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Kidd E, Meimaridou E, Williams J, Metherell LA, Walley AJ, Fairbrother UL. Choice of gDNA isolation method has a significant impact on average murine Telomere Length estimates. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2024; 54:788-795. [PMID: 38088914 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2023.2288572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Telomere Length (TL) and integrity is significantly associated with age-related disease, multiple genetic and environmental factors. We observe mouse genomic DNA (gDNA) isolation methods to have a significant impact on average TL estimates. The canonical qPCR method does not measure TL directly but via the ratio of telomere repeats to a single copy gene (SCG) generating a T/S ratio. We use a monochromatic-multiplex-qPCR (mmqPCR) method which multiplexes the PCR and enables quantification of the target and the single copy gene within the same qPCR reaction. We demonstrate that TL measurements, from murine gDNA, isolated via Spin Columns (SC) and Magnetic Beads (MB), generate significantly smaller T/S ratios compared to gDNA isolated via traditional phenol/chloroform methods. The former methods may impede correct TL estimation by producing non representative fragment sets and reducing qPCR efficacy. This work highlights discrepancies in TL measurements due to different extraction techniques. We recommend the use of gDNA isolation methods that are shown to preserve DNA length and integrity, such as phenol/chloroform isolation. We propose that widely used high throughput DNA isolation methodologies can create spurious associations within a sample set, thus creating misleading data. We suggest that published TL associations should be revisited in the light of these data.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Kidd
- School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London, UK
| | - E Meimaridou
- School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London, UK
| | - J Williams
- Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - L A Metherell
- Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - A J Walley
- Section of Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's, University of London, London, UK
| | - U L Fairbrother
- School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London, UK
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de la Rosa R, Le A, Holm S, Ye M, Bush NR, Hessler D, Koita K, Bucci M, Long D, Thakur N. Associations Between Early-Life Adversity, Ambient Air Pollution, and Telomere Length in Children. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:422-430. [PMID: 38588482 PMCID: PMC11142884 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Examine the independent associations and interaction between early-life adversity and residential ambient air pollution exposure on relative buccal telomere length (rBTL). METHODS Experiences of abuse, neglect, household challenges, and related life events were identified in a cross-sectional sample of children aged 1 to 11 years ( n = 197) using the 17-item Pediatric ACEs and Related Life Event Screener (PEARLS) tool. The PEARLS tool was analyzed both as a total score and across established domains (Maltreatment, Household Challenges, and Social Context). Ground-level fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations were matched to residential locations for the 1 and 12 months before biospecimen collection. We used multivariable linear regression models to examine for independent associations between continuous PM 2.5 exposure and PEARLS score/domains with rBTL. In addition, effect modification by PEARLS scores and domains on associations between PM 2.5 exposure and rBTL was examined. RESULTS Study participants were 47% girls, with mean (standard deviation) age of 5.9 (3.4) years, median reported PEARLS score of 2 (interquartile range [IQR], 4), median 12-month prior PM 2.5 concentrations of 11.8 μg/m 3 (IQR, 2.7 μg/m 3 ), median 1-month prior PM 2.5 concentrations of 10.9 μg/m 3 (IQR, 5.8 μg/m 3 ), and rBTL of 0.1 (IQR, 0.03). Mean 12-month prior PM 2.5 exposure was inversely associated with rBTL ( β = -0.02, 95% confidence interval = -0.04 to -0.01). Although reported PEARLS scores and domains were not independently associated with rBTL, we observed a greater decrement in rBTL with increment of average annual PM 2.5 as reported Social Context domain items increased ( p -interaction < .05). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that adverse Social Context factors may accelerate the association between chronic PM 2.5 exposure on telomere shortening during childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemarie de la Rosa
- Environmental Health Sciences Division, University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
| | - Austin Le
- Environmental Health Sciences Division, University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health
| | - Stephanie Holm
- Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit
| | - Morgan Ye
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
| | - Nicole R. Bush
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Pediatrics
| | - Danielle Hessler
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Family and Community Medicine
| | | | | | - Dayna Long
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Pediatrics
- UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
| | - Neeta Thakur
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
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Brokamp C, Jones MN, Duan Q, Rasnick Manning E, Ray S, Corley AMS, Michael J, Taylor S, Unaka N, Beck AF. Causal Mediation of Neighborhood-Level Pediatric Hospitalization Inequities. Pediatrics 2024; 153:e2023064432. [PMID: 38426267 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-064432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Population-wide racial inequities in child health outcomes are well documented. Less is known about causal pathways linking inequities and social, economic, and environmental exposures. Here, we sought to estimate the total inequities in population-level hospitalization rates and determine how much is mediated by place-based exposures and community characteristics. METHODS We employed a population-wide, neighborhood-level study that included youth <18 years hospitalized between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2022. We defined a causal directed acyclic graph a priori to estimate the mediating pathways by which marginalized population composition causes census tract-level hospitalization rates. We used negative binomial regression models to estimate hospitalization rate inequities and how much of these inequities were mediated indirectly through place-based social, economic, and environmental exposures. RESULTS We analyzed 50 719 hospitalizations experienced by 28 390 patients. We calculated census tract-level hospitalization rates per 1000 children, which ranged from 10.9 to 143.0 (median 45.1; interquartile range 34.5 to 60.1) across included tracts. For every 10% increase in the marginalized population, the tract-level hospitalization rate increased by 6.2% (95% confidence interval: 4.5 to 8.0). After adjustment for tract-level community material deprivation, crime risk, English usage, housing tenure, family composition, hospital access, greenspace, traffic-related air pollution, and housing conditions, no inequity remained (0.2%, 95% confidence interval: -2.2 to 2.7). Results differed when considering subsets of asthma, type 1 diabetes, sickle cell anemia, and psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide additional evidence supporting structural racism as a significant root cause of inequities in child health outcomes, including outcomes at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cole Brokamp
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Margaret N Jones
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Qing Duan
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | - Sarah Ray
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Alexandra M S Corley
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Joseph Michael
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Stuart Taylor
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Ndidi Unaka
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Andrew F Beck
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Suglia SF, Clausing ES, Shelton RC, Conneely K, Prada-Ortega D, DeVivo I, Factor-Litvak P, Cirillo P, Baccarelli AA, Cohn B, Link BG. Cumulative Stress Across the Life Course and Biological Aging in Adulthood. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:137-145. [PMID: 38345302 PMCID: PMC11001534 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Psychosocial stressors have been linked with accelerated biological aging in adults; however, few studies have examined stressors across the life course in relation to biological aging. METHODS In 359 individuals (57% White, 34% Black) from the Child Health and Development Studies Disparities study, economic (income, education, financial strain), social (parent-child relations, caretaker responsibilities) and traumatic (death of a sibling or child, violence exposure) stressors were assessed at multiple time points (birth and ages 9, 15, and 50 years). Experiences of major discrimination were assessed at age 50. Life period stress scores were then assessed as childhood (birth-age 15 years) and adulthood (age 50 years). At age 50 years, participants provided blood samples, and DNA methylation was assessed with the EPIC BeadChip. Epigenetic age was estimated using six epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Hannum, Skin and Blood age, PhenoAge, GrimAge, Dunedin Pace of Aging). Age acceleration was determined using residuals from regressing chronologic age on each of the epigenetic age metrics. Telomere length was assessed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based methods. RESULTS In linear regression models adjusted for race and gender, total life stress, and childhood and adult stress independently predicted accelerated aging based on GrimAge and faster pace of aging based on the DunedinPace. Associations were attenuated after adjusting for smoking status. In sex-stratified analyses, greater childhood stress was associated with accelerated epigenetic aging among women but not men. No associations were noted with telomere length. CONCLUSIONS We found that cumulative stressors across the life course were associated with accelerated epigenetic age, with differences by sex (e.g., accelerated among women). Further research of this association in large and diverse samples is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakira F Suglia
- From the Department of Epidemiology (Suglia), Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; School of Global Integrative Studies (Clausing) and Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior (Clausing), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska; Department of Sociomedical Sciences (Shelton), Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York; Department of Human Genetics (Conneely, Baccarelli), School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Environmental Health (Prada-Ortega), Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York; Department of Epidemiology (DeVivo), Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health; Channing Division of Network Medicine (DeVivo), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Epidemiology (Factor-Litvak), Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York; Child Health and Development Studies (Cirillo, Cohn), Public Health Institute, Berkeley; and Department of Sociology (Link), University of California Riverside, Riverside, California
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Halabicky OM, Téllez-Rojo MM, Goodrich JM, Dolinoy DC, Mercado-García A, Hu H, Peterson KE. Prenatal and childhood lead exposure is prospectively associated with biological markers of aging in adolescence. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169757. [PMID: 38176546 PMCID: PMC10823594 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Few studies have related early life lead exposure to adolescent biological aging, a period characterized by marked increases in maturational tempo. We examined associations between prenatal and childhood lead exposure and adolescent biological age (mean 14.5 years) utilizing multiple epigenetic clocks including: intrinsic (IEAA), extrinsic (EEAA), Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge, Skin-Blood, Wu, PedBE, as well as DNA methylation derived telomere length (DNAmTL). Epigenetic clocks and DNAmTL were calculated via adolescent blood DNA methylation measured by Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips. We constructed general linear models (GLMs) with individual lead measures predicting biological age. We additionally examined sex-stratified models and lead by sex interactions, adjusting for adolescent age and lead levels, maternal smoking and education, and proportion of cell types. We also estimated effects of lead exposure on biological age using generalized estimating equations (GEE). First trimester blood lead was positively associated with a 0.14 increase in EEAA age in the GLMs though not the GEE models (95%CI 0.03, 0.25). First and 2nd trimester blood lead levels were associated with a 0.02 year increase in PedBE age in GLM and GEE models (1st trimester, 95%CI 0.004, 0.03; 2nd trimester, 95%CI 0.01, 0.03). Third trimester and 24 month blood lead levels were associated with a -0.06 and -0.05 decrease in Skin-Blood age, respectively, in GLM models. Additionally, 3rd trimester blood lead levels were associated with a 0.08 year decrease in Hannum age in GLM and GEE models (95%CI -0.15, -0.01). There were multiple significant results in sex-stratified models and significant lead by sex interactions, where males experienced accelerated biological age, compared to females who saw a decelerated biological age, with respect to IEAA, EEAA, Horvath, Hannum, and PedBE clocks. Further research is needed to understand sex-specific relationships between lead exposure and measures of biological aging in adolescence and the trajectory of biological aging into young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- O M Halabicky
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - M M Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - J M Goodrich
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - D C Dolinoy
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - A Mercado-García
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - H Hu
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - K E Peterson
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Kotecha EA, Zhang L, Aboklaish A, Cousins M, Hart K, Kotecha SJ, Watkins WJ, Kotecha S. Association of early and current life factors with telomere length in preterm-born children. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293589. [PMID: 37939053 PMCID: PMC10631654 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomeres shorten after each cell division. Since preterm-born babies are delivered early and often suffer from inflammatory conditions such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), their telomere length may be altered. OBJECTIVES We assessed associations of early and current life factors with telomere length in saliva samples obtained from 7-12-year-old children born at ≤34 weeks' gestation and term-born controls. STUDY DESIGN Relative telomere length was measured by qPCR on extracted DNA. Groups were compared using independent t-tests or ANOVA with post-hoc correction. Linear regression analysis was also used. RESULTS 534 children had satisfactory telomere data including 383 who were preterm-born (mean (SD) birthweight 1732g (558g), gestation 31.1 (2.6) weeks) and 151 term-born (3464g (510g); 39.8 (1.3) weeks). Telomere length was longer in children who had intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) at birth: mean (SD): 464.6 (166.3) vs. 418.6 (110.7) in the no-IUGR group; in females: 440.2 (130.1) vs. 405.7 (101.5) in males; and in the least deprived group (397.8 (95.0) vs. 437.6 (121.9) most vs least deprivation quintile). Differences were most notable in females with IUGR. However, telomere length was not different between the preterm and term groups; the BPD and no BPD groups nor was it related to lung function or cardiovascular measurements. In multivariable regression analyses, telomere length was associated with sex, IUGR and deprivation with the greatest difference observed in females with IUGR. CONCLUSIONS Telomere length was associated with sex, IUGR and deprivation, especially in females with IUGR, but not with prematurity, BPD, lung function or cardiovascular measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella A. Kotecha
- Department of Child Health, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Child Health, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ali Aboklaish
- Department of Child Health, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Cousins
- Department of Child Health, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Kylie Hart
- Department of Child Health, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah J. Kotecha
- Department of Child Health, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - W. John Watkins
- Department of Child Health, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sailesh Kotecha
- Department of Child Health, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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Taylor JY, Barcelona V, Magny-Normilus C, Wright ML, Jones-Patten A, Prescott L, Potts-Thompson S, Santos HP. A roadmap for social determinants of health and biological nursing research in the National Institute of Nursing Research 2022-2026 Strategic Plan: Optimizing health and advancing health equity using antiracist framing. Nurs Outlook 2023; 71:102059. [PMID: 37863707 PMCID: PMC10803078 DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2023.102059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health equity is essential for improving the well-being of all individuals and groups, and research remains a critical element for understanding barriers to health equity. While considering how to best support research that acknowledges current health challenges, it is crucial to understand the role of social justice frameworks within health equity research and the contributions of minoritized researchers. Additionally, there should be an increased understanding of the influence of social determinants of health on biological mechanisms. PURPOSE Biological health equity research seeks to understand and address health disparities among historically excluded populations. DISCUSSION While there are examples of studies in this area led by minoritized researchers, some individuals and groups remain understudied due to underfunding. Research within minoritized populations must be prioritized to authentically achieve health equity. Furthermore, there should be increased funding from National Institutes of Health to support minoritized researchers working in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyn Y Taylor
- Center for Research on People of Color, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY.
