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Rampersaud R, Wu GWY, Reus VI, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Epel ES, Hough CM, Mellon SH, Wolkowitz OM. Shorter telomere length predicts poor antidepressant response and poorer cardiometabolic indices in major depression. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10238. [PMID: 37353495 PMCID: PMC10290110 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35912-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is a marker of biological aging, and shorter telomeres have been associated with several medical and psychiatric disorders, including cardiometabolic dysregulation and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In addition, studies have shown shorter TL to be associated with poorer response to certain psychotropic medications, and our previous work suggested shorter TL and higher telomerase activity (TA) predicts poorer response to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) treatment. Using a new group of unmedicated medically healthy individuals with MDD (n = 48), we sought to replicate our prior findings demonstrating that peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) TL and TA predict response to SSRI treatment and to identify associations between TL and TA with biological stress mediators and cardiometabolic risk indices. Our results demonstrate that longer pre-treatment TL was associated with better response to SSRI treatment (β = .407 p = .007). Additionally, we observed that TL had a negative relationship with allostatic load (β = - .320 p = .017) and a cardiometabolic risk score (β = - .300 p = .025). Our results suggest that PBMC TL reflects, in part, the cumulative effects of physiological stress and cardiovascular risk in MDD and may be a biomarker for predicting SSRI response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Rampersaud
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Gwyneth W Y Wu
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Victor I Reus
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christina M Hough
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Synthia H Mellon
- Department of OB-GYN and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Owen M Wolkowitz
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Chow TT, Shi X, Wei JH, Guan J, Stadler G, Huang B, Blackburn EH. Local enrichment of HP1alpha at telomeres alters their structure and regulation of telomere protection. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3583. [PMID: 30181605 PMCID: PMC6123478 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05840-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhanced telomere maintenance is evident in malignant cancers. While telomeres are thought to be inherently heterochromatic, detailed mechanisms of how epigenetic modifications impact telomere protection and structures are largely unknown in human cancers. Here we develop a molecular tethering approach to experimentally enrich heterochromatin protein HP1α specifically at telomeres. This results in increased deposition of H3K9me3 at cancer cell telomeres. Telomere extension by telomerase is attenuated, and damage-induced foci at telomeres are reduced, indicating augmentation of telomere stability. Super-resolution STORM imaging shows an unexpected increase in irregularity of telomeric structure. Telomere-tethered chromo shadow domain (CSD) mutant I165A of HP1α abrogates both the inhibition of telomere extension and the irregularity of telomeric structure, suggesting the involvement of at least one HP1α-ligand in mediating these effects. This work presents an approach to specifically manipulate the epigenetic status locally at telomeres to uncover insights into molecular mechanisms underlying telomere structural dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy T Chow
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Shi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Jen-Hsuan Wei
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Juan Guan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | | | - Bo Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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Staffaroni AM, Tosun D, Lin J, Elahi FM, Casaletto KB, Wynn MJ, Patel N, Neuhaus J, Walters SM, Epel ES, Blackburn EH, Kramer JH. Telomere attrition is associated with declines in medial temporal lobe volume and white matter microstructure in functionally independent older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 69:68-75. [PMID: 29859365 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Although leukocyte telomere length (TL) shortens over the lifespan and is associated with diseases of aging, little is known about the relationships between TL, memory, and brain structure. Sixty-nine functionally normal older adults (mean age = 71.7) were assessed at 2 time points (mean interval = 2.9 years). Linear mixed models assessed relationships between TL and hippocampal volume, fractional anisotropy, and mean diffusivity (MD) of the fornix and verbal and visual episodic memory. Unstandardized coefficients are reported in the following, and p values are not corrected for multiple comparisons. A negative baseline trend was observed between TL and fornix MD (b = -0.01, p = 0.06), but no other cross-sectional associations were significant (ps > 0.16). Greater TL shortening at follow-up was associated with greater hippocampal volume loss (b = 27.09, p < 0.001), even after controlling for global volume loss (b = 10.83, p = 0.002). Greater telomere attrition was also associated with larger increases in fornix MD (b = -0.01, p = 0.012) and decreases in fornix fractional anisotropy (b = 0.004, p = 0.002). TL was not associated with changes in episodic memory (ps > 0.23). These relationships may reflect neurobiological influences that affect both TL and brain structure, as well as the effect of TL on brain aging via mechanisms such as cellular senescence and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Staffaroni
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Duygu Tosun
- Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Fanny M Elahi
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kaitlin B Casaletto
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew J Wynn
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nihar Patel
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John Neuhaus
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Samantha M Walters
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Joel H Kramer
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Fair B, Mellon SH, Epel ES, Lin J, Révész D, Verhoeven JE, Penninx BW, Reus VI, Rosser R, Hough CM, Mahan L, Burke HM, Blackburn EH, Wolkowitz OM. Telomere length is inversely correlated with urinary stress hormone levels in healthy controls but not in un-medicated depressed individuals-preliminary findings. J Psychosom Res 2017; 99:177-180. [PMID: 28712425 PMCID: PMC5551436 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a biomarker of cellular aging affected by chronic stress. The relationship of LTL to the stress hormones, cortisol and catecholamines, is unclear, as are possible differences between healthy controls (HC) and individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This small pilot study is the first to examine the relationship between cortisol, catecholamines and LTL specifically in un-medicated MDD in comparison with HC. METHODS Participants included 16 un-medicated MDD subjects and 15 HC for assay of LTL, 12-hour overnight urinary free cortisol and catecholamine levels. RESULTS LTL, cortisol and catecholamine levels did not significantly differ between groups. In HC, a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that higher levels of cortisol were correlated with shorter LTL (p=0.003) above and beyond age and sex. Higher catecholamine levels were nearly-significant with shorter LTL (p=0.055). Neither hormone was correlated with shorter LTL in MDD (p's>0.28). To assess a possible cumulative effect of stress hormone activation, a summary score was calculated for each subject based on the number of stress hormone levels above the median for that group (HC or MDD). A significant inverse graded relationship was observed between LTL and the number of activated systems in HC (p=0.001), but not in MDD (p=0.96). CONCLUSION This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that stress hormone levels, especially cortisol, are inversely related to LTL in HC, but not in un-medicated MDD. Clarification of these relationships in larger samples could aid in understanding differential mechanisms underlying stress-related cellular aging in healthy and depressed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Fair
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA,Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA
| | | | - Elissa S. Epel
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF
| | - Dóra Révész
- Dept. of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Josine E. Verhoeven
- Dept. of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Brenda W. Penninx
- Dept. of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Victor I. Reus
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca Rosser
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christina M. Hough
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Laura Mahan
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Heather M. Burke
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Owen M. Wolkowitz
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA,Corresponding author: Owen M. Wolkowitz, MD, UCSF Department of Psychiatry, 401 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94143-0984, Tel: +1-415-476-7433,
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Schrock JM, Adler NE, Epel ES, Nuru-Jeter AM, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Taylor RJ, Chae DH. Socioeconomic Status, Financial Strain, and Leukocyte Telomere Length in a Sample of African American Midlife Men. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2017. [PMID: 28634877 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-017-0388-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND African American men in the USA experience poorer aging-related health outcomes compared to their White counterparts, partially due to socioeconomic disparities along racial lines. Greater exposure to socioeconomic strains among African American men may adversely impact health and aging at the cellular level, as indexed by shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL). This study examined associations between socioeconomic factors and LTL among African American men in midlife, a life course stage when heterogeneity in both health and socioeconomic status are particularly pronounced. METHODS Using multinomial logistic regression, we examined associations between multiple measures of SES and tertiles of LTL in a sample of 92 African American men between 30 to 50 years of age. RESULTS Reports of greater financial strain were associated with higher odds of short versus medium LTL (odds ratio (OR)=2.21, p = 0.03). Higher income was associated with lower odds of short versus medium telomeres (OR=0.97, p = 0.04). Exploratory analyses revealed a significant interaction between educational attainment and employment status (χ 2 = 4.07, p = 0.04), with greater education associated with lower odds of short versus long telomeres only among those not employed (OR=0.10, p = 0.040). CONCLUSION Cellular aging associated with multiple dimensions of socioeconomic adversity may contribute to poor aging-related health outcomes among African American men. Subjective appraisal of financial difficulty may impact LTL independently of objective dimensions of SES. Self-appraised success in fulfilling traditionally masculine gender roles, including being an economic provider, may be a particularly salient aspect of identity for African American men and have implications for cellular aging in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Schrock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, 1218 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
