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Qureshi F, Aris IM, Rifas-Shiman SL, Perng W, Oken E, Rich-Edwards J, Cardenas A, Baccarelli AA, Enlow MB, Belfort MB, Tiemeier H. Associations of cord blood leukocyte telomere length with adiposity growth from infancy to adolescence. Pediatr Obes 2023; 18:e12977. [PMID: 36085441 PMCID: PMC9772131 DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12977] [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] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) may be a biomarker for chronic disease susceptibility, but no work has tested this hypothesis directly. Our study investigated associations of LTL at birth with markers of adiposity growth that are linked with cardiometabolic health later in life. METHODS Participants were 375 children in Project Viva (48% female, 71% White). Body mass index (BMI) trajectories from birth to 18 years were tracked using repeated measures of BMI collected in physical examinations and via medical records, then used to predict age (months) and magnitude (kg/m2 ) of BMI peak and rebound. LTL was measured from cord blood via duplex quantitative PCR. A binary variable indicating LTL shorter than the reference population average was the primary exposure. RESULTS LTL was unrelated to BMI at peak or rebound, but associations were apparent with the timing of BMI growth milestones. Short LTL was related to a later age of peak for females (β = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.16, 1.82; psex interaction = 0.015) and an earlier age of rebound for both males and females (βcombined = -5.26, 95% CI = -9.44, -1.08). CONCLUSION LTL at birth may be an early biomarker of altered adiposity growth. Newborn telomere biology may shed new insight into the developmental origins of health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Qureshi
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Izzuddin M Aris
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wei Perng
- Department of Epidemiology, Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Janet Rich-Edwards
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, California, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- Laboratory of Environmental Epigenetics, Departments of Environmental Health Sciences and Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mandy B Belfort
- Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Deng Y, Li Q, Zhou F, Li G, Liu J, Lv J, Li L, Chang D. Telomere length and the risk of cardiovascular diseases: A Mendelian randomization study. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:1012615. [PMID: 36352846 PMCID: PMC9637552 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1012615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The causal direction and magnitude of the associations between telomere length (TL) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain uncertain due to susceptibility of reverse causation and confounding. This study aimed to investigate the associations between TL and CVDs using Mendelian randomization (MR). Materials and methods In this two-sample MR study, we identified 154 independent TL-associated genetic variants from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) consisting of 472,174 individuals (aged 40-69) in the UK Biobank. Summary level data of CVDs were obtained from different GWASs datasets. Methods of inverse variance weighted (IVW), Mendelian Randomization-Egger (MR-Egger), Mendelian Randomization robust adjusted profile score (MR-RAPS), maximum likelihood estimation, weighted mode, penalized weighted mode methods, and Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier test (MR-PRESSO) were conducted to investigate the associations between TL and CVDs. Results Our findings indicated that longer TL was significantly associated with decreased risk of coronary atherosclerosis [odds ratio (OR), 0.85; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.75-0.95; P = 4.36E-03], myocardial infarction (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.63-0.83; P = 2.31E-06), ischemic heart disease (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78-0.97; P = 1.01E-02), stroke (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.79-0.95; P = 1.60E-03), but an increased risk of hypertension (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02-1.23; P = 2.00E-02). However, there was no significant association between TL and heart failure (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.87-1.01; P = 1.10E-01), atrial fibrillation (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.93-1.11; P = 7.50E-01), or cardiac death (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.82-1.10; P = 4.80E-01). Both raw and outlier corrected estimates from MR-PRESSO were consistent with those of IVW results. The sensitivity analyses showed no evidence of pleiotropy (MR-Egger intercept, P > 0.05), while Cochran's Q test and MR-Egger suggested different degrees of heterogeneity. Conclusion Our MR study suggested that longer telomeres were associated with decreased risk of several CVDs, including coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, and stroke, as well as an increased risk of hypertension. Future studies are still warranted to validate the results and investigate the mechanisms underlying these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Dong Chang