| | - Veronica Barcelona
- Center for Research on People of Color, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY
| | | | | | | | - Laura Prescott
- Center for Research on People of Color, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY
| | | | - Hudson P Santos
- School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
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Pantell MS, Holmgren AJ, Leary JC, Iott BE, Neuhaus J, Adler-Milstein J, Gottlieb LM. Social and Medical Care Integration Practices Among Children's Hospitals. Hosp Pediatr 2023; 13:886-894. [PMID: 37718963 PMCID: PMC10520266 DOI: 10.1542/hpeds.2023-007246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In response to evidence linking social risk factors and adverse health outcomes, new incentives have emerged for hospitals to screen for adverse social determinants of health (SDOH). However, little information is available about the current state of social risk-related care practices among children's hospitals. To address outstanding knowledge gaps, we sought to describe social risk-related care practices among a national sample of children's hospitals. METHODS We analyzed responses to the 2020 American Hospital Association Annual Survey. Among children's hospitals, we calculated the prevalence of screening for social needs, strategies to address social risks/needs, partnerships with community-based organizations to address social risks/needs at the individual and community level, and rates of impact assessments of how social risk-related interventions affect outcomes. We also used χ2 tests to compare results by hospital characteristics. We weighted results to adjust for nonresponse. RESULTS The sample included 82 children's hospitals. A total of 79.6% screened for and 96.0% had strategies to address at least 1 social risk factor, although rates varied by SDOH domain. Children's hospitals more commonly partnered with community-based organizations to address patient-level social risks than to participate in community-level initiatives. A total of 39.2% of hospitals assessed SDOH intervention effectiveness. Differences in social risk-related care practices commonly varied by hospital ownership and Medicaid population but not by region. CONCLUSIONS We found wide variability in social risk-related care practices among children's hospitals based on the risk domain and hospital characteristics. Findings can be used to monitor whether social risk-related care practices change in the setting of new incentives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Pantell
- Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, San Francisco, California
| | - A. Jay Holmgren
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Clinical Informatics and Improvement Research Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Jana C. Leary
- Department of Pediatrics, Tufts Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Bradley E. Iott
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, San Francisco, California
- Clinical Informatics and Improvement Research Center, San Francisco, California
| | - John Neuhaus
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Julia Adler-Milstein
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Clinical Informatics and Improvement Research Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Laura M. Gottlieb
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, San Francisco, California
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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Wolf SE, Shalev I. The shelterin protein expansion of telomere dynamics: Linking early life adversity, life history, and the hallmarks of aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105261. [PMID: 37268182 PMCID: PMC10527177 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Aging is characterized by functional decline occurring alongside changes to several hallmarks of aging. One of the hallmarks includes attrition of repeated DNA sequences found at the ends of chromosomes called telomeres. While telomere attrition is linked to morbidity and mortality, whether and how it causally contributes to lifelong rates of functional decline is unclear. In this review, we propose the shelterin-telomere hypothesis of life history, in which telomere-binding shelterin proteins translate telomere attrition into a range of physiological outcomes, the extent of which may be modulated by currently understudied variation in shelterin protein levels. Shelterin proteins may expand the breadth and timing of consequences of telomere attrition, e.g., by translating early life adversity into acceleration of the aging process. We consider how the pleiotropic roles of shelterin proteins provide novel insights into natural variation in physiology, life history, and lifespan. We highlight key open questions that encourage the integrative, organismal study of shelterin proteins that enhances our understanding of the contribution of the telomere system to aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Wolf
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Francis M, Lindrose A, O'Connell S, Tristano RI, McGarvey C, Drury S. The interaction of socioeconomic stress and race on telomere length in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. SSM Popul Health 2023; 22:101380. [PMID: 37065841 PMCID: PMC10102414 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale Proposed mechanisms relating early life exposures to poor health suggest that biologic indicators of risk are observable in childhood. Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker of aging, psychosocial stress, and a range of environmental exposures. In adults, exposure to early life adversity, including low socioeconomic status (SES), is predictive of shorter TL. However, results in pediatric populations have been mixed. Defining the true relation between TL and SES in childhood is expected to enhance the understanding of the biological pathways through which socioeconomic factors influence health across the life span. Objective The aim of this meta-analysis was to systematically review and quantitatively assess the published literature to better understand how SES, race, and TL are related in pediatric populations. Methods Studies in the United States in any pediatric population with any measure of SES were included and identified through the following electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Medline, Socindex, CINAHL, and Psychinfo. Analysis utilized a multi-level random-effects meta-analysis accounting for multiple effect sizes within a study. Results Thirty-two studies were included with a total of 78 effect sizes that were categorized into income-based, education-based, and composite indicators. Only three studies directly tested the relation between SES and TL as the primary study aim. In the full model, there was a significant relation between SES and TL (r = 0.0220 p = 0.0286). Analysis by type of SES categorization identified a significant moderating effect of income on TL (r = 0.0480, 95% CI: 0.0155 to 0.0802, p = 0.0045) but no significant effect for education or composite SES. Conclusions There is an overall association between SES and TL that is predominately due to the association with income-based SES measures implicating income disparities as a key target for efforts to address health inequity across the life span. Identification of associations between family income and biological changes in children that predict life-span health risk provides key data to support public health policies addressing economic inequality in families and presents a unique opportunity to assess the effect of prevention efforts at the biologic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariza Francis
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute and School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alyssa Lindrose
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Samantha O'Connell
- Office of Academic Affairs and Provost, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Renee I. Tristano
- Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Cecile McGarvey
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute and School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Stacy Drury
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute and School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
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Beijers R, Ten Thije I, Bolhuis E, O'Donnell KJ, Tollenaar MS, Shalev I, Hastings WJ, MacIsaac JL, Lin DTS, Meaney M, Kobor MS, Belsky J, de Weerth C. Cumulative risk exposure and child cellular aging in a Dutch low-risk community sample. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14205. [PMID: 36323627 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
One of the proposed mechanisms linking childhood stressor exposure to negative mental and physical health outcomes in later life is cellular aging. In this prospective, longitudinal, and pre-registered study, we examined the association between a cumulative pattern of childhood risk exposure from age 6 to age 10 (i.e., poor maternal mental health, parental relationship problems, family/friend death, bullying victimization, poor quality friendships) and change in two biomarkers of cellular aging (i.e., telomere length, epigenetic age) from age 6 to age 10 in a Dutch low-risk community sample (n = 193). We further examined the moderating effect of cortisol reactivity at age 6. Ordinary Least Squares regression analyses revealed no significant main effects of childhood risk exposure on change in cellular aging, nor a moderation effect of child cortisol reactivity. Secondary findings showed a positive correlation between telomere length and cortisol reactivity at age 6, warranting further investigation. More research in similar communities is needed before drawing strong conclusions based on the null results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roseriet Beijers
- Department of Social Development, Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ilse Ten Thije
- Department of Social Development, Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Emma Bolhuis
- Department of Social Development, Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kieran J O'Donnell
- Yale Child Study Center & Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Marieke S Tollenaar
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition and Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Waylon J Hastings
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Julia L MacIsaac
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - David T S Lin
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Michael Meaney
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jay Belsky
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, California, Davis, USA
| | - Carolina de Weerth
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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12
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Kertes DA, Leri J, Duan K, Tarrence J, Browning C, Pickler R, Ford J. Demographic and health predictors of telomere length during adolescence. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22311. [PMID: 36282763 PMCID: PMC9749139 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is proposed to play a mechanistic role in how the exposome affects health outcomes. Little is known about TL during adolescence, a developmental period during which precursors of adult-onset health problems often emerge. We examined health and demographic sources of variation in TL in 899 youth aged 11-17. Demographic and health information included age, sex, race, household income, caregiver age and marital status, youth tobacco exposure, body mass index, pubertal status, health problems, medication use, and season of data collection. Genomic DNA was extracted from saliva, and T/S ratios were computed following qPCR. Age, race, season of data collection, and household income were associated with the telomere to single copy (T/S) ratio. We found that T/S ratios were larger at younger ages, among Black youth, for saliva collected during autumn and winter, and among households with higher income. Analyses stratified by race revealed that the association between age and T/S ratio was present for Black youth, that season of collection was present across races, but that family demographic associations with T/S ratio varied by race. The results provide information for future telomere research and highlight adolescence as a potentially important developmental phase for racial disparities in telomere shortening and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darlene A. Kertes
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA,Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - John Leri
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ke Duan
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jake Tarrence
- Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Rita Pickler
- College of Nursing, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jodi Ford
- College of Nursing, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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13
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Yang J, Chen F. Exploring correlation between social determinants and overweight/obesity in children and youths with epilepsy. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:897333. [PMID: 36340737 PMCID: PMC9634064 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.897333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim This study aimed to explore the correlation between social determinants and overweight and obesity in children and youths with epilepsy. Methods The study data were derived from the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) 2016-2017 and 2018-2019, a cross-sectional sample of young people aged 10-17. Three groups participated by weight: 423 in body mass index (BMI) 5th-84th group (normal weight), 108 in BMI 85th-94th group (overweight), and 124 in BMI ≥ 95th group (obesity). Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analyses were conducted. The three subgroups were divided to explore the correlation between social determinants and overweight and obesity. Results A total of 655 children were included. After adjusting for sex, age, race, use of cigarets, cigars, or pipe tobacco inside, afterschool activity, and physical activity, children in poor physical condition reported by their parents [OR = 1.573 (95% CI, 1.164-2.125)] were associated with overweight/obesity. There were negative correlations between parents with higher education and overweight/obesity, especially in children and youths with previous or current epilepsy groups. Also, overweight/obesity was correlated with the 200%-400% family poverty level (FPL) [the adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.156 (95% CI, 0.028-0.876)] and above 400% FPL [the adjusted OR = 0.121 (95% CI, 0.023-0.641)] in children and youths with mild symptoms of epilepsy, and above 400% FPL [the adjusted OR = 0.103 (95% CI, 0.023-0.460)] in children with moderate to severe epilepsy. Conclusion Poor physical conditions were correlated with obesity in childhood epilepsy. Parents with higher education and FPLs were negatively correlated to childhood obesity. Therefore, this study was intended to advocate for a greater emphasis on BMI for children and youths with epilepsy in families with lower-educated and low-income groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
