation between the father's and the child's telomere length was observed (r=0.454, P<0.001), independent of the sex of the offspring (father-son: r=0.465, P<0.001; father-daughter: r=0.484, P<0.001). For mothers, the correlations were weaker (mother-child: r=0.148, P=0.098; mother-son: r=0.080, P=0.561; mother-daughter: r=0.297, P=0.013). A positive telomere length correlation was also observed for grandparent-grandchild pairs (r=0.272, P=0.013). Our findings indicate that fathers contribute significantly stronger to the telomere length of the offspring compared with mothers (P=0.012), but we cannot exclude a maternal influence on the daughter's telomeres. Interestingly, the father-child correlations diminished with increasing age (P=0.022), suggesting that nonheritable factors have an impact on telomere length dynamics during life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Nordfjäll
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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28
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Svenson U, Ljungberg B, Roos G. Telomere Length in Peripheral Blood Predicts Survival in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancer Res 2009; 69:2896-901. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-08-3513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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29
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Yang Z, Huang X, Jiang H, Zhang Y, Liu H, Qin C, Eisner GM, Jose PA, Jose P, Rudolph L, Ju Z. Short telomeres and prognosis of hypertension in a chinese population. Hypertension 2009; 53:639-45. [PMID: 19255364 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.108.123752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Aging is a major risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that telomere length is a marker for biological aging of the cardiovascular system. Telomere length is determined by genetic and environmental factors. Studies in different racial populations are required to determine the prognostic value of telomere length in hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The main objective of this study was to investigate the association between leukocyte telomere length and the risk and prognosis of hypertension in a Chinese population. The relative telomere length of leukocytes was determined by a quantitative PCR-based method in 767 subjects: 379 healthy controls and 388 hypertensive patients, ages 30 to 80 years. The median telomere length ratio, 0.57 (interquartile range: 0.48 to 0.72), was shorter in hypertensive than in healthy normotensive subjects (0.67; interquartile range: 0.53 to 0.93; P<0.001). After 5 years of follow-up, subjects with shorter telomeres were at a higher risk of developing coronary artery disease than individuals with longer telomeres (odds ratio: 3.315; 95% CI: 1.662 to 6.609; P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that short telomere length and hypertension were independent risk factors for developing coronary artery disease. Our data suggest that mean leukocyte telomere length is a potential predictor of coronary artery disease and support the hypothesis that differences in biological aging can contribute to the risk and variability of developing hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Yang
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences and Max-Planck-Partner Group on Stem Cell Aging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Panjiayuan Nanli 5, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100021, China
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30
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Nordfjäll K, Svenson U, Norrback KF, Adolfsson R, Lenner P, Roos G. The individual blood cell telomere attrition rate is telomere length dependent. PLoS Genet 2009; 5:e1000375. [PMID: 19214207 PMCID: PMC2633043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2008] [Accepted: 01/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-associated telomere shortening is a well documented feature of peripheral blood cells in human population studies, but it is not known to what extent these data can be transferred to the individual level. Telomere length (TL) in two blood samples taken at approximately 10 years interval from 959 individuals was investigated using real-time PCR. TL was also measured in 13 families from a multigenerational cohort. As expected, we found an age-related decline in TL over time (r = -0.164, P<0.001, n = 959). However, approximately one-third of the individuals exhibited a stable or increased TL over a decade. The individual telomere attrition rate was inversely correlated with initial TL at a highly significant level (r = -0.752, P<0.001), indicating that the attrition rate was most pronounced in individuals with long telomeres at baseline. In accordance, the age-associated telomere attrition rate was more prominent in families with members displaying longer telomeres at a young age (r = -0.691, P<0.001). Abnormal blood TL has been reported at diagnosis of various malignancies, but in the present study there was no association between individual telomere attrition rate or prediagnostic TL and later tumor development. The collected data strongly suggest a TL maintenance mechanism acting in vivo, providing protection of short telomeres as previously demonstrated in vitro. Our findings might challenge the hypothesis that individual TL can predict possible life span or later tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Nordfjäll
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Svenson
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Karl-Fredrik Norrback
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Psychiatric Clinic, Sunderby Hospital, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Rolf Adolfsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Psychiatric Clinic, Sunderby Hospital, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Per Lenner
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Oncology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Roos
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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31