- Department of Cardiology, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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Reimann B, Martens DS, Wang C, Ghantous A, Herceg Z, Plusquin M, Nawrot TS. Interrelationships and determinants of aging biomarkers in cord blood. J Transl Med 2022; 20:353. [PMID: 35945616 PMCID: PMC9361565 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03541-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence supports the concept of prenatal programming as an early factor in the aging process. DNA methylation age (DNAm age), global genome-wide DNA methylation (global methylation), telomere length (TL), and mitochondrial DNA content (mtDNA content) have independently been shown to be markers of aging, but their interrelationship and determinants at birth remain uncertain. METHODS We assessed the inter-correlation between the aging biomarkers DNAm age, global methylation, TL and mtDNA content using Pearson's correlation in 190 cord blood samples of the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort. TL and mtDNA content was measured via qPCR, while the DNA methylome was determined using the human 450K methylation Illumina microarray. Subsequently, DNAm age was calculated according to Horvath's epigenetic clock, and mean global, promoter, gene-body, and intergenic DNA methylation were determined. Path analysis, a form of structural equation modeling, was performed to disentangle the complex causal relationships among the aging biomarkers and their potential determinants. RESULTS DNAm age was inversely correlated with global methylation (r = -0.64, p < 0.001) and mtDNA content (r = - 0.16, p = 0.027). Cord blood TL was correlated with mtDNA content (r = 0.26, p < 0.001) but not with global methylation or DNAm age. Path analysis showed the strongest effect for global methylation on DNAm age with a decrease of 0.64 standard deviations (SD) in DNAm age for each SD (0.01%) increase in global methylation (p < 0.001). Among the applied covariates, newborn sex and season of delivery were the strongest determinants of aging biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS We provide insight into molecular aging signatures at the start of life, including their interrelations and determinants, showing that cord blood DNAm age is inversely associated with global methylation and mtDNA content but not with newborn telomere length. Our findings demonstrate that cord blood TL and DNAm age relate to different pathways/mechanisms of biological aging and can be influenced by environmental factors already at the start of life. These findings are relevant for understanding fetal programming and for the early prevention of noncommunicable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Reimann
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Dries S Martens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Congrong Wang
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Akram Ghantous
- Epigenomics and Mechanisms Branch, International Agency for Research On Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
| | - Zdenko Herceg
- Epigenomics and Mechanisms Branch, International Agency for Research On Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
| | - Michelle Plusquin
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- School of Public Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Cardenas A, Ecker S, Fadadu RP, Huen K, Orozco A, McEwen LM, Engelbrecht HR, Gladish N, Kobor MS, Rosero-Bixby L, Dow WH, Rehkopf DH. Epigenome-wide association study and epigenetic age acceleration associated with cigarette smoking among Costa Rican adults. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4277. [PMID: 35277542 PMCID: PMC8917214 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08160-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Smoking-associated DNA methylation (DNAm) signatures are reproducible among studies of mostly European descent, with mixed evidence if smoking accelerates epigenetic aging and its relationship to longevity. We evaluated smoking-associated DNAm signatures in the Costa Rican Study on Longevity and Healthy Aging (CRELES), including participants from the high longevity region of Nicoya. We measured genome-wide DNAm in leukocytes, tested Epigenetic Age Acceleration (EAA) from five clocks and estimates of telomere length (DNAmTL), and examined effect modification by the high longevity region. 489 participants had a mean (SD) age of 79.4 (10.8) years, and 18% were from Nicoya. Overall, 7.6% reported currently smoking, 35% were former smokers, and 57.4% never smoked. 46 CpGs and five regions (e.g. AHRR, SCARNA6/SNORD39, SNORA20, and F2RL3) were differentially methylated for current smokers. Former smokers had increased Horvath’s EAA (1.69-years; 95% CI 0.72, 2.67), Hannum’s EAA (0.77-years; 95% CI 0.01, 1.52), GrimAge (2.34-years; 95% CI1.66, 3.02), extrinsic EAA (1.27-years; 95% CI 0.34, 2.21), intrinsic EAA (1.03-years; 95% CI 0.12, 1.94) and shorter DNAmTL (− 0.04-kb; 95% CI − 0.08, − 0.01) relative to non-smokers. There was no evidence of effect modification among residents of Nicoya. Our findings recapitulate previously reported and novel smoking-associated DNAm changes in a Latino cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, #5121, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Simone Ecker
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Raj P Fadadu
- School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Karen Huen
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, #5121, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Allan Orozco
- School of Health Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Costa Rica (UCR), San José, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Lisa M McEwen
- Faculty of Human and Social Development, School of Health Information Science, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Hannah-Ruth Engelbrecht
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nicole Gladish
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Luis Rosero-Bixby