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14
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De Ruyter T, Martens DS, Bijnens EM, Nawrot TS, De Henauw S, Michels N. A multi-exposure approach to study telomere dynamics in childhood: A role for residential green space and waist circumference. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 213:113656. [PMID: 35691385 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomeres are vulnerable to various environmental exposures and lifestyle factors, encompassed in the exposome. Recent research shows that telomere length is substantially determined early in life and that exposures in childhood may have important consequences in setting later life telomere length. OBJECTIVES We explore in a child population the associations of 17 exposures with telomere length and longitudinal telomere change. METHODS Children (2.8-10.3y at baseline, 51.3% boys) were followed-up for five to seven years. Relative telomere length was measured at baseline and follow-up using quantitative real-time PCR. Exposures and lifestyle factors included: body composition (body mass index and waist circumference), dietary habits (sugar- and fat-rich food intake, vegetables and fruit intake), psychosocial stress (events, emotions, behaviour), sleep duration, physical activity, and residential environmental quality (longterm black carbon, particulate matter exposure, and residential green space). Cross-sectional (n=182) and longitudinal (n=150) analyses were assessed using linear regression models, adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status and multiple testing. RESULTS Our longitudinal analyses showed that higher residential green space at baseline was associated with (β=0.261, p=0.002) lower telomere attrition and that children with a higher waist circumference at baseline showed a higher telomere attrition (β=-0.287, p=0.001). These two predictors were confirmed via LASSO variable selection and correction for multiple testing. In addition, children with more unhealthy exposures at baseline had a significantly higher telomere attrition over the follow-up period compared to children with more healthy exposures (β=-0.200, p=0.017). DISCUSSION Waist circumference and residential green space were identified as predictors associated with telomere attrition in childhood. These results further support the advantages of a healthy lifestyle from early age onwards and the importance of a green environment to promote molecular longevity from childhood onwards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaïs De Ruyter
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
| | - Dries S Martens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Esmée M Bijnens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stefaan De Henauw
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Michels
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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15
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Tung KTS, Wong RS, Tsang HW, Wong WHS, Tso WWY, Yam JC, Lum TYS, Chan GCF, Wong ICK, Ip P. Family Financial Pressure in Childhood and Telomere Length in Early Adolescence: A Prospective Study. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:721. [PMID: 35627106 PMCID: PMC9141478 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Much research on children in high-risk environments has focused on the biological consequences of maltreatment, adversity, and trauma. Whether other early-life stress sources such as family financial hardship are implicated in the cellular mechanism of disease development remains unclear. This study investigated the long-term effect of childhood exposure to family financial pressure on telomere length. It involved two waves of data collection occurring when participants reached Grade 3 (W1) and 7 (W2), respectively. In W1, parents reported family demographics and perceived financial stressors and pressure. In W2, participants provided buccal swab samples for measurement of their telomere length. Data from 92 participants (Mage in W2 = 13.2 years; 56.5% male) were analyzed. The main type of stressors reported by parents who perceived high family financial pressure in W1 were child-level stressors including affordability of their medical and educational expenses. Participants exposed to high parent-perceived family financial pressure in W1 had shorter telomeres in W2 when compared to those exposed to low parent-perceived family financial pressure (β = -0.61, p = 0.042). Subgroup analyses revealed stronger associations in girls than boys. These findings reveal an important spillover effect between parental financial perceptions and stress and children's health at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith T. S. Tung
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (K.T.S.T.); (H.W.T.); (W.H.S.W.); (W.W.Y.T.); (G.C.F.C.)
| | - Rosa S. Wong
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (K.T.S.T.); (H.W.T.); (W.H.S.W.); (W.W.Y.T.); (G.C.F.C.)
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
| | - Hing Wai Tsang
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (K.T.S.T.); (H.W.T.); (W.H.S.W.); (W.W.Y.T.); (G.C.F.C.)
| | - Wilfred H. S. Wong
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (K.T.S.T.); (H.W.T.); (W.H.S.W.); (W.W.Y.T.); (G.C.F.C.)
| | - Winnie W. Y. Tso
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (K.T.S.T.); (H.W.T.); (W.H.S.W.); (W.W.Y.T.); (G.C.F.C.)
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jason C. Yam
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
| | - Terry Y. S. Lum
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
| | - Godfrey C. F. Chan
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (K.T.S.T.); (H.W.T.); (W.H.S.W.); (W.W.Y.T.); (G.C.F.C.)
| | - Ian C. K. Wong
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Patrick Ip
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (K.T.S.T.); (H.W.T.); (W.H.S.W.); (W.W.Y.T.); (G.C.F.C.)
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16
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Almuwaqqat Z, Wittbrodt MT, Moazzami K, Nye JA, Lima BB, Shah AJ, Alkhalaf J, Pearce B, Sun YV, Quyyumi AA, Vaccarino V, Bremner JD. Neural correlates of stress and leucocyte telomere length in patients with coronary artery disease. J Psychosom Res 2022; 155:110760. [PMID: 35217318 PMCID: PMC8940678 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.110760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accelerated biological aging, as indicated by telomere shortening, is associated with CAD pathogenesis. In a cross-sectional study, we investigated neural correlates of acute psychological stress and short telomeres in patients with CAD. METHODS Individuals with CAD (N = 168) underwent a validated mental stress protocol including public speaking and mental arithmetic. Imaging of the brain with [O-15] water and high-resolution positron emission tomography (HR-PET) was performed during mental stress and control conditions. Blood flow during stressful tasks (average of speech and arithmetic) and control tasks were assessed. Telomere length in peripheral leucocytes was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and expressed as Telomere/Single Copy Gene (T/S) ratio. Voxel-wise regression models were constructed to assess the association between brain areas and activity during rest and mental stress after adjustments for demographic factors and clinical characteristics. RESULTS The mean (SD) age of the sample was 62 (8) years, and 69% were men. Increased activation with mental stress in the lingual gyrus, cerebellum and superior and inferior frontal gyri were associated with reduced telomere length; 1.6 higher voxel activation of these areas was associated with 0.1 T/S-units reduction in telomere length (P < 0.005). Additionally, during neutral counting and speaking tasks, brain activity in the precentral, middle and superior frontal and middle temporal gyri was inversely associated with telomere length. Results remained consistent after adjustment for demographic and clinical risk factors. CONCLUSION Increased stress-induced activity in brain areas mediating the stress response was associated with shortened telomere length in CAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakaria Almuwaqqat
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Matthew T Wittbrodt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Kasra Moazzami
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Jonathan A Nye
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Bruno B Lima
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Amit J Shah
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia
| | - Jamil Alkhalaf
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Brad Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Yan V Sun
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Arshed A Quyyumi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - J Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, United States of America; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia.
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17
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Chen MA, LeRoy AS, Majd M, Chen JY, Brown RL, Christian LM, Fagundes CP. Immune and Epigenetic Pathways Linking Childhood Adversity and Health Across the Lifespan. Front Psychol 2021; 12:788351. [PMID: 34899540 PMCID: PMC8662704 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.788351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity is associated with a host of mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. Individuals who have experienced childhood adversity (e.g., child abuse and neglect, family conflict, poor parent/child relationships, low socioeconomic status or extreme poverty) are at a greater risk for morbidity and premature mortality than those not exposed to childhood adversity. Several mechanisms likely contribute to the relationship between childhood adversity and health across the lifespan (e.g., health behaviors, cardiovascular reactivity). In this paper, we review a large body of research within the field of psychoneuroimmunology, demonstrating the relationship between early life stress and alterations of the immune system. We first review the literature demonstrating that childhood adversity is associated with immune dysregulation across different indices, including proinflammatory cytokine production (and its impact on telomere length), illness and infection susceptibility, latent herpesvirus reactivation, and immune response to a tumor. We then summarize the growing literature on how childhood adversity may alter epigenetic processes. Finally, we propose future directions related to this work that have basic and applied implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A Chen
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Angie S LeRoy
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Marzieh Majd
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan Y Chen
- McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ryan L Brown
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lisa M Christian
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health and the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Christopher P Fagundes
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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18
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Needham BL, Straight B, Hilton CE, Olungah CO, Lin J. Family socioeconomic status and child telomere length among the Samburu of Kenya. Soc Sci Med 2021; 283:114182. [PMID: 34225037 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous research in high-income countries suggests that children from families with lower socioeconomic status (SES) tend to have shorter telomere length - a biomarker of stress and cell aging - than children from families with greater social and economic resources. However, little is known about predictors of child telomere length in low-income settings. Data for the current study are from a sample of 214 Samburu children aged 1-9 years. The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who live in the Rift Valley of north-central Kenya. Samburu livelihood is based primarily on livestock, and polygynous marriage is common. Drawing on prior ethnographic research, we measured 14 culturally relevant indicators of family SES, including mother's education, head of household's education, whether the child is currently attending school, household spending, mother's employment history, head of household's employment history, mother's perceived wealth, whether the child lives in a modern house, livestock holdings (total, cows, sheep/goats, and camels), mother's wife number, and whether the child lives in a polygynous household. Telomere length was measured in salivary DNA by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. Using latent class analysis, we identified four groups of children that are similar based on the 14 indicators of family SES: Lower SES; Middle SES, Traditional; Middle SES, Modern; and Higher SES. SES classes were not significantly associated with child telomere length. In models examining individual indicators of SES, we found that telomere length was 0.57 standard deviations greater for children who lived in families in the lowest quartile of total livestock holdings compared to those in the highest quartile (b = 0.57, p = 0.03). While additional research is needed to identify the mechanisms underlying this counterintuitive finding, the current study highlights the importance of cultural context in shaping the social gradient in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda L Needham
- Department of Epidemiology and Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan, USA.