| | - Nancy E Adler
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Amani M Nuru-Jeter
- Divisions of Community Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - David H Chae
- Department of Human Development & Family Studies, College of Human Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
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Steptoe A, Hamer M, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Erusalimsky JD. The Longitudinal Relationship Between Cortisol Responses to Mental Stress and Leukocyte Telomere Attrition. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2017; 102:962-969. [PMID: 27967317 PMCID: PMC5460695 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2016-3035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Chronic psychological stress has been associated with shorter telomeres, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. One possibility is that the neuroendocrine responses to stress exposure are involved. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that greater cortisol responsivity to acute stressors predicts more rapid telomere attrition. DESIGN We measured salivary cortisol responses to 2 challenging behavioral tasks. Leukocyte telomere length was measured at the time of mental stress testing and 3 years later. PARTICIPANTS We studied 411 initially healthy men and women aged 54 to 76 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Leukocyte telomere length. RESULTS Cortisol responses to this protocol were small; we divided participants into cortisol responders (n = 156) and nonresponders (n = 255) using a criterion (≥20% increase in cortisol concentration) previously shown to predict increases in cardiovascular disease risk. There was no significant association between cortisol responsivity and baseline telomere length, although cortisol responders tended to have somewhat shorter telomeres (β = -0.061; standard error, 0.049). But cortisol responders had shorter telomeres and more rapid telomere attrition than nonresponders on follow-up, after controlling statistically for age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking, time of day of stress , and baseline telomere length (β = -0.10; standard error, 0.046; P = 0.029). The association was maintained after additional control for cardiovascular risk factors (β = -0.11; P = 0.031). The difference between cortisol responders and nonresponders was equivalent to approximately 2 years in aging. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that cortisol responsivity may mediate, in part, the relationship between psychological stress and cellular aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Steptoe
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Hamer
- School of Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158; and
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158; and
| | - Jorge D Erusalimsky
- Cardiff School of Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff CF5 2YB, Wales, United Kingdom
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Goglin SE, Farzaneh-Far R, Epel ES, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Whooley MA. Correction: Change in Leukocyte Telomere Length Predicts Mortality in Patients with Stable Coronary Heart Disease from the Heart and Soul Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168868. [PMID: 27992608 PMCID: PMC5167420 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160748.].
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Rehkopf DH, Needham BL, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Zota AR, Wojcicki JM, Epel ES. Leukocyte Telomere Length in Relation to 17 Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Cross-Sectional Study of US Adults. PLoS Med 2016; 13:e1002188. [PMID: 27898678 PMCID: PMC5127504 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a putative biological marker of immune system age, and there are demonstrated associations between LTL and cardiovascular disease. This may be due in part to the relationship of LTL with other biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease risk. However, the strength of associations between LTL and adiposity, metabolic, proinflammatory, and cardiovascular biomarkers has not been systematically evaluated in a United States nationally representative population. METHODS AND FINDINGS We examined associations between LTL and 17 cardiovascular biomarkers, including lipoproteins, blood sugar, circulatory pressure, proinflammatory markers, kidney function, and adiposity measures, in adults ages 20 to 84 from the cross-sectional US nationally representative 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (n = 7,252), statistically adjusting for immune cell type distributions. We also examine whether these associations differed systematically by age, race/ethnicity, gender, education, and income. We found that a one unit difference in the following biomarkers were associated with kilobase pair differences in LTL: BMI -0.00478 (95% CI -0.00749--0.00206), waist circumference -0.00211 (95% CI -0.00325--0.000969), percentage of body fat -0.00516 (95% CI -0.00761--0.0027), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol 0.00179 (95% CI 0.000571-0.00301), triglycerides -0.000285 (95% CI -0.000555--0.0000158), pulse rate -0.00194 (95% CI -0.00317--0.000705), C-reactive protein -0.0363 (95% CI 0.0601--0.0124), cystatin C -0.0391 (95% CI -0.0772--0.00107). When using clinical cut-points we additionally found associations between LTL and insulin resistance -0.0412 (95% CI -0.0685--0.0139), systolic blood pressure 0.0455 (95% CI 0.00137-0.0897), and diastolic blood pressure -0.0674 (95% CI -0.126--0.00889). These associations were 10%-15% greater without controlling for leukocyte cell types. There were very few differences in the associations by age, race/ethnicity, gender, education, or income. Our findings are relevant to the relationships between these cardiovascular biomarkers in the general population but not to cardiovascular disease as a clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS LTL is most strongly associated with adiposity, but is also associated with biomarkers across several physiological systems. LTL may thus be a predictor of cardiovascular disease through its association with multiple risk factors that are physiologically correlated with risk for development of cardiovascular disease. Our results are consistent with LTL being a biomarker of cardiovascular aging through established physiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H. Rehkopf
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Belinda L. Needham
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth H. Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Ami R. Zota
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Janet M. Wojcicki
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Goglin SE, Farzaneh-Far R, Epel ES, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Whooley MA. Change in Leukocyte Telomere Length Predicts Mortality in Patients with Stable Coronary Heart Disease from the Heart and Soul Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160748. [PMID: 27783614 PMCID: PMC5081189 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Short telomere length independently predicts mortality in patients with coronary heart disease. Whether 5-year change in telomere length predicts subsequent mortality in patients with coronary heart disease has not been evaluated. Methods In a prospective cohort study of 608 individuals with stable coronary artery disease, we measured leukocyte telomere length at baseline and after five years of follow-up. We divided the sample into tertiles of telomere change: shortened, maintained or lengthened. We used Cox survival models to evaluate 5-year change in telomere length as a predictor of mortality. Results During an average of 4.2 years follow-up, there were 149 deaths. Change in telomere length was inversely predictive of all-cause mortality. Using the continuous variable of telomere length change, each standard deviation (325 base pair) greater increase in telomere length was associated with a 24% reduction in mortality (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.61–0.94; p = 0.01), adjusted for age, sex, waist to hip ratio, exercise capacity, LV ejection fraction, serum creatinine, and year 5 telomere length. Mortality occurred in 39% (79/203) of patients who experienced telomere shortening, 22% (45/203) of patients whose telomere length was maintained, and 12% (25/202) of patients who experienced telomere lengthening (p<0.001). As compared with patients whose telomere length was maintained, those who experienced telomere lengthening were 56% less likely to die (HR 0.44, 95% CI, 0.23–0.87). Conclusions In patients with coronary heart disease, an increase in leukocyte telomere length over 5 years is associated with decreased mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Goglin
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States of America
| | - Ramin Farzaneh-Far
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States of America
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States of America
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States of America
| | | | - Mary A. Whooley
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States of America
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, 94121, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Leung CW, Laraia BA, Coleman-Phox K, Bush NR, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Adler NE, Epel ES. Sugary beverage and food consumption, and leukocyte telomere length maintenance in pregnant women. Eur J Clin Nutr 2016; 70:1086-8. [PMID: 27302671 PMCID: PMC5014682 DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2016.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) has been inversely associated with sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in cross-sectional studies, but no studies have examined whether dietary intake influences LTL over time. This study examined longitudinal associations between sugary foods and beverages and LTL. Participants were 65 overweight and obese pregnant women, aged 18-45 years, from a mindfulness intervention study conducted from early pregnancy (⩽16 weeks gestation) and followed through 9 months postpartum. During pregnancy and postpartum, dietary intake was measured with 24-h diet recalls, and LTL was assessed using quantitative PCR. Adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics, decreased SSB consumption from baseline to 9 months postpartum was associated with greater concurrent LTL lengthening (β=-0.102, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.192, -0.013). No associations between sugary foods and LTL were found in either period. The finding that reduced SSB consumption is associated with increased LTL warrants investigation in large cohort studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C W Leung
- Center for Health and Community, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - B A Laraia
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - K Coleman-Phox
- Center for Health and Community, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - N R Bush
- Center for Health and Community, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - N E Adler
- Center for Health and Community, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E S Epel