- Centro Centroamericano de Población (CCP), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - William H Dow
- Division of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - David H Rehkopf
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health and Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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Méndez-Chacón E. Gender Differences in Perceived Stress and Its Relationship to Telomere Length in Costa Rican Adults. Front Psychol 2022; 13:712660. [PMID: 35282254 PMCID: PMC8915848 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.712660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Stress is associated with disease and reduced leukocyte telomere length (LTL). The objective of this research is to determine if self-perceived stress is associated with telomere length in Costa Rican adults and the gender differences in this association. Findings may help explain how some populations in apparent socioeconomic disadvantage and with limited access to specialized medical services have a remarkably high life expectancy. Methodology Data come from the pre-retirement cohort of the Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study (CRELES), a population based survey conducted in the households to 2,327 adults aged 53 to 66 years. The DNA to measure LTL was extracted from blood cells in laboratories of the University of Costa Rica whereas the Blackburn laboratory at the University of California performed the telomere length measurement applying the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR). The relationship between telomere length and perceived stress was measured using least-squares multiple regression. Perceived stress was measured by a set of questions about family, job, finances and, health reasons to be stressed. Models included the control variables: (1) age and sex of the participant, (2) whether he or she resides in the Nicoya area, a “blue zone” known for its high longevity, and (3) the aforementioned sociodemographic, health and lifestyles characteristics. Results Stress perception and LTL are significantly different by sex. Women perceived higher stress levels than men in almost all aspects studied, except work. Women have significantly longer telomeres. Shorter telomeres are significantly associated with caregiving stress in men and with parental health concerns in women. Counter-intuitive telomere lengthenings were observed among women who feel stressed about caring for family members; and among men who feel stressed due to their family relationships as well as concerns about their own health. Discussion Results confirm that people with self-perceived stress due to caregiving or health issues have shorter telomeres. The relationship between stress and telomere length differs between men and women. Gender relations exert a strong modifier effect on the relationship between stress and LTL: gender is related to perceived stress, telomere length, and apparently also to the way stress and LTL are related.
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Chen L, Tan KML, Gong M, Chong MFF, Tan KH, Chong YS, Meaney MJ, Gluckman PD, Eriksson JG, Karnani N. Variability in newborn telomere length is explained by inheritance and intrauterine environment. BMC Med 2022; 20:20. [PMID: 35073935 PMCID: PMC8787951 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-021-02217-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomere length (TL) and its attrition are important indicators of physiological stress and biological aging and hence may vary among individuals of the same age. This variation is apparent even in newborns, suggesting potential effects of parental factors and the intrauterine environment on TL of the growing fetus. METHODS Average relative TLs of newborns (cord tissue, N = 950) and mothers (buffy coat collected at 26-28 weeks of gestation, N = 892) were measured in a birth cohort. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of heritable factors, socioeconomic status, and in utero exposures linked with maternal nutrition, cardiometabolic health, and mental well-being on the newborn TL. The association between maternal TL and antenatal maternal health was also studied. RESULTS Longer maternal TL (β = 0.14, P = 1.99E-05) and higher paternal age (β = 0.10, P = 3.73E-03) were positively associated with newborn TL. Genome-wide association studies on newborn and maternal TLs identified 6 genetic variants in a strong linkage disequilibrium on chromosome 3q26.2 (Tag SNP-LRRC34-rs10936600: Pmeta = 5.95E-08). Mothers with higher anxiety scores, elevated fasting blood glucose, lower plasma insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 and vitamin B12 levels, and active smoking status during pregnancy showed a higher risk of giving birth to offspring with shorter TL. There were sex-related differences in the factors explaining newborn TL variation. Variation in female newborn TL was best explained by maternal TL, mental health, and plasma vitamin B12 levels, while that in male newborn TL was best explained by paternal age, maternal education, and metabolic health. Mother's TL was associated with her own metabolic health and nutrient status, which may have transgenerational effects on offspring TL. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the heritable and environmental factors and their relative contributions to the initial setting of TL and programing of longevity in early life. This study provides valuable insights for preventing in utero telomere attrition by improving the antenatal health of mothers via targeting the modifiable factors. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01174875. Registered on 1 July 2010.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.