| | - Bilinda Straight
- Department of Gender and Women's Studies, Western Michigan University, USA
| | - Charles E Hilton
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
| | | | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
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19
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Bosquet Enlow M, Petty CR, Hacker MR, Burris HH. Maternal psychosocial functioning, obstetric health history, and newborn telomere length. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 123:105043. [PMID: 33176222 PMCID: PMC7732207 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
There is growing interest in elucidating the determinants of newborn telomere length, given its potential as a biomarker of lifetime disease risk affected by prenatal exposures. There is limited evidence that increased maternal stress during pregnancy predicts shorter newborn telomere length. However, the few studies published to date have been conducted primarily with small samples utilizing inconsistent definitions of maternal stress. Moreover, the potential influence of fetal sex as a moderator of maternal stress effects on newborn telomere length has been largely ignored despite compelling evidence of likely impact. In a prospective cohort study of pregnant women seeking routine prenatal care, we tested whether a range of maternal measures of stressor exposures, subjective feelings of stress, and mental health (depression, anxiety) were associated with newborn telomere length assessed from cord blood among 146 pregnant women and their newborn infants. We further examined whether the pattern of associations differed by infant sex. Sociodemographic and maternal and newborn health indicators were considered as potential covariates. When examined within the whole sample, none of the maternal psychosocial measures were associated with newborn telomere length. Among potential covariates, maternal history of smoking and preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy were negatively associated with newborn telomere length. In adjusted linear regression analyses that considered potential sex-specific effects, maternal depression, general anxiety, and pregnancy-specific anxiety symptoms were positively associated with newborn telomere length among males. Overall, the findings provide some evidence for an association between maternal psychosocial wellbeing in pregnancy and newborn telomere length in males, although in the opposite direction than previously reported. Maternal smoking and obstetric history prior to conception may be associated with shorter offspring telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Carter R. Petty
- Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michele R. Hacker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heather H. Burris
- Department of Neonatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA,Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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20
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Carroll JE, Mahrer NE, Shalowitz MU, Ramey S, Schetter CD. Prenatal maternal stress prospectively relates to shorter child buccal cell telomere length. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 121:104841. [PMID: 32927181 PMCID: PMC9531598 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to stress increases risk for suboptimal child and adult mental and physical health outcomes, hypothesized to occur via fetal exposure to maternal stress hormones that alter growth and development. One proposed pathway through which stress exposure in utero could affect the offspring is by accelerating cellular aging in the form of telomere attrition. We tested this hypothesis in a cohort of 111 mother-child dyads, where mothers were assessed over 6 or more years, beginning prior to conception, and later during pregnancy, postpartum, and when the children were 3-5 years old. Adjusting for child age and concurrent maternal stress, we found that higher maternal perceived stress in the 3rd trimesters of pregnancy was predictive of shorter child buccal telomere length (bTL) (β = -0.24, p < .05), while maternal preconception and postpartum maternal stress were not associated with bTL (all p's > 0.42). These findings suggest a vulnerable time period in pregnancy when maternal stress influences offspring telomere length, suggesting the early embedding of adult disease might occur through biological aging pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith E. Carroll
- University of California, Los Angeles, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Nicole E. Mahrer
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology,University of La Verne, Department of Psychology
| | | | - Sharon Ramey
- Virginia Tech, Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine and Pediatrics
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21
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Miri M, de Prado-Bert P, Alahabadi A, Najafi ML, Rad A, Moslem A, Aval HE, Ehrampoush MH, Bustamante M, Zare Sakhvidi MJ, Nawrot T, Sunyer J, Dadvand P. Association of greenspace exposure with telomere length in preschool children. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 266:115228. [PMID: 32763773 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to greenspace has been associated with a wide range of health benefits; however, the available evidence on the association of this exposure with telomere length (TL), an early marker of ageing, is still scarce. We investigated the association of greenspace exposure with TL in a sample of 200 preschool children (aged 5-7 years) residing in Sabzevar, Iran (2017). We comprehensively characterized different aspects of greenspace exposure encompassing residential, kindergarten, and total (including both residential and kindergarten) surrounding greenspace (using satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), residential and kindergarten distance to green spaces, time spent in private gardens and public green spaces, and the number of plant pots at home. Relative leukocyte TL (LTL) in blood samples of the study participants was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). We applied mixed effects linear regression models with kindergarten and qPCR plate as random effects, to estimate the association of indicators of greenspace exposure (one at a time) with LTL, controlled for relevant covariates. We observed an inverse association between distance from home and kindergarten to green spaces larger than 5000 m2 and LTL. Moreover, higher total surrounding greenspace at 300m and 500m buffers and higher surrounding greenspace at 300m buffer around kindergarten and home were associated with longer LTL. Furthermore, longer time spent (h/week) in the public green spaces was associated with longer LTL. Our findings for residential and kindergarten distance to any green space (regardless of the size), residential surrounding greenspace at 100m and 500m buffers, kindergarten surrounding greenspace at 100m buffer, time spent in private gardens (h/week) and the number of plant pots at home were not conclusive. Our findings were generally suggestive for a positive association between greenspace exposure and LTL in preschool children. More studies are needed to confirm these findings in other settings with different climates and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Miri
- Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Paula de Prado-Bert
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Ciber on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ahmad Alahabadi
- Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Moslem Lari Najafi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Cosmetic Products Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Rad
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Alireza Moslem
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Hamideh Ebrahimi Aval
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hassan Ehrampoush
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mariona Bustamante
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Ciber on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mohammad Javad Zare Sakhvidi
- Occupational Health Research Center, Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran; Univ Rennes 1, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) UMR-S 1085, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Tim Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Ciber on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Payam Dadvand
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Ciber on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
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22
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Ojeda-Rodríguez A, Morell-Azanza L, Zalba G, Zazpe I, Azcona-Sanjulian MC, Marti A. Associations of telomere length with two dietary quality indices after a lifestyle intervention in children with abdominal obesity: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Obes 2020; 15:e12661. [PMID: 32558330 DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dietary factors seem to influence telomere length. Moreover, associations between changes in adiposity indices and telomere length (TL) have been found in intervention studies. OBJECTIVE We evaluated changes in two diet quality indices and their association with TL in children with abdominal obesity in a 12-month lifestyle intervention. METHODS Eighty-seven participants (7-16 years old) were assigned to the intervention (moderate hypocaloric Mediterranean diet) or usual care group (standard paediatric recommendations) for a 2-month intensive phase and a subsequent 10-month follow-up. Diet quality was assessed using the Diet Quality Index for Adolescents (DQI-A) and the Healthy Lifestyle Diet Index (HLD-I). TL was measured by monochrome multiplex real-time quantitative PCR. The intra-class correlation coefficient for TL was 0.793 (95% CI 0.707, 0.857). RESULTS After a 12-month lifestyle intervention, a significant reduction in BMI-SDS (-0.57 and -0.49 for the intervention and usual care groups, respectively) and fat mass was observed in all subjects without differences between groups. Changes in DQI-A (+12.36% vs +5.53%, P = .005) and HLD-I (+4.43 vs +1.09, P < .001) were higher in the intervention subjects compared with usual care subjects after 2 months. Interestingly, we observed a positive change in TL between 2 and 12 months (P = .025), which was associated with higher scores on the DQI-A (β = 0.008, R2 = 0.088, P = .010) and HLD-I (β = 0.022, R2 = 0.198, P = .015), in the intervention group after the 2-month intensive phase. CONCLUSION Favourable changes in diet quality indices could contribute to telomere integrity in children with abdominal obesity enrolled in an intensive lifestyle intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ojeda-Rodríguez
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Lydia Morell-Azanza
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Guillermo Zalba
- IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Itziar Zazpe
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine-Clínica Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Centre Network on Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Cristina Azcona-Sanjulian
- IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Amelia Marti
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Centre Network on Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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23
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Colich NL, Rosen ML, Williams ES, McLaughlin KA. Biological aging in childhood and adolescence following experiences of threat and deprivation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Bull 2020; 146:721-764. [PMID: 32744840 DOI: 10.1037/bul0000270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory argues that exposure to early life adversity (ELA) accelerates development, although existing evidence for this varies. We present a meta-analysis and systematic review testing the hypothesis that ELA involving threat (e.g., violence exposure) will be associated with accelerated biological aging across multiple metrics, whereas exposure to deprivation (e.g., neglect, institutional rearing) and low-socioeconomic status (SES) will not. We meta-analyze 54 studies (n = 116,010) examining associations of ELA with pubertal timing and cellular aging (telomere length and DNA methylation age), systematically review 25 studies (n = 3,253) examining ELA and neural markers of accelerated development (cortical thickness and amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity) and evaluate whether associations of ELA with biological aging vary according to the nature of adversity experienced. ELA overall was associated with accelerated pubertal timing (d = -0.10) and cellular aging (d = -0.21), but these associations varied by adversity type. Moderator analysis revealed that ELA characterized by threat was associated with accelerated pubertal development (d = -0.26) and accelerated cellular aging (d = -0.43), but deprivation and SES were unrelated to accelerated development. Systematic review revealed associations between ELA and accelerated cortical thinning, with threat-related ELA consistently associated with thinning in ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and deprivation and SES associated with thinning in frontoparietal, default, and visual networks. There was no consistent association of ELA with amygdala-PFC connectivity. These findings suggest specificity in the types of early environmental experiences associated with accelerated biological aging and highlight the importance of evaluating how accelerated aging contributes to health disparities and whether this process can be mitigated through early intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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24
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Moslem A, Rad A, de Prado Bert P, Alahabadi A, Ebrahimi Aval H, Miri M, Gholizadeh A, Ehrampoush MH, Sunyer J, Nawrot TS, Miri M, Dadvand P. Association of exposure to air pollution and telomere length in preschool children. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 722:137933. [PMID: 32213432 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to air pollution is associated with adverse health effects; however, the available evidence of its association with telomere length (TL), an early marker of ageing, in children is still scarce with no study available for preschool children. This study aimed to investigate the association of exposure to air pollution and traffic indicators at home and kindergarten with relative leukocyte TL (LTL) in preschool children. This cross-sectional study included 200 preschool children (5-7 years old) recruited from 27 kindergartens in Sabzevar, Iran (2017). Outdoor annual average levels PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 at residential address and kindergartens were estimated applying land use regression (LUR) models. Moreover, indoor levels of PMs at kindergartens were measured for four days in each season resulting in a total of 16 days of measurements for each kindergarten. Total streets length in different buffers and distance to major road were calculated as traffic indicators at residential address and kindergartens. We applied quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to measure relative LTL in blood samples obtained from children. Mixed linear regression models were developed with qPCR plate and kindergarten as random effects, to estimate association of each pollutant and traffic indicator with LTL, controlled for relevant covariates. Higher concentrations of outdoor PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, at home and kindergartens were associated with shorter relative LTL. Similarly, increase in indoor PM2.5 concentrations at kindergartens was associated with shorter relative LTL (β = -0.18, 95% CI: -0.36, -0.01, P-value < 0.01). Moreover, higher total street length in 100 m buffer around residence and lower residential distance to major roads were associated with shorter relative LTL (β = -0.25, 95% CI: -0.37, -0.13, P-value < 0.01, and 0.32, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.44, P-value < 0.01, respectively). Overall, our study suggested that higher exposure to air pollution and traffic at kindergarten and residential home were associated with shorter relative LTL in preschool children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Moslem