- Center for Health and Community, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Epel ES, Puterman E, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Lum PY, Beckmann ND, Zhu J, Lee E, Gilbert A, Rissman RA, Tanzi RE, Schadt EE. Meditation and vacation effects have an impact on disease-associated molecular phenotypes. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e880. [PMID: 27576169 PMCID: PMC5022094 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Revised: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Meditation is becoming increasingly practiced, especially for stress-related medical conditions. Meditation may improve cellular health; however, studies have not separated out effects of meditation from vacation-like effects in a residential randomized controlled trial. We recruited healthy women non-meditators to live at a resort for 6 days and randomized to either meditation retreat or relaxing on-site, with both groups compared with 'regular meditators' already enrolled in the retreat. Blood drawn at baseline and post intervention was assessed for transcriptome-wide expression patterns and aging-related biomarkers. Highly significant gene expression changes were detected across all groups (the 'vacation effect') that could accurately predict (96% accuracy) between baseline and post-intervention states and were characterized by improved regulation of stress response, immune function and amyloid beta (Aβ) metabolism. Although a smaller set of genes was affected, regular meditators showed post-intervention differences in a gene network characterized by lower regulation of protein synthesis and viral genome activity. Changes in well-being were assessed post intervention relative to baseline, as well as 1 and 10 months later. All groups showed equivalently large immediate post-intervention improvements in well-being, but novice meditators showed greater maintenance of lower distress over time compared with those in the vacation arm. Regular meditators showed a trend toward increased telomerase activity compared with randomized women, who showed increased plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 ratios and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels. This highly controlled residential study showed large salutary changes in gene expression networks due to the vacation effect, common to all groups. For those already trained in the practice of meditation, a retreat appears to provide additional benefits to cellular health beyond the vacation effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- E S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E Puterman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Lin
- Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E H Blackburn
- Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - P Y Lum
- Capella Biosciences Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - N D Beckmann
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - J Zhu
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - E Lee
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - A Gilbert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - R A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - R E Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - E E Schadt
- Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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12
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Chow TT, Blackburn EH. Abstract LB-161: Exploiting non-canonical heterochromatin-mediated telomere protection mechanisms in human cells. Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2016-lb-161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Mammalian telomeres are inherently heterochromatic. While enhanced telomere maintenance is evident in malignant cancers, some cancers appear to maintain telomeres by neither the common telomerase nor the alternative telomere repeat recombination mechanisms. Specifically, the roles of epigenetic modifications in telomere protection are largely unknown in human cancers. I have combined newly developed cellular and molecular approaches to show that in some cancer cell types, experimentally enhanced heterochromatinization localized specifically at telomeres reduced damage-induced foci at telomeres, suggesting augmentation of telomere stability. These results lead to the intriguing hypothesis that manipulating the epigenetic status at telomeres may be exploited to elicit damage at the telomeres of cancer cells as a novel approach to fight cancer. My current work in progress focuses on identifying novel chromatin modifiers that weaken telomere protection by modulating telomere compaction. It is especially urgent to understand the plasticity and modes of telomere protection by which some human cancers escape the requirement of telomerase activation to sustain immortalization. Results from this work can potentially advance the development of novel combinatorial telomere-directed cancer treatments.
Citation Format: Tracy T. Chow, Elizabeth H. Blackburn. Exploiting non-canonical heterochromatin-mediated telomere protection mechanisms in human cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-161.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy T. Chow
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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13
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Hough CM, Bersani FS, Mellon SH, Epel ES, Reus VI, Lindqvist D, Lin J, Mahan L, Rosser R, Burke H, Coetzee J, Nelson JC, Blackburn EH, Wolkowitz OM. Leukocyte telomere length predicts SSRI response in major depressive disorder: A preliminary report. Mol Neuropsychiatry 2016; 2:88-96. [PMID: 27429957 DOI: 10.1159/000446500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Short leukocyte telomere length (LTL) may be associated with several psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Short LTL has previously been associated with poor response to psychiatric medications in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, but no studies have prospectively assessed the relationship of LTL to SSRI response in MDD. We assessed pre-treatment LTL, depression severity (using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HDRS]), and self-reported positive and negative affect in 27 healthy, unmedicated adults with MDD. Subjects then underwent open-label treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant for eight weeks, after which clinical ratings were repeated. Analyses were corrected for age, sex and BMI. "Non-responders" to treatment (HDRS improvement <50%) had significantly shorter pre-treatment LTL, compared to "Responders" (p=0.037). Further, shorter pre-treatment LTL was associated with less improvement in negative affect (p<0.010) but not with changes in positive affect (p=0.356). This preliminary study is the first to assess the relationship between LTL and SSRI response in MDD and among the first to prospectively assess its relationship to treatment outcome in any psychiatric illness. Our data suggest that short LTL may serve as a vulnerability index of poorer response to SSRI treatment, but this needs examination in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Hough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - F Saverio Bersani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Synthia H Mellon
- Department of OB/GYN and Reproductive Science, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Victor I Reus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Lindqvist
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, Section for Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Laura Mahan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca Rosser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Heather Burke
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John Coetzee
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Craig Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Owen M Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Blackburn EH, Epel ES, Lin J. Human telomere biology: A contributory and interactive factor in aging, disease risks, and protection. Science 2016; 350:1193-8. [PMID: 26785477 DOI: 10.1126/science.aab3389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 935] [Impact Index Per Article: 116.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are the protective end-complexes at the termini of eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomere attrition can lead to potentially maladaptive cellular changes, block cell division, and interfere with tissue replenishment. Recent advances in the understanding of human disease processes have clarified the roles of telomere biology, especially in diseases of human aging and in some aging-related processes. Greater overall telomere attrition predicts mortality and aging-related diseases in inherited telomere syndrome patients, and also in general human cohorts. However, genetically caused variations in telomere maintenance either raise or lower risks and progression of cancers, in a highly cancer type-specific fashion. Telomere maintenance is determined by genetic factors and is also cumulatively shaped by nongenetic influences throughout human life; both can interact. These and other recent findings highlight both causal and potentiating roles for telomere attrition in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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Thorvaldsdottir B, Cimini BA, Diolaiti ME, Aradottir M, Olafsdottir K, Jonasson JG, Blackburn EH, Eyfjörd JE. Abstract A26: Telomere length in normal and tumor breast tissue from BRCA2 mutation carriers and sporadic breast cancer cases. Mol Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3125.advbc15-a26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Germline mutations in the BRCA genes are associated with highly increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers and to a lesser extent to prostate and pancreatic cancers. Great number of mutations with variable impact on cancer risk and progression are known in these genes worldwide. A single founder mutation has been detected in each of the BRCA genes in the Icelandic population, making it feasible to study the influence of a single mutation at a population level. The BRCA2999del5 mutation is more frequent and can be found in approximately 6-7% of female breast cancer patients and 40% of male breast cancer patients in Iceland. The mutation leads to a non-functional protein product and is associated with complex chromosomal changes in tumor tissue. Furthermore, the BRCA2999del5 mutation has been associated with poor prognosis, both in breast and prostate cancers, although mutation carriers seem to differ with respect to age of onset and severity of disease.
Dysfunctional telomere maintenance can lead to excessive telomere shortening which causes chromosome instability. It is therefore a driving force behind cancer progression and is considered a hallmark of many human cancers. Telomere shortening has been shown to be an early and a common molecular alteration in epithelial cancers, including breast cancers. Previous results from our laboratory, amongst others, have shown that BRCA2 is associated with telomere protection and maintenance. Telomere dysfunction induced foci (TIFs) formation was detected in cell lines derived from heterozygous BRCA2999del5 mutation carriers1. Telomere length has been proposed as a possible predictive factor for cancer risk for various cancers. In the case of breast cancer and BRCA mutation carriers, the results have been conflicting.
The aim of the study was to investigate if telomere length in normal and tumor breast tissue is correlated with breast cancer progression and survival in a well-defined group of BRCA2 mutation carriers and sporadic breast cancer cases.