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Ludlow AT, Zimmerman JB, Witkowski S, Hearn JW, Hatfield BD, Roth SM. Relationship between physical activity level, telomere length, and telomerase activity. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008; 40:1764-71. [PMID: 18799986 DOI: 10.1249/mss.0b013e31817c92aa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of exercise energy expenditure (EEE) with both telomere length and telomerase activity in addition to accounting for hTERT C-1327T promoter genotype. METHODS Sixty-nine (n = 34 males; n = 35 females) participants 50-70 yr were assessed for weekly EEE level using the Yale Physical Activity Survey. Lifetime consistency of EEE was also determined. Subjects were recruited across a large range of EEE levels and separated into quartiles: 0-990, 991-2340, 2341-3540, and >3541 kcal x wk(-1). Relative telomere length and telomerase activity were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). RESULTS The second EEE quartile exhibited significantly longer telomere lengths [1.12 +/- 0.03 relative units (RU)] than both the first and fourth EEE quartiles (0.94 +/- 0.03 and 0.96 +/- 0.03 RU, respectively; P < 0.05) but was not different from the third quartile. Telomerase activity was not different among the EEE quartiles. An association was observed between telomerase enzyme activity and hTERT genotype with the TT genotype (1.0 x 10(-2) +/- 4.0 x 10(-3) attomoles (amol) per 10,000 cells; n = 19) having significantly greater telomerase enzyme activity than both the CT (1.3 x 10(-3) +/- 3.2 x 10(-3); n = 30) and CC groups (5.0 x 10(-4) +/- 3.9 x 10(-3); n = 20; P = 0.01). CONCLUSION These results indicate that moderate physical activity levels may provide a protective effect on PBMC telomere length compared with both low and high EEE levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Ludlow
- Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2611, USA
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32
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Nordfjäll K, Eliasson M, Stegmayr B, Melander O, Nilsson P, Roos G. Telomere length is associated with obesity parameters but with a gender difference. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2008; 16:2682-9. [PMID: 18820651 DOI: 10.1038/oby.2008.413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and obesity have been coupled to short telomere length in peripheral blood. The biological background to this observation is not obvious from the literature. In this study we have analyzed a large set of known risk factors for CVD in relation to telomere length in blood cells on a merged cohort of 989 individuals recruited in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort (MDCC) and the Northern Sweden MONICA project. We found a significant or borderline association between obesity parameters and telomere length in women after age and center adjustments (BMI: r = -0.106, P = 0.021, weight: r = -0.087, P = 0.060, waist circumference: r = -0.099, P = 0.032, hip circumference: r = -0.128, P = 0.005). In men, a positive borderline correlation to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (r = 0.111, P = 0.053) and a negative correlation to 2-h post-oral glucose-tolerance test (OGTT) was observed (r = -0.202, P = 0.045). In neither group any association was found between telomere length and cholesterol, serum triglycerides, serum low-density lipoprotein, plasma insulin, blood pressure, pulse pressure, or smoking habits. Our data indicate that telomere length is associated with an "obesity-phenotype" but only in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Nordfjäll
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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33
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Relative telomere length in patients with late-onset Alzheimer's dementia or vascular dementia. Neuroreport 2008; 19:1199-202. [DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0b013e3283089220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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34
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Svenson U, Nordfjäll K, Stegmayr B, Manjer J, Nilsson P, Tavelin B, Henriksson R, Lenner P, Roos G. Breast cancer survival is associated with telomere length in peripheral blood cells. Cancer Res 2008; 68:3618-23. [PMID: 18483243 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-07-6497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are essential for maintaining chromosomal stability. Previous studies have indicated that individuals with shorter blood telomeres may be at higher risk of developing various types of cancer, such as in lung, bladder, and kidney. We have analyzed relative telomere length (RTL) of peripheral blood cells in relation to breast cancer incidence and prognosis. The study included 265 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and 446 female controls. RTL was measured by real-time PCR, and our results show that the patient group displayed significantly longer telomeres compared with controls (P < 0.001). Age-adjusted odds ratios (OR) for breast cancer risk increased with increasing telomere length, with a maximal OR of 5.17 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 3.09-8.64] for the quartile with the longest telomeres. Furthermore, RTL carried prognostic information for patients with advanced disease. Node positive (N+) patients with short telomeres (</=median) showed an increased survival compared with N+ patients with long telomeres (P = 0.001). For patients with ages <50 years with tumors >16 mm (median tumor diameter), short telomeres were associated with a significantly better outcome than longer telomeres (P = 0.006). Cox regression analysis showed that long RTL was a significant independent negative prognostic factor (hazards ratio, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.33-6.39; P = 0.007). Our results indicate that blood RTL may serve as a prognostic indicator in breast cancer patients with advanced disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Svenson
- Department of Medical Biosciences/Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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35
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Kappei D, Londoño-Vallejo JA. Telomere length inheritance and aging. Mech Ageing Dev 2007; 129:17-26. [PMID: 18054991 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2007.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2007] [Revised: 10/16/2007] [Accepted: 10/24/2007] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Telomere shortening accompanies human aging, and premature aging syndromes are often associated with short telomeres. These two observations are central to the hypothesis that telomere length directly influences longevity. If true, genetically determined mechanisms of telomere length homeostasis should significantly contribute to variations of longevity in the human population. On the other hand, telomere shortening is also observed in the course of many aging-associated disorders but determining whether it is a cause or a consequence is not an easy task. Here, we review the most relevant experimental and descriptive data relating telomere length, as a quantitative trait, to aging and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Kappei
- Telomeres & Cancer Laboratory, UMR7147, Institut Curie-CNRS-UPMC, 26 rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France
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