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Rad
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Paula de Prado Bert
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Ciber on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ahmad Alahabadi
- Non-communicable diseases Research Center, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Hamideh Ebrahimi Aval
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Miri
- Student Research Committee, Department of Biostatistics, School of Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Abdolmajid Gholizadeh
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hassan Ehrampoush
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Ciber on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mohammad Miri
- Non-communicable diseases Research Center, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
| | - Payam Dadvand
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Ciber on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
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25
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Martens DS, Janssen BG, Bijnens EM, Clemente DBP, Vineis P, Plusquin M, Nawrot TS. Association of Parental Socioeconomic Status and Newborn Telomere Length. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e204057. [PMID: 32364595 PMCID: PMC7199116 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Low socioeconomic status is associated with higher all-cause mortality and risks for aging-related diseases. Biological aging is a potential process underlying health conditions related to social disadvantages, which may be present from birth onward. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of parental socioeconomic status with telomere length (TL) at birth, a marker of biological aging. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prospective birth cohort study was conducted among 1504 mother-newborn pairs in Belgium recruited between February 1, 2010, and July 1, 2017. EXPOSURES Parental socioeconomic measures, including maternal educational level, occupation, paternal educational level, and neighborhood income based on median annual household income. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Mean relative TL was measured in cord blood and placental tissue. By constructing a principal component, an integrative socioeconomic measure was derived that integrates parental socioeconomic status and neighborhood income. Multivariable adjusted regression analyses were performed to associate the integrative socioeconomic measure and TL at birth. RESULTS In 1026 newborns (517 boys; mean [SD] gestational age, 39.2 [1.4] weeks), a higher socioeconomic status was associated with longer cord blood TL and placental TL. Each unit increment in the integrative socioeconomic status measure was associated with 2.1% (95% CI, 0.9%-3.4%; P < .001) longer cord blood TL in boys, while no association was observed for girls (0.5% longer cord blood TL; 95% CI, -0.9% to 1.8%; P = .50). The sex-specific socioeconomic status interaction revealed a stronger association in boys compared with newborn girls (1.6%; 95% CI, 0.02%-3.3%; P = .047 for interaction). In placental tissue, higher socioeconomic status was associated with 1.8% (95% CI, 0.3%-3.3%; P = .02) longer TL in newborn boys but not in girls (0.4% longer TL; 95% CI, -1.2% to 2.0%; P = .63). For placental tissue, no sex and socioeconomic status interaction on TL was observed (1.4%; 95% CI, -0.5% to 3.4%; P = .16 for interaction). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study suggests that parental socioeconomic status is associated with newborn TL, especially in boys. The results indicate that familial social economic factors are associated with the potential cellular longevity of the next generation, with a potential higher transgenerational vulnerability for newborn boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dries S. Martens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Bram G. Janssen
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Esmée M. Bijnens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | | | - Paolo Vineis
- Medical Research Council–Health Policy Agency, Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Plusquin
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Tim S. Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
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26
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Patterns of change in telomere length over the first three years of life in healthy children. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 115:104602. [PMID: 32120019 PMCID: PMC7183438 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
There is growing interest in the use of telomere length as a biomarker of health and a predictor of later morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about developmentally expected telomere erosion over the first years of life. This gap hinders our ability to interpret the meaning of relative telomere length and rate of attrition in relation to risk factors and health outcomes. The overall goal of this study was to examine the rate of relative telomere length attrition in a large, normative sample of healthy children (N = 630) followed from infancy to three years of age. A secondary goal was to explore associations between sociodemographic characteristics and telomere erosion over this time period. Relative telomere length was assessed from DNA in saliva samples collected in infancy (M = 8.6 months), age 2 years (M = 25.2 months), and age 3 years (M = 38.3 months). In the sample as a whole, relative telomere length decreased from infancy to 2 years but remained stable from 2 years to 3 years. Notably, increases in relative telomere length were observed in 29 % of children between infancy and 2 years of age and in 46 % of children between 2 and 3 years of age; 62 % of children showed both increases and decreases in relative telomere length across the study period. Females showed longer relative telomere length than males, regardless of timepoint. There was some evidence that parental age and family finances were associated with changes in child relative telomere length across time. Overall, the findings suggest that telomere length attrition is not uniform across the early years of life, with the most rapid attrition occurring during the first two years, and that increases as well as decreases in telomere length during this period are commonly observed.
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27
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Morell-Azanza L, Ojeda-Rodríguez A, Azcona-SanJulián MC, Zalba G, Marti A. Associations of telomere length with anthropometric and glucose changes after a lifestyle intervention in abdominal obese children. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2020; 30:694-700. [PMID: 32007334 DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In lifestyle intervention studies, we demonstrated that changes in telomere length (TL) were associated with changes in anthropometric indices. Therefore, our new hypothesis is that TL could be a predictor of changes in anthropometric or metabolic measures in children with abdominal obesity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between anthropometric and biochemical measurements with TL before and after an 8-week lifestyle intervention in children with abdominal obesity (7-16 years old). METHODS AND RESULTS We assessed anthropometric and biochemical outcomes at baseline and after 8-week lifestyle intervention in 106 children with abdominal obesity (11.30 ± 2.49 years old, 63% girls). TL was measured by monochrome multiplex real-time quantitative PCR. After the lifestyle intervention, anthropometric parameters and glucose metabolism indicators significantly improved in the participants. TL did not change after the intervention in participants. Significant negative correlations between baseline TL and anthropometric measures (BMI, body weight and waist circumference) were observed. Furthermore, baseline TL was a predictor for changes in blood glucose levels after the lifestyle intervention. CONCLUSIONS An inverse correlation between TL and obesity traits was observed in children with abdominal obesity. Interestingly, we found that baseline TL could predict changes in blood glucose levels. CLINICAL TRIAL NCT03147261. Registered 10 May 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Morell-Azanza
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ana Ojeda-Rodríguez
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ma Cristina Azcona-SanJulián
- IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), Pamplona, Spain; Paediatric Endocrinology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Guillermo Zalba
- IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), Pamplona, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Amelia Marti
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), Pamplona, Spain; Center of Biomedical Research in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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28
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Rentscher KE, Carroll JE, Mitchell C. Psychosocial Stressors and Telomere Length: A Current Review of the Science. Annu Rev Public Health 2020; 41:223-245. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A growing literature suggests that exposure to adverse social conditions may accelerate biological aging, offering one mechanism through which adversity may increase risk for age-related disease. As one of the most extensively studied biological markers of aging, telomere length (TL) provides a valuable tool to understand potential influences of social adversity on the aging process. Indeed, a sizeable literature now links a wide range of stressors to TL across the life span. The aim of this article is to review and evaluate this extant literature with a focus on studies that investigate psychosocial stress exposures and experiences in early life and adulthood. We conclude by outlining potential biological and behavioral mechanisms through which psychosocial stress may influence TL, and we discuss directions for future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E. Rentscher
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA;,
| | - Judith E. Carroll
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA;,
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, USA
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29
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Pantell MS, Kaiser SV, Torres JM, Gottlieb LM, Adler NE. Associations Between Social Factor Documentation and Hospital Length of Stay and Readmission Among Children. Hosp Pediatr 2020; 10:12-19. [PMID: 31888952 DOI: 10.1542/hpeds.2019-0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Social risk factors are linked to children's health, but little is known about how frequently these factors are documented using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) or whether documentation is associated with health care use outcomes. Using a large administrative database of pediatric hospitalizations, we examined the prevalence of ICD social risk code documentation and hypothesized that social code documentation would be associated with longer length of stay (LOS) and readmission. METHODS We analyzed hospitalizations of children ages ≤18 using the 2012 Nationwide Readmissions Database. The following ICD social codes were used as predictors: family member with alcohol and/or drug problem, history of abuse, parental separation, foster care, educational circumstance, housing instability, other economic strain, and legal circumstance. Outcomes included long LOS (top quintile) and readmission within 30 days after discharge. Covariates included individual, hospital, and season variables. RESULTS Of 926 073 index hospitalizations, 7432 (0.8%) had International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, social codes. Social code documentation was significantly associated with long LOS. Adjusting for covariates, family alcohol and/or drug problem (odds ratio [OR] 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-2.35), foster care (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.53-3.65), other economic strain (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.38-3.26), and legal circumstances (OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.02-2.71) remained significant predictors of long LOS. Social code documentation was not associated with readmission after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSIONS Social ICD codes are associated with prolonged LOS and readmission in pediatric hospitalizations, but they are infrequently documented. Future work exploring these associations could help to determine if addressing social risk factors in inpatient settings might improve child health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Pantell
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics,
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | | | | | - Laura M Gottlieb
- Family and Community Medicine, and
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Nancy E Adler
- Psychiatry, and
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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30
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Association between spontaneous activity of the default mode network hubs and leukocyte telomere length in late childhood and early adolescence. J Psychosom Res 2019; 127:109864. [PMID: 31706071 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.109864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The impact of early life stress on mental health and telomere length shortening have been reported. Changes in brain default mode network (DMN) were found to be related to a myriad of psychiatric conditions in which stress may play a role. In this context, family environment and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potential causes of stress. This is a hypothesis-driven study focused on testing two hypotheses: (i) there is an association between telomere length and the function of two main hubs of DMN: the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC); (ii) this association is modulated by family environment and/or ACEs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating these hypotheses. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data and blood sample were collected from 389 subjects (6-15 age range). We assessed DMN fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL). We fitted general linear models to test the main effects of LTL on DMN hubs and the interaction effects with Family Environment Scale (FES) and ACEs. The results did not survive a strict Bonferroni correction. However, uncorrected p-values suggest that LTL was positively correlated with fALFF in PCC and a FES interaction between FES and LTL at mPFC. Although marginal, our results encourage further research on the interaction between DMN hubs, telomere length and family environment, which may play a role on the biological embedding of stress.