The study group consisted of breast cancer patients carrying the BRCA2999del5 Icelandic founder mutation and sporadic cases, matched with respect to age and year of diagnosis. Tumor and normal adjacent tissue samples from these patients were embedded in paraffin and Quantitative Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization method (Q-FISH) was used to carry out telomere length measurements. Telomeres were visualized using a telomeric sequence-specific fluorescence peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe. A centromere-specific PNA probe was used as an inner control for hybridization efficiency.
The results show a clear difference in telomere length of different cell types in normal breast tissue with inner epithelial cells having shorter telomeres than both myoepithelial cells and fibroblasts. These findings support previously reported data in the literature2. The majority of examined tumors have very short telomeres. In mutation carriers, there are indications that less variable telomere length in normal adjacent tissue is associated with reduced breast cancer specific survival. This seems to be more pronounced in the mutation carrier group compared to the sporadic group. Telomere length in adjacent normal tissue appears to be shorter in cases with luminal type than with basal-like tumors.
References:
1. Bodvarsdottir, S. K., Steinarsdottir, M., Bjarnason, H. & Eyfjord, J. E. Dysfunctional telomeres in human BRCA2 mutated breast tumors and cell lines. Mutat. Res. Mol. Mech. Mutagen. 729, 90–99 (2012).
2. Kurabayashi, R. et al. Luminal and cancer cells in the breast show more rapid telomere shortening than myoepithelial cells and fibroblasts. Hum. Pathol. 39, 1647–1655 (2008).
Citation Format: Birna Thorvaldsdottir, Beth A. Cimini, Morgan E. Diolaiti, Margret Aradottir, Katrin Olafsdottir, Jon G. Jonasson, Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Jorunn E. Eyfjörd. Telomere length in normal and tumor breast tissue from BRCA2 mutation carriers and sporadic breast cancer cases. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research; Oct 17-20, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(2_Suppl):Abstract nr A26.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beth A. Cimini
- 2University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA,
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Bersani FS, Lindqvist D, Mellon SH, Epel ES, Yehuda R, Flory J, Henn-Hasse C, Bierer LM, Makotkine I, Abu-Amara D, Coy M, Reus VI, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Marmar C, Wolkowitz OM. Association of dimensional psychological health measures with telomere length in male war veterans. J Affect Disord 2016; 190:537-542. [PMID: 26571103 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several psychiatric disorders may be characterized by peripheral telomere shortening. However, it is unclear whether telomere shortening is associated with these psychiatric disorders per se or, rather, with underlying dimensional parameters that are often, but not necessarily, associated with them. We explored the association between dimensional psychopathological measures and telomere length (TL) in granulocytes among veterans independent of psychiatric diagnosis. METHODS Seventy-six combat-exposed male veterans (41 psychiatrically healthy, 18 with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] and 17 with concomitant PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder [MDD]) had TL assayed. Assessments included Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Early Trauma Inventory (ETI), Symptom Checklist-90-R Global Severity Index (SCL-90-GSI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Correlations were corrected for age, BMI, antidepressants and ethnicity. RESULTS Across subjects, TL was negatively correlated with early trauma (p<0.001), global psychopathological severity (p=0.044) and perceived stress (p=0.019), positively correlated with positive affect (p=0.026), not significantly correlated with symptom severity of PTSD, depression or negative affect. Across these dimensions, early trauma and positive affect were associated with TL after excluding subjects with somatic illnesses. LIMITATIONS The study was cross-sectional with a moderate sample size and only male combat-exposed subjects. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings suggest that early trauma, severity of perceived stress and general psychopathological symptoms are more closely associated with shorter TL than is the severity of core diagnostic symptoms of PTSD or MDD, whereas positive affect is associated with longer TL. Larger-scale studies should assess TL associated with specific psychiatric dimensions, apart from only categorical psychiatric diagnoses, to develop more specific biologically-relevant endophenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco S Bersani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniel Lindqvist
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, Section for Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Synthia H Mellon
- Department of OB/GYN and Reproductive Science, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Health and Community, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Department of Psychiatry, MSSM/James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Janine Flory
- Department of Psychiatry, MSSM/James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clare Henn-Hasse
- Department of Psychiatry, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center for Posttraumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, New York, NY, USA
| | - Linda M Bierer
- Department of Psychiatry, MSSM/James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Iouri Makotkine
- Department of Psychiatry, MSSM/James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Duna Abu-Amara
- Department of Psychiatry, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center for Posttraumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Coy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Victor I Reus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Charles Marmar
- Department of Psychiatry, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center for Posttraumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, New York, NY, USA
| | - Owen M Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Bersani FS, Morley C, Lindqvist D, Epel ES, Picard M, Yehuda R, Flory J, Bierer LM, Makotkine I, Abu-Amara D, Coy M, Reus VI, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Marmar C, Wolkowitz OM, Mellon SH. Mitochondrial DNA copy number is reduced in male combat veterans with PTSD. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 64:10-7. [PMID: 26120081 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Revised: 06/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mitochondrial abnormalities may be involved in PTSD, although few studies have examined this. Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in blood cells is an emerging systemic index of mitochondrial biogenesis and function. The present study assessed mtDNAcn in male combat-exposed veterans with PTSD compared to those without PTSD as well as its correlation with clinical scales. METHODS mtDNAcn was assessed with a TaqMan multiplex assay in granulocytes of 43 male combat veterans with (n=43) or without (n=44) PTSD. Twenty of the PTSD subjects had co-morbid major depressive disorder (MDD). The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Early Trauma Inventory (ETI) and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) were used for the clinical assessments. All analyses were corrected for age and BMI. RESULTS mtDNAcn was significantly lower in subjects with PTSD (p<0.05). Within the PTSD group, those with moderate PTSD symptom severity had relatively higher mtDNAcn than those with mild or severe symptoms (p<0.01). Within the PTSD group, mtDNAcn was positively correlated with PANAS positive subscale ratings (p<0.01) but was not significantly correlated with PANAS negative subscale, ETI or BDI-II ratings. DISCUSSION This study provides the first evidence of: (i) a significant decrease of mtDNAcn in combat PTSD, (ii) a possible "inverted-U" shaped relationship between PTSD symptom severity and mtDNAcn within PTSD subjects, and (iii) a direct correlation of mtDNAcn with positive affectivity within PTSD subjects. Altered mtDNAcn in PTSD may reflect impaired energy metabolism, which might represent a novel aspect of its pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Saverio Bersani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Claire Morley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Lindqvist
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, Section for Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Health and Community, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Martin Picard
- Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Department of Psychiatry, MSSM/James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Janine Flory
- Department of Psychiatry, MSSM/James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Linda M Bierer
- Department of Psychiatry, MSSM/James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Iouri Makotkine
- Department of Psychiatry, MSSM/James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Duna Abu-Amara
- Department of Psychiatry, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center for Posttraumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Coy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Victor I Reus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Charles Marmar
- Department of Psychiatry, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center for Posttraumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, New York, NY, USA
| | - Owen M Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Synthia H Mellon
- Department of OB/GYN and Reproductive Science, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Chae DH, Epel ES, Nuru-Jeter AM, Lincoln KD, Taylor RJ, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Thomas SB. Discrimination, mental health, and leukocyte telomere length among African American men. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 63:10-6. [PMID: 26398001 PMCID: PMC5407686 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
African American men in the US experience disparities across multiple health outcomes. A common mechanism underlying premature declines in health may be accelerated biological aging, as reflected by leukocyte telomere length (LTL). Racial discrimination, a qualitatively unique source of social stress reported by African American men, in tandem with poor mental health, may negatively impact LTL in this population. The current study examined cross-sectional associations between LTL, self-reported racial discrimination, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among 92 African American men 30-50 years of age. LTL was measured in kilobase pairs using quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, greater anxiety symptoms were associated with shorter LTL (b=-0.029, standard error [SE]=0.014; p<0.05). There were no main effects of racial discrimination or depressive symptoms on LTL, but we found evidence for a significant interaction between the two (b=0.011, SE=0.005; p<0.05). Racial discrimination was associated with shorter LTL among those with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Findings from this study highlight the role of social stressors and individual-level psychological factors for physiologic deterioration among African American men. Consistent with research on other populations, greater anxiety may reflect elevated stress associated with shorter LTL. Racial discrimination may represent an additional source of social stress among African American men that has detrimental consequences for cellular aging among those with lower levels of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H. Chae