| | | | - Min Gong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mary F F Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.,Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kok Hian Tan
- KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yap Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Human Potential Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.,Sackler Program for Epigenetics & Psychobiology at McGill University, Montréal, Canada.,Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Peter D Gluckman
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Human Evolution, Adaptation and Disease, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Johan G Eriksson
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.,Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.,Folkhalsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Neerja Karnani
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore. .,Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore. .,Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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Ruiz-Narváez EA, Baylin A, Azofeifa J, Leal A, Rosero-Bixby L. Diet and Leukocyte Telomere Length in a Population with Extended Longevity: The Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study (CRELES). Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13082585. [PMID: 34444746 PMCID: PMC8401744 DOI: 10.3390/nu13082585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Elderly Costa Ricans have lower mortality rates compared to their counterparts from developed countries. Reasons for this survival advantage are not completely known. In the present study, we aimed to identify dietary factors associated with leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker of biologic aging, in the elderly population of Costa Rica. We conducted prospective analysis in 909 participants aged 60+ years from the Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study (CRELES). We used a food frequency questionnaire to assess usual diet. We calculated dietary patterns using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We used generalized linear models to examine the association of dietary patterns and food groups with leukocyte telomere length. We found two major dietary patterns explaining 9.15% and 7.18% of the total variation of food intake, respectively. The first dietary pattern, which represents a traditional Costa Rican rice and beans pattern, was more frequent in rural parts of the country and was positively associated with baseline LTL: β (95% CI) = 42.0 base-pairs (bp) (9.9 bp, 74.1 bp) per one-unit increase of the traditional dietary pattern. In analysis of individual food groups, intake of grains was positively associated with baseline LTL: β (95% CI) = 43.6 bp (13.9 bp, 73.3 bp) per one-serving/day increase of consumption of grains. Our results suggest that dietary factors, in particular a traditional food pattern, are associated with telomere length and may contribute to the extended longevity of elderly Costa Ricans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward A. Ruiz-Narváez
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-734-647-0623
| | - Ana Baylin
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jorge Azofeifa
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Apartado, San Pedro, San José 11501, Costa Rica; (J.A.); (A.L.)
| | - Alejandro Leal
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Apartado, San Pedro, San José 11501, Costa Rica; (J.A.); (A.L.)
| | - Luis Rosero-Bixby
- Centro Centroamericano de Población, Universidad de Costa Rica, Apartado, San Pedro, San José 11501, Costa Rica;
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Phillip JM, Zamponi N, Phillip MP, Daya J, McGovern S, Williams W, Tschudi K, Jayatilaka H, Wu PH, Walston J, Wirtz D. Fractional re-distribution among cell motility states during ageing. Commun Biol 2021; 4:81. [PMID: 33469145 PMCID: PMC7815872 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01605-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ageing in humans is associated with the decreased capacity to regulate cell physiology. Cellular properties, such as cell morphology and mechanics, encode ageing information, and can therefore be used as robust biomarkers of ageing. Using a panel of dermal fibroblasts derived from healthy donors spanning a wide age range, we observe an age-associated decrease in cell motility. By taking advantage of the single-cell nature of our motility data, we classified cells based on spatial and activity patterns to define age-dependent motility states. We show that the age-dependent decrease in cell motility is not due to the reduced motility of all cells, but results from the fractional re-distribution among motility states. These findings highlight an important feature of ageing cells characterized by a reduction of cellular heterogeneity in older adults relative to post-adolescent/adults. Furthermore, these results point to a mechanistic framework of ageing, with potential applications in deciphering emergent ageing phenotypes and biomarker development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jude M Phillip
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBiotechnology (INBT), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| | - Nahuel Zamponi
- Department of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology Division, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Madonna P Phillip
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBiotechnology (INBT), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jena Daya
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBiotechnology (INBT), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Shaun McGovern
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBiotechnology (INBT), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Wadsworth Williams
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBiotechnology (INBT), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Katherine Tschudi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBiotechnology (INBT), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | | | - Pei-Hsun Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBiotechnology (INBT), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jeremy Walston
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Denis Wirtz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBiotechnology (INBT), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Departments of Oncology and Pathology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
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9