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Needham BL, Salerno S, Roberts E, Boss J, Allgood KL, Mukherjee B. Do black/white differences in telomere length depend on socioeconomic status? BIODEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 2019; 65:287-312. [PMID: 33243026 PMCID: PMC7703670 DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2020.1765734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Social and economic disadvantage are hypothesized to increase the risk of disease and death via accelerated biological aging. Given that US blacks are socially and economically disadvantaged relative to whites, health disparities scholars expected that blacks would have shorter telomere length-a biomarker of cell aging-than whites. Yet the majority of studies have found that blacks have longer telomere length than whites. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 3,761; 28.3% non-Hispanic black, 71.7% non-Hispanic white), we found that leukocyte telomere length was 4.00% (95% CI: 1.12%, 6.87%) longer among blacks compared to whites in the full sample, but differences were greatest among those with lower SES (5.66%; 95% CI: 0.10%, 10.32%), intermediate among those with middle SES (4.14%; 95% CI: 0.05%, 8.24%), and smallest among those with higher SES (2.33%; 95% CI: -3.02%, 7.67%). These results challenge purely genetic explanations for race differences in telomere length and point to a potential social-environmental cause of longer telomere length in US blacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda L. Needham
- Department of Epidemiology and Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan
| | | | | | | | - Kristi L. Allgood
- Department of Epidemiology and Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan
| | - Bhramar Mukherjee
- Department of Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan
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Ridout KK, Parade SH, Kao HT, Magnan S, Seifer R, Porton B, Price LH, Tyrka AR. Childhood maltreatment, behavioral adjustment, and molecular markers of cellular aging in preschool-aged children: A cohort study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 107:261-269. [PMID: 31174164 PMCID: PMC7839663 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for the development of behavioral problems and poor physical and mental health. Accelerated cellular aging, through reduced telomere length and mitochondrial dysfunction, may be a mechanism underlying these associations. METHODS Families with (n = 133) and without (n = 123) child welfare documentation of moderate-severe maltreatment in the past six months participated in this study. Children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years, were racially and ethnically diverse, and 91% qualified for public assistance. Structured record review and interviews were used to assess a history of maltreatment and other adversities. Telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) were measured from saliva DNA using real-time PCR. Measures were repeated at a six-month follow-up assessment. Repeated measures general linear models were used to examine the effects of maltreatment and other adversities on telomere length and mtDNAcn over time. RESULTS Maltreatment and other adverse experiences were significant positive predictors of both telomere length and mtDNAcn over time. Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were also both significantly associated with telomere length, but only internalizing symptoms were associated with mtDNAcn. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to show that mtDNAcn is altered in children with stress and trauma, and the findings are consistent with recent studies of adults. Surprisingly, children who experienced moderate-severe levels of maltreatment in the prior six months had longer telomeres, possibly reflecting compensatory changes in response to recent trauma. Telomere length and mtDNAcn were also associated with behavioral problems, suggesting that these measures of cellular aging may be causally implicated in the pathophysiology of stress-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn K. Ridout
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stephanie H. Parade
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Bradley/Hasbro Children’s Research Center, E. P. Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA
| | - Hung-Teh Kao
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stevie Magnan
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Ronald Seifer
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Bradley/Hasbro Children’s Research Center, E. P. Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA
| | - Barbara Porton
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lawrence H. Price
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Audrey R. Tyrka
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Address Correspondence to: Audrey R. Tyrka, M.D., Ph.D., Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI 02906. TEL: (401) 455-6520. FAX: (401) 455-6534.
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Kalungi A, Womersley JS, Kinyanda E, Joloba ML, Ssembajjwe W, Nsubuga RN, Levin J, Kaleebu P, Kidd M, Seedat S, Hemmings SMJ. Internalizing Mental Disorders and Accelerated Cellular Aging Among Perinatally HIV-Infected Youth in Uganda. Front Genet 2019; 10:705. [PMID: 31428136 PMCID: PMC6688656 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Internalizing mental disorders (IMDs) in HIV+ children and adolescents are associated with impaired quality of life and non-adherence to anti-retroviral treatment. Telomere length is a biomarker of cellular aging, and shorter telomere length has been associated with IMDs. However, the nature of this association has yet to be elucidated. Objective: We determined the longitudinal association between IMDs and relative telomere length (rTL) and the influence of chronic stress among Ugandan perinatally HIV-infected youth (PHIY). Methods: IMDs (depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder) and IMDs were assessed using the locally adapted Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory-5. In 368 PHIY with any IMD and 368 age- and sex-matched PHIY controls without any psychiatric disorder, rTL was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to generate the three chronic stress classes (mild, moderate, and severe). t-tests were used to assess the difference between baseline and 12 month rTL and the mean difference in rTL between cases and controls both at baseline and at 12 months. Linear regression analysis was used to model the effects of chronic stress on the association between IMDs and rTL, controlling for age and sex. Results: We observed longer rTL among cases of IMDs compared with controls (p < 0.001). We also observed a statistically significant reduction in rTL between baseline and 12 months in the combined sample of cases and controls (p < 0.001). The same statistical difference was observed when cases and controls were individually analyzed (p < 0.001). We found no significant difference in rTL between cases and controls at 12 months (p = 0.117). We found no significant influence of chronic stress on the association between IMDs and rTL at both baseline and 12 months. Conclusion: rTL is longer among cases of IMDs compared with age- and sex-matched controls. We observed a significant attrition in rTL over 12 months, which seems to be driven by the presence of any IMDs. There is a need for future longitudinal and experimental studies to understand the mechanisms driving our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Kalungi
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,Mental Health Project, MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Eugene Kinyanda
- Mental Health Project, MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses L Joloba
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.,School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Wilber Ssembajjwe
- Mental Health Project, MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.,Statistics and Data Science Section, MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Rebecca N Nsubuga
- Statistics and Data Science Section, MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Jonathan Levin
- School of Public Health, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Martin Kidd
- Centre for Statistical Consultation, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sian M J Hemmings
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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Telomere length in early childhood is associated with sex and ethnicity. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10359. [PMID: 31316106 PMCID: PMC6637081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46338-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that function to protect chromosomes from degradation. Throughout the life course, telomere length decreases with age and is influenced by environmental factors and health conditions. This study aimed to determine the relative telomere lengths in a diverse cohort of about 4000 four-year-old children in New Zealand. Linear regression was used to investigate the relationship between telomere length, child gender, ethnicity, paternal age and deprivation. We observed substantial variation in telomere length according to sex and self-identified ethnicity. Telomere length was longer in females compared to males (coefficient of 0.042, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.024-0.060). European children had shorter telomere than both the indigenous Māori (coefficient of 0.03, CI 0.007-0.055) and Pacific children (coefficient of 0.15, CI 0.12-0.18). The data suggest that telomere lengths are highly variable and variability between individuals arise from early age, influenced partly by sex and ethnicity. Longer telomeres in indigenous Māori and Pacific children may reflect the heritability of telomere length in genetically less complex populations. This study increases our understanding of telomere dynamics in young children since the majority of telomere studies are conducted in adults.
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Abstract
Telomeres are specialised structures at the end of linear chromosomes. They consist of tandem repeats of the hexanucleotide sequence TTAGGG, as well as a protein complex called shelterin. Together, they form a protective loop structure against chromosome fusion and degradation. Shortening or damage to telomeres and opening of the loop induce an uncapped state that triggers a DNA damage response resulting in senescence or apoptosis.Average telomere length, usually measured in human blood lymphocytes, was thought to be a biomarker for ageing, survival and mortality. However, it becomes obvious that regulation of telomere length is very complex and involves multiple processes. For example, the "end replication problem" during DNA replication as well as oxidative stress are responsible for the shortening of telomeres. In contrast, telomerase activity can potentially counteract telomere shortening when it is able to access and interact with telomeres. However, while highly active during development and in cancer cells, the enzyme is down-regulated in most human somatic cells with a few exceptions such as human lymphocytes. In addition, telomeres can be transcribed, and the transcription products called TERRA are involved in telomere length regulation.Thus, telomere length and their integrity are regulated at many different levels, and we only start to understand this process under conditions of increased oxidative stress, inflammation and during diseases as well as the ageing process.This chapter aims to describe our current state of knowledge on telomeres and telomerase and their regulation in order to better understand their role for the ageing process.
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Enlow MB, Sideridis G, Bollati V, Hoxha M, Hacker MR, Wright RJ. Maternal cortisol output in pregnancy and newborn telomere length: Evidence for sex-specific effects. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 102:225-235. [PMID: 30590340 PMCID: PMC6420355 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.12.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Newborn telomere length is a potential biomarker of the effects of maternal-fetal processes on offspring long-term health. A number of maternal psychosocial and environmental factors in pregnancy (e.g., stress, health, socioeconomic status) have been associated with shortened telomere length at birth. The physiological mechanisms responsible for potential effects of maternal factors on newborn telomere length have yet to be identified. Indirect evidence suggests that disruptions in maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning in pregnancy may be involved. Studies are needed that test whether maternal HPA axis functioning in pregnancy is associated with newborn telomere length. This study examined whether maternal HPA axis functioning across pregnancy, reflected in hair cortisol collected within one week after delivery, predicted newborn telomere length assessed from leukocyte cord blood collected at birth among 93 sociodemographically diverse mother-infant dyads. We further tested whether associations between maternal hair cortisol and newborn telomere length differed by infant sex, given documented sex differences in prenatal environmental exposure effects on offspring health, patterns of cortisol exposure during gestation, and telomere biology across the lifespan. In a multi-group structural equation modeling analysis that accounted for cortisol exposures across trimesters, maternal cortisol levels in pregnancy were not associated with newborn telomere length in the sample as a whole. However, significant sex differences emerged, with a significant positive association among females and a lack of a significant association among males. In addition, analyses revealed that cortisol levels were higher across trimesters among mothers of male infants than mothers of female infants. The results suggest that functioning of the maternal HPA axis in pregnancy may differ by fetal sex and have sex-specific effects on newborn telomere biology. These findings have implications for understanding the mechanisms by which maternal psychosocial and environmental exposures influence newborn telomere length and for elucidating mechanisms contributing to sex disparities in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, AT-120.3, Mailstop BCH 3199, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Georgios Sideridis
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, AT-210.3, Mailstop BCH 3200, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Valentina Bollati
- EPIGET Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via San Barnaba 8, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Mirjam Hoxha
- EPIGET Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via San Barnaba 8, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele R. Hacker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, KS3, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1198, New York City, NY 10029, USA,Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review summarizes our current understanding of factors associated with childhood obesity, including latest prevalence rates, effectiveness of intervention strategies, and risk for concomitant disease later in life. RECENT FINDINGS Obesity has reached global dimensions, and prevalence of childhood obesity has increased eightfold since 1975. Interventions for obesity prevention have mainly focused on behavioral settings to date, i.e., interventions that have focused on behavioral changes of the individuum such as increasing daily physical exercise or optimizing diet. However, effects have been very limited worldwide and could not stop the increase of obesity prevalence so fare. Thus, community-based/environment-oriented measures are urgently needed, such as promotion of healthy food choices by taxing unhealthy foods, mandatory standards for meals in kindergarten and schools, increase of daily physical activity at kindergartens, and schools as well as ban on unhealthy food advertisement for children. Restructuring obesity interventions towards community-based/environment-oriented measures to counteract an obesogenic environment is mandatory for sustainable success and to stop the obesity epidemy. There is need to move fast, as already moderate overweight before the start of puberty is associated with significantly increased risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in midlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Weihrauch-Blüher
- Department of Pediatrics I/Pediatric Endocrinology, University Hospital of Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Strasse 40, 06120, Halle/Saale, Germany.