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland at College Park, School of Public Health, 2234 School of Public Health, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.,Corresponding author at Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland at College Park, School of Public Health, 2234 School of Public Health, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. Tel.: +1 301 405 6425; fax: +1 301 405 3575;
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, 3333 California Street, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Amani M. Nuru-Jeter
- Divisions of Epidemiology and Community Health and Human Development, University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, 50 University Hall, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Karen D. Lincoln
- University of Southern California, School of Social Work, 669 West 34th Street, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Robert Joseph Taylor
- University of Michigan, School of Social Work, 1080 South University, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Elizabeth H. Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Stephen B. Thomas
- Department of Health Services Administration, University of Maryland at College Park, School of Public Health, 2234 School of Public Health, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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Henje Blom E, Han LKM, Connolly CG, Ho TC, Lin J, LeWinn KZ, Simmons AN, Sacchet MD, Mobayed N, Luna ME, Paulus M, Epel ES, Blackburn EH, Wolkowitz OM, Yang TT. Peripheral telomere length and hippocampal volume in adolescents with major depressive disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e676. [PMID: 26556285 PMCID: PMC5068765 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have reported that adults with major depressive disorder have shorter telomere length and reduced hippocampal volumes. Moreover, studies of adult populations without major depressive disorder suggest a relationship between peripheral telomere length and hippocampal volume. However, the relationship of these findings in adolescents with major depressive disorder has yet to be explored. We examined whether adolescent major depressive disorder is associated with altered peripheral telomere length and hippocampal volume, and whether these measures relate to one another. In 54 unmedicated adolescents (13-18 years) with major depressive disorder and 63 well-matched healthy controls, telomere length was assessed from saliva using quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods, and bilateral hippocampal volumes were measured with magnetic resonance imaging. After adjusting for age and sex (and total brain volume in the hippocampal analysis), adolescents with major depressive disorder exhibited significantly shorter telomere length and significantly smaller right, but not left hippocampal volume. When corrected for age, sex, diagnostic group and total brain volume, telomere length was not significantly associated with left or right hippocampal volume, suggesting that these cellular and neural processes may be mechanistically distinct during adolescence. Our findings suggest that shortening of telomere length and reduction of hippocampal volume are already present in early-onset major depressive disorder and thus unlikely to be only a result of accumulated years of exposure to major depressive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Henje Blom
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. E-mail:
| | - L K M Han
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA,Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C G Connolly
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - T C Ho
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - K Z LeWinn
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - A N Simmons
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,The Veterans Affairs Health Care System of San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - M D Sacchet
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA,Neuroscience Programs and Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - N Mobayed
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M E Luna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Paulus
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - E S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - O M Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - T T Yang
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Short leukocyte telomere length (LTL) has become a hallmark characteristic of aging. Some, but not all, evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) may play an important role in attenuating age-related diseases and may provide a protective effect for telomeres. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between PA and LTL in a national sample of US adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 1999 to 2002 (n = 6503; 20-84 yr) were used. Four self-report questions related to movement-based behaviors (MBB) were assessed. The four MBB included whether individuals participated in moderate-intensity PA, vigorous-intensity PA, walking/cycling for transportation, and muscle-strengthening activities. An MBB index variable was created by summing the number of MBB an individual engaged in (range, 0-4). RESULTS A clear dose-response relation was observed between MBB and LTL; across the LTL tertiles, respectively, the mean numbers of MBB were 1.18, 1.44, and 1.54 (Ptrend < 0.001). After adjustments (including age) and compared with those engaging in 0 MBB, those engaging in 1, 2, 3, and 4 MBB, respectively, had a 3% (P = 0.84), 24% (P = 0.02), 29% (P = 0.04), and 52% (P = 0.004) reduced odds of being in the lowest (vs highest) tertile of LTL; MBB was not associated with being in the middle (vs highest) tertile of LTL. CONCLUSIONS Greater engagement in MBB was associated with reduced odds of being in the lowest LTL tertile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D. Loprinzi
- Center for Health Behavior Research, Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, University, MS
| | - Jeremy P. Loenneke
- Kevser Ermin Applied Physiology Laboratory, Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, University, MS
| | - Elizabeth H. Blackburn
- Blackburn Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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Lindqvist D, Epel ES, Mellon SH, Penninx BW, Révész D, Verhoeven JE, Reus VI, Lin J, Mahan L, Hough CM, Rosser R, Bersani FS, Blackburn EH, Wolkowitz OM. Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:333-64. [PMID: 25999120 PMCID: PMC4501875 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Many psychiatric illnesses are associated with early mortality and with an increased risk of developing physical diseases that are more typically seen in the elderly. Moreover, certain psychiatric illnesses may be associated with accelerated cellular aging, evidenced by shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which could underlie this association. Shortened LTL reflects a cell's mitotic history and cumulative exposure to inflammation and oxidation as well as the availability of telomerase, a telomere-lengthening enzyme. Critically short telomeres can cause cells to undergo senescence, apoptosis or genomic instability, and shorter LTL correlates with poorer health and predicts mortality. Emerging data suggest that LTL may be reduced in certain psychiatric illnesses, perhaps in proportion to exposure to the psychiatric illnesses, although conflicting data exist. Telomerase has been less well characterized in psychiatric illnesses, but a role in depression and in antidepressant and neurotrophic effects has been suggested by preclinical and clinical studies. In this article, studies on LTL and telomerase activity in psychiatric illnesses are critically reviewed, potential mediators are discussed, and future directions are suggested. A deeper understanding of cellular aging in psychiatric illnesses could lead to re-conceptualizing them as systemic illnesses with manifestations inside and outside the brain and could identify new treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lindqvist
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Section for Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Synthia H Mellon
- Department of OB-GYN and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brenda W Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dóra Révész
- Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Josine E Verhoeven
- Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Victor I Reus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Laura Mahan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christina M Hough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca Rosser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - F Saverio Bersani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Owen M Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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22
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Entringer S, Epel ES, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Buss C, Shahbaba B, Gillen DL, Venkataramanan R, Simhan HN, Wadhwa PD. Maternal Folate Concentration in Early Pregnancy and Newborn Telomere Length. Ann Nutr Metab 2015; 66:202-8. [PMID: 26067849 DOI: 10.1159/000381925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Telomere biology plays a fundamental role in genomic integrity and cell physiology. The newborn setting of telomere length (TL) likely has important implications for telomere dynamics over the lifespan; however, its determinants are poorly understood. Folate is essential for DNA integrity. The maternal compartment is the only source of folate for the developing fetus. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that variation in maternal folate during pregnancy is associated with newborn TL. METHODS A prospective, longitudinal study was conducted in 119 mother-newborn dyads. Eligible mothers were enrolled at 9.5 (SD ±2.1) weeks gestation and followed through birth. Concentrations of maternal serum folate were measured in the first trimester of pregnancy. Newborn telomere length was measured in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC). RESULTS After accounting for the effects of other established determinants of newborn TL, each 10 ng/ml increase in maternal total folate was associated with a 5.8% increase in median TL (p = 0.03). The median TL in newborns of mother in the lowest quartile of total folate levels was approximately 10% shorter than that of newborns of mothers in the highest folate quartile. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that fetal TL exhibits developmental plasticity, and provide evidence that maternal nutrition may exert a 'programming' effect on this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Entringer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Calif.; USA