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Martens DS, Van Der Stukken C, Derom C, Thiery E, Bijnens EM, Nawrot TS. Newborn telomere length predicts later life telomere length: Tracking telomere length from birth to child- and adulthood. EBioMedicine 2021; 63:103164. [PMID: 33422989 PMCID: PMC7808927 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.103164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Telomere length (TL) is considered a biological marker of aging and may indicate age-related disease susceptibility. Adults and children show a fixed ranking and tracking of TL over time. However, the contribution of an individual's initial birth TL to their later life TL is unknown. We evaluated change and tracking of TL from birth to child- and adulthood. Methods Telomere length at birth was measured using qPCR in two independent prospective birth cohorts. After a median follow-up period of 4 years in ENVIRONAGE (n = 273) we assessed leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and after 23 years in EFPTS (n = 164) buccal TL was assessed. Correlations and multivariable regression models were applied to study telomere tracking and determinants of TL change from birth onwards. Findings In children, LTL at the age of 4 correlates with TL at the start of life both in cord blood (r = 0.71, P < 0.0001;) and placenta (r = 0.60, P < 0.0001) and was –11.2% and –33.1% shorter, respectively. In adulthood, buccal TL at the age of 23 correlates with placental TL (r = 0.46, P < 0.0001) and was –35.9% shorter. TL attrition was higher in individuals with longer birth TL. However, based on TL ranking, individuals do not tend to change dramatically from TL rank after 4 or 23 years of follow-up. Finally, longer maternal TL associates with lower telomere attrition in the next generation. Interpretation The high prediction of newborn TL for later life TL, and stable TL ranking from birth onwards underscores the importance of understanding the initial setting of newborn TL and its significance for later life. Funding European Research Council (ERC-StG310898) and Flemish Scientific Fund (12X9620N).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dries S Martens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | | | - Catherine Derom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Centre of Human Genetics, Leuven University, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evert Thiery
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Esmée M Bijnens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Gebouw D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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10
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Lulkiewicz M, Bajsert J, Kopczynski P, Barczak W, Rubis B. Telomere length: how the length makes a difference. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:7181-7188. [PMID: 32876842 PMCID: PMC7561533 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05551-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Telomerase is perceived as an immortality enzyme that might provide longevity to cells and whole organisms. Importantly, it is generally inactive in most somatic cells of healthy, adult men. Consequently, its substrates, i.e. telomeres, get shorter in most human cells with time. Noteworthy, cell life limitation due to telomere attrition during cell divisions, may not be as bad as it looks since longer cell life means longer exposition to harmful factors. Consequently, telomere length (attrition rate) becomes a factor that is responsible for inducing the signaling that leads to the elimination of cells that lived long enough to acquire severe damage. It seems that telomere length that depends on many different factors (including telomerase activity but also genetic factors, a hormonal profile that reflects sex, etc.) might become a useful marker of aging and exposition to stress. Thus in the current paper, we review the factors that affect telomere length in human cells focusing on sex that all together with different environmental and hormonal regulations as well as parental aspect affect telomere attrition rate. We also raise some limitations in the assessment of telomere length that hinders a trustworthy meta-analysis that might lead to acknowledgment of the real value of this parameter.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lulkiewicz
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego St., 60-355, Poznan, Poland
| | - J Bajsert
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego St., 60-355, Poznan, Poland
| | - P Kopczynski
- Centre for Orthodontic Mini-Implants at the Department and Clinic of Maxillofacial Orthopedics and Orthodontics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-812, Poznan, Poland
| | - W Barczak
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 61-866, Poznan, Poland.,Radiobiology Laboratory, Department of Medical Physics, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 61-866, Poznan, Poland
| | - B Rubis
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego St., 60-355, Poznan, Poland.
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Periconceptional environment predicts leukocyte telomere length in a cross-sectional study of 7-9 year old rural Gambian children. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9675. [PMID: 32541825 PMCID: PMC7295801 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66729-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life exposures are important predictors of adult disease risk. Although the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown, telomere maintenance may be involved. This study investigated the relationship between seasonal differences in parental exposures at time of conception and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in their offspring. LTL was measured in two cohorts of children aged 2 yrs (N = 487) and 7–9 yrs (N = 218). The association between date of conception and LTL was examined using Fourier regression models, adjusted for age, sex, leukocyte cell composition, and other potential confounders. We observed an effect of season in the older children in all models [likelihood ratio test (LRT) χ²2 = 7.1, p = 0.03; fully adjusted model]. LTL was greatest in children conceived in September (in the rainy season), and smallest in those conceived in March (in the dry season), with an effect size (LTL peak–nadir) of 0.60 z-scores. No effect of season was evident in the younger children (LRT χ²2 = 0.87, p = 0.65). The different results obtained for the two cohorts may reflect a delayed effect of season of conception on postnatal telomere maintenance. Alternatively, they may be explained by unmeasured differences in early life exposures, or the increased telomere attrition rate during infancy.
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