| | - Susanna Wiegand
- Center for Social-Pediatric Care/Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Willis M, Reid SN, Calvo E, Staudinger UM, Factor-Litvak P. A scoping systematic review of social stressors and various measures of telomere length across the life course. Ageing Res Rev 2018; 47:89-104. [PMID: 30048807 PMCID: PMC6195444 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2018.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies examine the relationship between social stressors and telomere length (TL). Beyond considering methods and major findings, this scoping systematic review takes a novel approach as it groups studies according to the types of social stressor considered and by age groups. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus. We included all English-language human subject research articles that modeled any measure of TL as a dependent variable and exposure to a social stressor as an independent variable. For the sample of 105 articles, we summarized methods and findings by type of social stressor (socioeconomic stressors, stressful life events, work-related stressors, and neighborhood stressors) and by age of the study population (infants/children, middle-aged adults, older adults, and mixed samples of middle-aged and older adults). We found more variation in TL measurement methodology in studies of infants/children and older adults than in studies focusing on middle-aged adults. The most consistent finding was a relationship between early-life stressors and shorter TL. Work and neighborhood stressors, and older populations, are currently understudied. Across all stressors, limited evidence suggests that the stress-TL relationship may be moderated by characteristics such as age, sex, and race/ethnicity. We conclude with specific suggestions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Willis
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States.
| | - Shaina N Reid
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States
| | - Esteban Calvo
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States; Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University, United States; Society and Health Research Center, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad Mayor, Chile; Laboratory on Aging and Social Epidemiology, Universidad Mayor, Chile
| | - Ursula M Staudinger
- Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University, United States; Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States
| | - Pam Factor-Litvak
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, United States
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Genetic Determinants of Telomere Length in African American Youth. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13265. [PMID: 30185882 PMCID: PMC6125592 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31238-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is associated with numerous disease states and is affected by genetic and environmental factors. However, TL has been mostly studied in adult populations of European or Asian ancestry. These studies have identified 34 TL-associated genetic variants recently used as genetic proxies for TL. The generalizability of these associations to pediatric populations and racially diverse populations, specifically of African ancestry, remains unclear. Furthermore, six novel variants associated with TL in a population of European children have been identified but not validated. We measured TL from whole blood samples of 492 healthy African American youth (children and adolescents between 8 and 20 years old) and performed the first genome-wide association study of TL in this population. We were unable to replicate neither the 34 reported genetic associations found in adults nor the six genetic associations found in European children. However, we discovered a novel genome-wide significant association between TL and rs1483898 on chromosome 14. Our results underscore the importance of examining genetic associations with TL in diverse pediatric populations such as African Americans.
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Tennyson RL, Gettler LT, Kuzawa CW, Hayes MG, Agustin SS, Eisenberg DTA. Lifetime socioeconomic status and early life microbial environments predict adult blood telomere length in the Philippines. Am J Hum Biol 2018; 30:e23145. [PMID: 30129279 PMCID: PMC6192840 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Psychosocial stress is postulated to hasten senescence in part by accelerating the shortening of telomere length (TL). One pathway through which this may happen is via increasing inflammation and innate immune system activation-a pathway which recent studies suggest acts more strongly for those who grew up in low microbial environments. Thus, we hypothesized that: (1) Psychosocial stress will be inversely associated with TL, (2) early life microbial environments will predict TL, and (3) microbial environments will moderate the association between psychosocial stress and TL. METHODS We utilized data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey based in the Philippines (N = 1410). We determined early life microbial environments by season of birth and exposure to animal feces. Psychosocial stress measures included perceived stress in adulthood, lifetime socioeconomic status (SES), and parental instability in childhood. TL was measured in blood from young adults by qPCR. RESULTS Contrary to predictions, we found that higher SES was associated with shorter TL and no association of TL with the other stress variables. Individuals born in the higher microbial exposure season had shorter TL, but early life microbial environments did not moderate the association between psychosocial stress and TL. CONCLUSIONS The unexpected inverse association between SES and TL suggests that higher SES, while indexing lower psychosocial stress, may impact TL more strongly through nonstress factors in the Philippines, such as unhealthy behavior. The inverse association between microbial environments and TL is consistent with other evidence connecting early life infections to decreased life expectancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Tennyson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Cells 2 Society: the Center for Social Disparities and Health, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University
- Department of Anthropology, 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
| | - Sonny S Agustin
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Dan TA Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington
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Enlow MB, Bollati V, Sideridis G, Flom JD, Hoxha M, Hacker M, Wright RJ. Sex differences in effects of maternal risk and protective factors in childhood and pregnancy on newborn telomere length. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 95:74-85. [PMID: 29803183 PMCID: PMC6109592 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Little research has examined determinants of newborn telomere length, a potential biomarker of lifetime disease risk impacted by prenatal exposures. No study has examined whether maternal exposures in childhood influence newborn telomere length or whether there are sex differences in the maternal factors that influence newborn telomere length. We tested whether a range of maternal risk and protective factors in childhood and pregnancy were associated with newborn telomere length among 151 sociodemographically diverse mother-infant dyads. We further examined whether the pattern of associations differed by infant sex. Newborn telomere length was assessed from cord blood collected at birth. Risk/protective factors included maternal health (smoking, body mass index), socioeconomic status (education, income), stress exposures, and mental health (depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms) in pregnancy as well as maternal experiences of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) and familial emotional support in childhood. When examined within the whole sample, only maternal smoking in pregnancy and familial emotional support in childhood emerged as significant predictors of newborn telomere length. Male and female newborns differed in their pattern of associations between the predictors and telomere length. Among males, maternal smoking, higher body mass index, and elevated depressive symptoms in pregnancy and maternal sexual abuse in childhood were associated with shorter newborn telomere length; higher maternal educational attainment and household income in pregnancy and greater maternal familial emotional support in childhood were associated with longer newborn telomere length. Together, these factors accounted for 34% of the variance in male newborn telomere length. None of the risk/protective factors were associated with female newborn telomere length. The results suggest that male fetuses are particularly susceptible to maternal exposure effects on newborn telomere length. These findings have implications for elucidating mechanisms contributing to sex disparities in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, AT-120.3, Mailstop BCH 3199, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Valentina Bollati
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via San Barnaba 8, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Georgios Sideridis
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, AT-210.3, Mailstop BCH 3200, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julie D. Flom
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children’s Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1198, New York City, NY 10029, USA
| | - Mirjam Hoxha
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via San Barnaba 8, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Hacker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, KS3, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children’s Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1198, New York City, NY 10029, USA,Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
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Guyatt AL, Rodriguez S, Gaunt TR, Fraser A, Anderson EL. Early life adiposity and telomere length across the life course: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Wellcome Open Res 2018; 2:118. [PMID: 30542661 PMCID: PMC6259597 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13083.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The relationship between adiposity at birth and in childhood, and telomere length is yet to be determined. We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyse the results of studies assessing associations between neonatal and later childhood adiposity, and telomere length. Methods: We searched Medline, EMBASE and PubMed for studies reporting associations between adiposity measured in the neonatal period or later childhood/adolescence, and leucocyte telomere length, measured at any age via quantitative polymerase chain reaction, or terminal restriction fragment analysis, either cross-sectionally, or longitudinally. Papers published before April 2017 were included. Results: Out of 230 abstracts assessed, 23 papers (32 estimates) were retained, from which 19 estimates were meta-analysed (15 cross-sectional, four longitudinal). Of the 15 cross-sectional estimates, seven reported on neonates: four used binary exposures of small-for-gestational-age vs. appropriate-for-gestational age (or appropriate- and large-for-gestational age), and three studied birth weight continuously. Eight estimates reported on later childhood or adolescent measures; five estimates were from studies of binary exposures (overweight/obese vs. non-obese children), and three studies used continuous measures of body mass index. All four longitudinal estimates were of neonatal adiposity, with two estimates for small-for-gestational-age vs. appropriate-for-gestational age neonates, and two estimates of birth weight studied continuously, in relation to adult telomere (49-61 years). There was no strong evidence of an association between neonatal or later childhood/adolescent adiposity, and telomere length. However, between study heterogeneity was high, and there were few combinable studies. Conclusions: Our systematic review and meta-analysis found no strong evidence of an association between neonatal or later childhood or adolescent adiposity and telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L. Guyatt
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Santiago Rodriguez
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Tom R. Gaunt
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Abigail Fraser
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Emma L. Anderson
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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43
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Abstract
Obesity is a complex disease which has reached epidemic dimensions. Thus, prevention of excessive weight gain and associated metabolic and cardiovascular diseases has to start as early in life as possible. The impact of epigenetic mechanisms on the regulation of genes involved in obesity is increasingly recognized. On the other hand, it is well known that socioeconomic factors influence the risk for obesity. These factors can also have an impact on epigenetic gene regulation. There is increasing body of evidence that several factors and interventions addressing extragenetic causes of obesity may not only improve individual health, but also the health of future generations by epigenetic alterations. Our current understanding of epigenetic changes has shown that many of them are potentially reversible, i.e. by physical exercise, by pharmacological treatment, by environmental factors or nutrition, or even by influencing socioeconomic factors, which might have impact on improving health in future generations by avoiding epigenetic dysregulation. In this review we present the current state of the art with regard to the interplay between social determinants, weight status and epigenetic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Weihrauch-Blüher
- Department of Pediatrics I, University Hospital of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany; Leipzig University Medical Center, IFB Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Matthias Richter
- Institute of Medical Sociology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Martin S Staege
- Department of Pediatrics I, University Hospital of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
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44
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Guarneri‐White ME, Arana AA, Boyd EQ, Jensen‐Campbell LA. It's more than skin-deep: The relationship between social victimization and telomere length in adolescence. Aggress Behav 2018; 44:337-347. [PMID: 29484667 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between peer victimization and telomere length (TL), an indicator of biological aging that is associated with stressors (Epel, 2009). It was predicted that social victimization would have a greater impact upon TL, as well as the frequency and severity of health complaints than physical victimization. Adolescents (Mage = 15.91 years, SDage = 1.65) and their parents completed measures of peer victimization and physical health problems; adolescents also submitted a DNA sample for telomere analysis. Greater instances of being socially, but not physically, victimized were associated with shorter telomeres, as well as more frequent and severe health complaints. TL was also negatively related to both the frequency and severity of health problems, even after controlling for BMI, age, and sex of participant. The relationship between social victimization and health complaints via TL held only at higher levels of social victimization. These findings are the first to find an association between peer victimization and shortened telomeres.