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Geronimus AT, Pearson JA, Linnenbringer E, Schulz AJ, Reyes AG, Epel ES, Lin J, Blackburn EH. Race-Ethnicity, Poverty, Urban Stressors, and Telomere Length in a Detroit Community-based Sample. J Health Soc Behav 2015; 56:199-224. [PMID: 25930147 PMCID: PMC4621968 DOI: 10.1177/0022146515582100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Residents of distressed urban areas suffer early aging-related disease and excess mortality. Using a community-based participatory research approach in a collaboration between social researchers and cellular biologists, we collected a unique data set of 239 black, white, or Mexican adults from a stratified, multistage probability sample of three Detroit neighborhoods. We drew venous blood and measured telomere length (TL), an indicator of stress-mediated biological aging, linking respondents' TL to their community survey responses. We regressed TL on socioeconomic, psychosocial, neighborhood, and behavioral stressors, hypothesizing and finding an interaction between poverty and racial-ethnic group. Poor whites had shorter TL than nonpoor whites; poor and nonpoor blacks had equivalent TL; and poor Mexicans had longer TL than nonpoor Mexicans. Findings suggest unobserved heterogeneity bias is an important threat to the validity of estimates of TL differences by race-ethnicity. They point to health impacts of social identity as contingent, the products of structurally rooted biopsychosocial processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arline T Geronimus
- Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Erin Linnenbringer
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Angela G Reyes
- Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Elissa S Epel
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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24
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Wolkowitz OM, Mellon SH, Lindqvist D, Epel ES, Blackburn EH, Lin J, Reus VI, Burke H, Rosser R, Mahan L, Mackin S, Yang T, Weiner M, Mueller S. PBMC telomerase activity, but not leukocyte telomere length, correlates with hippocampal volume in major depression. Psychiatry Res 2015; 232:58-64. [PMID: 25773002 PMCID: PMC4404215 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Accelerated cell aging, indexed in peripheral leukocytes by telomere shortness and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by telomerase activity, has been reported in several studies of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the relevance of these peripheral measures for brain indices that are presumably more directly related to MDD pathophysiology is unknown. In this study, we explored the relationship between PBMC telomerase activity and leukocyte telomere length and magnetic resonance imaging-estimated hippocampal volume in un-medicated depressed individuals and healthy controls. We predicted that, to the extent peripheral and central telomerase activity are directly related, PBMC telomerase activity would be positively correlated with hippocampal volume, perhaps due to hippocampal telomerase-associated neurogenesis, neuroprotection or neurotrophic facilitation, and that this effect would be clearer in individuals with increased PBMC telomerase activity, as previously reported in un-medicated MDD. We did not have specific hypotheses regarding the relationship between leukocyte telomere length and hippocampal volume, due to conflicting reports in the published literature. We found, in 25 un-medicated MDD subjects, that PBMC telomerase activity was significantly positively correlated with hippocampal volume; this relationship was not observed in 18 healthy controls. Leukocyte telomere length was not significantly related to hippocampal volume in either group (19 unmedicated MDD subjects and 17 healthy controls). Although the nature of the relationship between peripheral telomerase activity and telomere length and the hippocampus is unclear, these preliminary data are consistent with the possibility that PBMC telomerase activity indexes, and may provide a novel window into, hippocampal neuroprotection and/or neurogenesis in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen M. Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
,Corresponding author: Dept. of Psychiatry, UCSF School of Medicine, 401 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94143-0983, USA. Tel.: +1 (415) 476-7433; Fax: +1 (415) 502-2661;
| | - Synthia H. Mellon
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Endocrinology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Lindqvist
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Section for Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth H. Blackburn
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Victor I. Reus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Heather Burke
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca Rosser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Laura Mahan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Scott Mackin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tony Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael Weiner
- Department of Radiology, UCSF School of Medicine, and San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Susanne Mueller
- Department of Radiology, UCSF School of Medicine, and San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
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25
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Xie Z, Jay KA, Smith DL, Zhang Y, Liu Z, Zheng J, Tian R, Li H, Blackburn EH. Early telomerase inactivation accelerates aging independently of telomere length. Cell 2015; 160:928-939. [PMID: 25723167 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Telomerase is required for long-term telomere maintenance and protection. Using single budding yeast mother cell analyses we found that, even early after telomerase inactivation (ETI), yeast mother cells show transient DNA damage response (DDR) episodes, stochastically altered cell-cycle dynamics, and accelerated mother cell aging. The acceleration of ETI mother cell aging was not explained by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), Sir protein perturbation, or deprotected telomeres. ETI phenotypes occurred well before the population senescence caused late after telomerase inactivation (LTI). They were morphologically distinct from LTI senescence, were genetically uncoupled from telomere length, and were rescued by elevating dNTP pools. Our combined genetic and single-cell analyses show that, well before critical telomere shortening, telomerase is continuously required to respond to transient DNA replication stress in mother cells and that a lack of telomerase accelerates otherwise normal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Xie
- Center for Quantitative Biology, School of Physics and The Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kyle A Jay
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Dana L Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, School of Physics and The Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Zairan Liu
- Center for Quantitative Biology, School of Physics and The Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jiashun Zheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ruilin Tian
- Center for Quantitative Biology, School of Physics and The Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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Puterman E, Lin J, Krauss J, Blackburn EH, Epel ES. Determinants of telomere attrition over 1 year in healthy older women: stress and health behaviors matter. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:529-35. [PMID: 25070535 PMCID: PMC4310821 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Revised: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Telomere length, a reliable predictor of disease pathogenesis, can be affected by genetics, chronic stress and health behaviors. Cross-sectionally, highly stressed postmenopausal women have shorter telomeres, but only if they are inactive. However, no studies have prospectively examined telomere length change over a short period, and if rate of attrition is affected by naturalistic factors such as stress and engagement in healthy behaviors, including diet, exercise, and sleep. Here we followed healthy women over 1 year to test if major stressors that occurred over the year predicted telomere shortening, and whether engaging in healthy behaviors during this period mitigates this effect. In 239 postmenopausal, non-smoking, disease-free women, accumulation of major life stressors across a 1-year period predicted telomere attrition over the same period-for every major life stressor that occurred during the year, there was a significantly greater decline in telomere length over the year of 35 bp (P<0.05). Yet, these effects were moderated by health behaviors (interaction B=0.19, P=0.04). Women who maintained relatively higher levels of health behaviors (1 s.d. above the mean) appeared to be protected when exposed to stress. This finding has implications for understanding malleability of telomere length, as well as expectations for possible intervention effects. This is the first study to identify predictors of telomere length change over the short period of a year.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Puterman
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Krauss
- Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - E H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Zota AR, Needham BL, Blackburn EH, Lin J, Park SK, Rehkopf DH, Epel ES. Associations of cadmium and lead exposure with leukocyte telomere length: findings from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002. Am J Epidemiol 2015; 181:127-36. [PMID: 25504027 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwu293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cadmium and lead are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that might increase risks of cardiovascular disease and other aging-related diseases, but their relationships with leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker of cellular aging, are poorly understood. In experimental studies, they have been shown to induce telomere shortening, but no epidemiologic study to date has examined their associations with LTL in the general population. We examined associations of blood lead and cadmium (n = 6,796) and urine cadmium (n = 2,093) levels with LTL among a nationally representative sample of US adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2002). The study population geometric mean concentrations were 1.67 µg/dL (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.63, 1.70) for blood lead, 0.44 µg/L (95% CI: 0.42, 0.47) for blood cadmium, and 0.28 µg/L (95% CI: 0.27, 0.30) for urine cadmium. After adjustment for potential confounders, the highest (versus lowest) quartiles of blood and urine cadmium were associated with -5.54% (95% CI: -8.70, -2.37) and -4.50% (95% CI: -8.79, -0.20) shorter LTLs, respectively, with evidence of dose-response relationship (P for trend < 0.05). There was no association between blood lead concentration and LTL. These findings provide further evidence of physiological impacts of cadmium at environmental levels and might provide insight into biological pathways underlying cadmium toxicity and chronic disease risks.