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45
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Beck AF, Cohen AJ, Colvin JD, Fichtenberg CM, Fleegler EW, Garg A, Gottlieb LM, Pantell MS, Sandel MT, Schickedanz A, Kahn RS. Perspectives from the Society for Pediatric Research: interventions targeting social needs in pediatric clinical care. Pediatr Res 2018; 84:10-21. [PMID: 29795202 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-018-0012-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The social determinants of health (SDoH) are defined by the World Health Organization as the "conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age." Within pediatrics, studies have highlighted links between these underlying social, economic, and environmental conditions, and a range of health outcomes related to both acute and chronic disease. Additionally, within the adult literature, multiple studies have shown significant links between social problems experienced during childhood and "adult diseases" such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. A variety of potential mechanisms for such links have been explored including differential access to care, exposure to carcinogens and pathogens, health-affecting behaviors, and physiologic responses to allostatic load (i.e., toxic stress). This robust literature supports the importance of the SDoH and the development and evaluation of social needs interventions. These interventions are also driven by evolving economic realities, most importantly, the shift from fee-for-service to value-based payment models. This article reviews existing evidence regarding pediatric-focused clinical interventions that address the SDoH, those that target basic needs such as food insecurity, housing insecurity, and diminished access to care. The paper summarizes common challenges encountered in the evaluation of such interventions. Finally, the paper concludes by introducing key opportunities for future inquiry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Beck
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Division of General & Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. .,Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Alicia J Cohen
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Colvin
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Caroline M Fichtenberg
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eric W Fleegler
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arvin Garg
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura M Gottlieb
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew S Pantell
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Megan T Sandel
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam Schickedanz
- Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Robert S Kahn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Division of General & Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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46
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Ridout KK, Levandowski M, Ridout SJ, Gantz L, Goonan K, Palermo D, Price LH, Tyrka AR. Early life adversity and telomere length: a meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:858-871. [PMID: 28322278 PMCID: PMC5608639 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Early adversity, in the form of abuse, neglect, socioeconomic status and other adverse experiences, is associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes. To understand the biologic mechanisms underlying these associations, studies have evaluated the relationship between early adversity and telomere length, a marker of cellular senescence. Such results have varied in regard to the size and significance of this relationship. Using meta-analytic techniques, we aimed to clarify the relationship between early adversity and telomere length while exploring factors affecting the association, including adversity type, timing and study design. A comprehensive search in July 2016 of PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science identified 2462 studies. Multiple reviewers appraised studies for inclusion or exclusion using a priori criteria; 3.9% met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted into a structured form; the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale assessed study quality, validity and bias. Forty-one studies (N=30 773) met inclusion criteria. Early adversity and telomere length were significantly associated (Cohen's d effect size=-0.35; 95% CI, -0.46 to -0.24; P<0.0001). Sensitivity analyses revealed no outlier effects. Adversity type and timing significantly impacted the association with telomere length (P<0.0001 and P=0.0025, respectively). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses revealed that medication use, medical or psychiatric conditions, case-control vs longitudinal study design, methodological factors, age and smoking significantly affected the relationship. Comprehensive evaluations of adversity demonstrated more extensive telomere length changes. These results suggest that early adversity may have long-lasting physiological consequences contributing to disease risk and biological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn K. Ridout
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School
of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,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.
| | - Mateus Levandowski
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Pontifical Catholic
University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | - Samuel J. Ridout
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School
of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lindsay Gantz
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Kelly Goonan
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Daniella Palermo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School
of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lawrence H. Price
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School
of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Audrey R. Tyrka
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and
Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School
of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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47
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Manoliu A, Bosch OG, Brakowski J, Brühl AB, Seifritz E. The potential impact of biochemical mediators on telomere attrition in major depressive disorder and implications for future study designs: A narrative review. J Affect Disord 2018; 225:630-646. [PMID: 28889049 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been proposed to represent a "disease of premature aging", which is associated with certain biomarkers of cellular ageing and numerous other age-related diseases. Over the last decade, telomere length (TL) arose as a surrogate for cellular aging. Recent data suggests that TL might be reduced in patients with MDD, however, results are still inconclusive. This might be explained by the lack of assessment of potential biochemical mediators that are directly associated with telomere shortening and frequently observed in patients with MDD. METHODS A narrative review was performed. The PubMed database was searched for relevant studies. RESULTS We identified four major mediators, which are recurrently reported in patients with MDD and are associated with reduced TL: inflammation/oxidative stress, dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, metabolic dysbalance including insulin resistance, and decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor. These mediators are also mutually associated and were not systematically assessed in current studies investigating TL and MDD, which might explain inconclusive findings across current literature. Finally, we discuss possible ways to assess those mediators and potential implications of such approaches for future research. LIMITATIONS The majority of identified studies had cross-sectional designs and used heterogeneous methods to assess TL and associated relevant biochemical mediators. CONCLUSIONS A better understanding of the complex interactions between biochemical mediators, somatic comorbidities and shortened telomeres in patients with MDD might further specify the pathophysiology-based conceptualization and, based on that, personalized treatment of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Manoliu
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Oliver G Bosch
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Janis Brakowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Annette B Brühl
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland
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48
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Guyatt AL, Rodriguez S, Gaunt TR, Fraser A, Anderson EL. Early life adiposity and telomere length across the life course: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Wellcome Open Res 2017; 2:118. [PMID: 30542661 PMCID: PMC6259597 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13083.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The relationship between adiposity at birth and in childhood, and telomere length is yet to be determined. We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyse the results of studies assessing associations between neonatal and childhood adiposity, and telomere length. Methods: We searched Medline, EMBASE and PubMed for studies reporting associations between adiposity measured in the neonatal period or childhood, and leucocyte telomere length, measured at any age via quantitative polymerase chain reaction, or terminal restriction fragment analysis, either cross-sectionally, or longitudinally. Papers published before April 2017 were included. Results: Out of 230 abstracts assessed, 23 papers (32 estimates) were retained, from which 19 estimates were meta-analysed (15 cross-sectional, four longitudinal). Of the 15 cross-sectional estimates, seven reported on neonates: four used binary exposures of small-for-gestational-age vs. appropriate-for-gestational age (or appropriate- and large-for-gestational age), and three studied birth weight continuously. Eight estimates reported on childhood measures; five estimates were from studies of binary exposures (overweight/obese vs. non-obese children), and three studies used continuous measures of body mass index. All four longitudinal estimates were of neonatal adiposity, with two estimates for small-for-gestational-age vs. appropriate-for-gestational age neonates, and two estimates of birth weight studied continuously, in relation to adult telomere (49-61 years). There was no strong evidence of an association between neonatal or childhood adiposity, and telomere length. However, between study heterogeneity was high, and there were few combinable studies. Conclusions: Our systematic review and meta-analysis found no strong evidence of an association between neonatal or childhood adiposity and telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L. Guyatt
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Santiago Rodriguez
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Tom R. Gaunt
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Abigail Fraser
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Emma L. Anderson
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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49
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Yeates AJ, Thurston SW, Li H, Mulhern MS, McSorley EM, Watson GE, Shamlaye CF, Strain JJ, Myers GJ, Davidson PW, van Wijngaarden E, Broberg K. PUFA Status and Methylmercury Exposure Are Not Associated with Leukocyte Telomere Length in Mothers or Their Children in the Seychelles Child Development Study. J Nutr 2017; 147:2018-2024. [PMID: 28978678 PMCID: PMC5657138 DOI: 10.3945/jn.117.253021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Leukocyte telomere length (TL) is associated with age-related diseases and early mortality, but there is a lack of data on the determinants of TL in early life. Evidence suggests that dietary intake of marine n-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is protective of telomere attrition, yet the effect of methylmercury exposure, also found in fish, on TL is unknown.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between prenatal PUFA status, methylmercury exposure, and TL in mothers and children in the SCDS (Seychelles Child Development Study), for whom fish consumption is high.Methods: Blood samples collected from 229 mothers (at 28 wk gestation and delivery) and children (at 5 y of age) in the SCDS first nutrition cohort were analyzed for PUFA concentrations. Prenatal mercury was measured in maternal hair collected at delivery. Postnatal mercury was also measured in children's hair samples with the use of a cumulative metric derived from values obtained at 3-5 y of age. Relative TL was measured in blood obtained from mothers at delivery, in cord blood, and in children at 5 y of age by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Linear regression models were used to investigate the associations between PUFA status, methylmercury exposure, and TL.Results: Neither prenatal PUFA status or methylmercury exposure was associated with TL of the mother or child or with TL attrition rate. However, a higher prenatal n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio was significantly associated with longer TLs in the mothers (β = 0.001, P = 0.048). Child PUFA status and methylmercury exposure were not associated with child TL. However, higher family Hollingshead socioeconomic status (SES) scores at 9 mo of age were significantly associated with longer TLs in cord blood (β = 0.005, P = 0.03).Conclusions: We found no evidence that PUFA status or methylmercury exposure are determinants of TL in either the mother or child. However, our results support the hypothesis that family SES may be associated with child TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison J Yeates
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom;
| | - Sally W Thurston
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Huiqi Li
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria S Mulhern
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
| | - Emeir M McSorley
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
| | - Gene E Watson
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Conrad F Shamlaye
- The Child Development Centre, Ministry of Health, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles, Seychelles; and
| | - JJ Strain
- Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
| | - Gary J Myers
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Philip W Davidson
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | | | - Karin Broberg
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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50
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Abstract
Social epidemiology, as defined by the textbook of the same name (Berkman et al., 2014) is "that branch of epidemiology concerned with the way that social structures, institutions, and relationships influence health" (p. 2). As our Special Issue commemorates the 50th anniversary of Social Science & Medicine, it is worth noting that the Social Epidemiology office within the journal has existed only for a fraction of that time (fifteen years). So what has been learned in the fifteen years since the establishment of the new office? In this commentary, we spotlight some of the achievements, substantive topics, and future trends in the research papers that we have featured in our Section of the journal.
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