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28
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Entringer S, Epel ES, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Buss C, Simhan HN, Wadhwa PD. Maternal estriol concentrations in early gestation predict infant telomere length. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2015; 100:267-73. [PMID: 25337925 PMCID: PMC4283015 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2014-2744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Telomere biology plays a fundamental role in genomic integrity, cellular regeneration, physiology, aging, disease risk, and mortality. The initial setting of telomere length (TL) in early life has important implications for telomere maintenance and related disorders throughout the life span. However, little is known about the predictors of this initial setting. OBJECTIVE Given the established role of estrogen on adult TL and the role of estriol (E3) in the context of fetal development, the goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that higher maternal E3 concentration during early pregnancy is associated with longer infant telomere length. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, AND SETTING Study participants comprised a cohort of N = 100 infants followed prospectively from intrauterine life and birth through early childhood from a population-based, representative sample of pregnant mothers recruited in early pregnancy at university-based obstetric clinics in Southern California. Maternal unconjugated E3 concentrations were assessed in plasma in early gestation (around wk 15). Infant TL was assessed in buccal cells at approximately 15 months of age. RESULTS After accounting for the effects of potential confounding maternal and infant variables, there was a significant, independent effect of maternal E3 concentration on infant TL (unstandardized β = 0.297; P = .001; 95% Cl, 0.121-0.473). Specifically, a one-multiple-of-the-median (MoM) increase in maternal E3 concentration during early pregnancy was associated with a 14.42% increase in infant TL. CONCLUSIONS This study supports the concept of developmental plasticity of the telomere biology system and highlights specifically the role of a potentially modifiable intrauterine factor for additional mechanistic and clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Entringer
- Departments of Pediatrics (S.E., C.B., P.D.W.), Obstetrics and Gynecology (P.D.W.), Epidemiology (P.D.W.), and Psychiatry and Human Behavior (P.D.W.), University of California, Irvine; California 92697; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (H.N.S.), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213; Departments of Psychiatry (E.S.E.), and Biochemistry and Biophysics (E.H.B.), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143; and Institute for Medical Psychology (S.E., C.B.), Charité University Medicine, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Gazzaniga FS, Blackburn EH. An antiapoptotic role for telomerase RNA in human immune cells independent of telomere integrity or telomerase enzymatic activity. Blood 2014; 124:3675-84. [PMID: 25320237 PMCID: PMC4263978 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2014-06-582254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex that adds telomeric DNA to the ends of linear chromosomes. It contains two core canonical components: the essential RNA component, hTR, which provides the template for DNA synthesis, and the reverse transcriptase protein component, hTERT. Low telomerase activity in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells has been associated with a variety of diseases. It is unknown, however, whether telomerase, in addition to its long-term requirement for telomere maintenance, is also necessary for short-term immune cell proliferation and survival. We report that overexpression of enzymatically inactive hTR mutants protected against dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in stimulated CD4 T cells. Furthermore, hTR knockdown reproducibly induced apoptosis in the absence of any detectable telomere shortening or DNA damage response. In contrast, hTERT knockdown did not induce apoptosis. Strikingly, overexpression of hTERT protein caused apoptosis that was rescued by overexpression of enzymatically inactive hTR mutants. Hence, we propose that hTR can function as a noncoding RNA that protects from apoptosis independent of its function in telomerase enzymatic activity and long-term telomere maintenance in normal human immune cells. These results imply that genetic or environmental factors that alter hTR levels can directly affect immune cell function to influence health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca S Gazzaniga
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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Chen SH, Epel ES, Mellon SH, Lin J, Reus VI, Rosser R, Kupferman E, Burke H, Mahan L, Blackburn EH, Wolkowitz OM. Adverse childhood experiences and leukocyte telomere maintenance in depressed and healthy adults. J Affect Disord 2014; 169:86-90. [PMID: 25173430 PMCID: PMC4172492 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. Adverse childhood experiences are also associated with shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in adults, suggesting accelerated cell aging. No studies have yet assessed the relationship of ACEs to LTL in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), despite the high incidence of antecedent ACEs in individuals with MDD. Further, no studies in any population have assessed the relationship of ACEs to the activity of telomerase, the major enzyme responsible for maintaining LTL, or the relationship between telomerase and LTL in individuals with ACEs. METHODS Twenty healthy, unmedicated adults with MDD and 20 healthy age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched controls had ACEs assessed and had blood drawn for LTL and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) resting telomerase activity. RESULTS In healthy controls, greater ACE exposure was associated with shorter LTL (p<.05) but was unassociated with telomerase activity. In MDD, however, the opposite pattern was seen: greater ACE exposure was unrelated to LTL but was associated with increased telomerase activity (p<.05) and with a higher telomerase:LTL ratio (p=.022). LIMITATIONS Study limitations include the small sample size, a single timepoint assessment of telomerase activity, and the use of retrospective self-report to assess ACEs. CONCLUSIONS These results replicate prior findings of shortened LTL in healthy adults with histories of multiple ACEs. However, in MDD, this relationship was substantially altered, raising the possibility that activation of telomerase in ACE-exposed individuals with MDD could represent a compensatory response to endangered telomeres.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Synthia H. Mellon
- Dept. of OB-GYN and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Jue Lin
- Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Victor I. Reus
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Rebecca Rosser
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Eve Kupferman
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Heather Burke
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Laura Mahan
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Elizabeth H. Blackburn
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Owen M. Wolkowitz
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
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Roberts JD, Dewland TA, Longoria J, Fitzpatrick AL, Ziv E, Hu D, Lin J, Glidden DV, Psaty BM, Burchard EG, Blackburn EH, Olgin JE, Heckbert SR, Marcus GM. Telomere length and the risk of atrial fibrillation: insights into the role of biological versus chronological aging. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2014; 7:1026-32. [PMID: 25381796 DOI: 10.1161/circep.114.001781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advanced age is the most important risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF); however, the mechanism remains unknown. Telomeres, regions of DNA that shorten with cell division, are considered reliable markers of biological aging. We sought to examine the association between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and incident AF in a large population-based cohort using direct LTL measurements and genetic data. To further explore our findings, we compared atrial cell telomere length and LTL in cardiac surgery patients. METHODS AND RESULTS Mean LTL and the TERT rs2736100 single nucleotide polymorphism were assessed as predictors of incident AF in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). Among the surgical patients, within subject comparison of atrial cell telomere length versus LTL was assessed. Among 1639 CHS participants, we observed no relationship between mean LTL and incident AF before and after adjustment for potential confounders (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval: 0.92-1.29; P=0.299); chronologic age remained strongly associated with AF in the same model. No association was observed between the TERT rs2736100 single nucleotide polymorphism and incident AF (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.95; 95% confidence interval: 0.88-1.04; P=0.265). In 35 cardiac surgery patients (26 with AF), atrial cell telomere length was longer than LTL (1.19 ± 0.20 versus 1.02 ± 0.25 [T/S ratio], P<0.001), a finding that remained consistent within the AF subgroup. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed no evidence of an association between LTL and incident AF and no evidence of relative atrial cell telomere shortening in AF. Chronological aging independent of biological markers of aging is the primary risk factor for AF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Roberts
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Thomas A Dewland
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - James Longoria
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Annette L Fitzpatrick
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Elad Ziv
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Donglei Hu
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Jue Lin
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - David V Glidden
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Bruce M Psaty
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Esteban G Burchard
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Elizabeth H Blackburn
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Jeffrey E Olgin
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Susan R Heckbert
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.)
| | - Gregory M Marcus
- From the Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (J.D.R., T.A.D., J.E.O., G.M.M.), Institute of Human Genetics and Department of Medicine (E.Z., D.H.), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (J.L., E.H.B.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (D.V.G.), Department of Medicine (E.G.B.), and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (E.G.B.), University of California, San Francisco; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sutter Health, Sacramento, CA (J.L.); Department of Epidemiology (A.L.F., S.R.H.) and Cardiovascular Health Research Unit (B.M.P., S.R.H.), University of Washington, Seattle; and Departments of Medicine and Health Services, University of Washington and Group Health Research Institute, Group Health, Seattle (B.M.P., S.R.H.).
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Leung CW, Laraia BA, Needham BL, Rehkopf DH, Adler NE, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Epel ES. Soda and cell aging: associations between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and leukocyte telomere length in healthy adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Am J Public Health 2014; 104:2425-31. [PMID: 25322305 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2014.302151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We tested whether leukocyte telomere length maintenance, which underlies healthy cellular aging, provides a link between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and the risk of cardiometabolic disease. METHODS We examined cross-sectional associations between the consumption of SSBs, diet soda, and fruit juice and telomere length in a nationally representative sample of healthy adults. The study population included 5309 US adults, aged 20 to 65 years, with no history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, from the 1999 to 2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Leukocyte telomere length was assayed from DNA specimens. Diet was assessed using 24-hour dietary recalls. Associations were examined using multivariate linear regression for the outcome of log-transformed telomere length. RESULTS After adjustment for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, sugar-sweetened soda consumption was associated with shorter telomeres (b = -0.010; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.020, -0.001; P = .04). Consumption of 100% fruit juice was marginally associated with longer telomeres (b = 0.016; 95% CI = -0.000, 0.033; P = .05). No significant associations were observed between consumption of diet sodas or noncarbonated SSBs and telomere length. CONCLUSIONS Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas might influence metabolic disease development through accelerated cell aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy W Leung
- Cindy W. Leung is with the Center for Health and Community, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. Barbara A. Laraia is with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. Belinda Needham is with the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. David H. Rehkopf is with the Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Nancy E. Adler and Elissa S. Epel are with the Center for Health and Community and the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. Jue Lin and Elizabeth H. Blackburn are with the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
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Jacobs EG, Epel ES, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Rasgon NL. Relationship between leukocyte telomere length, telomerase activity, and hippocampal volume in early aging. JAMA Neurol 2014; 71:921-3. [PMID: 25023551 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2014.870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily G Jacobs
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
| | | | - Natalie L Rasgon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
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Rehkopf DH, Dow WH, Rosero-Bixby L, Lin J, Epel ES, Blackburn EH. Seasonal variation of peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length in Costa Rica: A population-based observational study. Am J Hum Biol 2014; 26:367-75. [PMID: 24615938 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is increasingly being used as a biomarker of aging, but its natural variation in human populations is not well understood. Several other biomarkers show seasonal variation, as do several determinants of LTL. We examined whether there was monthly variation in LTL in Costa Rica, a country with strong seasonal differences in precipitation and infection. METHODS We examined a longitudinal population-based cohort of 581 Costa Rican adults age 60 and above, from which blood samples were drawn between October 2006 and July 2008. LTL was assayed from these samples using the quantitative PCR method. Multivariate regression models were used to examine correlations between month of blood draw and LTL. RESULTS Telomere length from peripheral blood leukocytes varied by as much as 200 base pairs depending on month of blood draw, and this difference is not likely to be due to random variation. A moderate proportion of this association is statistically accounted for by month and region specific average rainfall. We found shorter telomere length associated with greater rainfall. CONCLUSIONS There are two possible explanations of our findings. First, there could be relatively rapid month-to-month changes in LTL. This conclusion would have implications for understanding the natural population dynamics of telomere length. Second, there could be seasonal differences in constituent cell populations. This conclusion would suggest that future studies of LTL use methods to account for the potential impact of constituent cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Rehkopf
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305
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Ornish D, Lin J, Chan JM, Epel E, Kemp C, Weidner G, Marlin R, Frenda SJ, Magbanua MJM, Daubenmier J, Estay I, Hills NK, Chainani-Wu N, Carroll PR, Blackburn EH. Effect of comprehensive lifestyle changes on telomerase activity and telomere length in men with biopsy-proven low-risk prostate cancer: 5-year follow-up of a descriptive pilot study. Lancet Oncol 2013; 14:1112-1120. [PMID: 24051140 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(13)70366-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Puterman E, Epel ES, Lin J, Blackburn EH, Gross JJ, Whooley MA, Cohen BE. Multisystem resiliency moderates the major depression-telomere length association: findings from the Heart and Soul Study. Brain Behav Immun 2013; 33:65-73. [PMID: 23727245 PMCID: PMC3855878 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2013.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Revised: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with reduced leukocyte telomere length (LTL). It is not known, however, whether psychosocial and behavioral protective factors moderate this association. In the current study, we examine whether multisystem resiliency--defined by healthy emotion regulation, strong social connections, and health behaviors (sleep and exercise)--predicts LTL and mitigates previously demonstrated associations between depression diagnosis and LTL. LTL was measured, using a quantitative PCR assay, in 954 patients with stable cardiovascular disease in the Heart and Soul Study. In a fully adjusted model, high multisystem resiliency predicted longer LTL (b=80.00, SE=27.17, p=.003), whereas each individual factor did not. Multisystem resiliency significantly moderated the MDD-LTL association (p=.02). Specifically, MDD was significantly related to LTL at 1 SD below the mean of multisystem resiliency (b=-142.86, SE=56.46, p=.01), but not at 1 SD above the mean (b=49.07, SE=74.51, p=.51). This study suggests that MDD associations with biological outcomes should be examined within a psychosocial-behavioral context, because this context shapes the nature of the direct relationship. Further research should explore the cognitive, neural, and other physiological pathways through which multisystem resiliency may confer biological benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Puterman
- University of California San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 465, San Francisco, CA 94143-0848, United States.
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Rehkopf DH, Dow WH, Rosero-Bixby L, Lin J, Epel ES, Blackburn EH. Longer leukocyte telomere length in Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula: a population-based study. Exp Gerontol 2013; 48:1266-73. [PMID: 23988653 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2013.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Revised: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Studies in humans suggest that leukocyte telomere length may act as a marker of biological aging. We investigated whether individuals in the Nicoya region of Costa Rica, known for exceptional longevity, had longer telomere length than those in other parts of the country. After controlling for age, age squared, rurality, rainy season and gender, the mean leukocyte telomere length in Nicoya was substantially longer (81 base pairs, p<0.05) than in other areas of Costa Rica, providing evidence of a biological pathway to which this notable longevity may be related. This relationship remains unchanged (79 base pairs, p<0.05) after statistically controlling for nineteen potential biological, dietary and social and demographic mediators. Thus the difference in the mean leukocyte telomere length that characterizes this unique region does not appear to be explainable by traditional behavioral and biological risk factors. More detailed examination of mean leukocyte telomere length by age shows that the regional telomere length difference declines at older ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Rehkopf
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
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Listerman I, Sun J, Gazzaniga FS, Lukas JL, Blackburn EH. The major reverse transcriptase-incompetent splice variant of the human telomerase protein inhibits telomerase activity but protects from apoptosis. Cancer Res 2013; 73:2817-28. [PMID: 23610451 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-12-3082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT; the catalytic protein subunit of telomerase) is subjected to numerous alternative splicing events, but the regulation and function of these splice variants is obscure. Full-length hTERT includes conserved domains that encode reverse transcriptase activity, RNA binding, and other functions. The major splice variant termed α+β- or β-deletion is highly expressed in stem and cancer cells, where it codes for a truncated protein lacking most of the reverse transcriptase domain but retaining the known RNA-binding motifs. In a breast cancer cell panel, we found that β-deletion was the hTERT transcript that was most highly expressed. Splicing of this transcript was controlled by the splice regulators SRSF11, HNRNPH2, and HNRNPL, and the β-deletion transcript variant was associated with polyribosomes in cells. When ectopically overexpressed, β-deletion protein competed for binding to telomerase RNA (hTR/TERC), thereby inhibiting endogenous telomerase activity. Overexpressed β-deletion protein localized to the nucleus and mitochondria and protected breast cancer cells from cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Our results reveal that a major hTERT splice variant can confer a growth advantage to cancer cells independent of telomere maintenance, suggesting that hTERT makes multiple contributions to cancer pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imke Listerman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Dowd JB, Bosch JA, Steptoe A, Blackburn EH, Lin J, Rees-Clayton E, Aiello AE. Cytomegalovirus is associated with reduced telomerase activity in the Whitehall II cohort. Exp Gerontol 2013; 48:385-90. [PMID: 23403382 PMCID: PMC3626117 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2013.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Revised: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Telomere length and telomerase activity have received increased attention as markers of cellular aging, but the determinants of inter-individual variation in these markers are incompletely understood. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may be particularly important for telomere and telomerase dynamics due to its dramatic impact on peripheral blood lymphocyte composition, i.e., increasing the number and proportions of highly differentiated T cells that are characterized by shorter telomere length (TL) and lowered telomerase activity (TA). However, the possible relationship between CMV infection and leukocyte TL and TA has not been well-examined in vivo. This study examined the associations of CMV seropositivity and CMV IgG antibodies with leukocyte (TL) and (TA) in a sample of 434 healthy individuals (ages 53-76) from the Whitehall II cohort. Positive CMV serostatus was significantly associated with lower TA among women, and higher CMV IgG antibody levels were associated with lower TA in the overall sample. However, neither CMV seropositivity nor CMV IgG antibody levels (reflecting subclinical reactivation) among the seropositive were significantly associated with TL. These associations were robust to adjustment for age, employment grade, BMI, and smoking status. The results demonstrate that CMV seropositivity and subclinical reactivation predict lower TA. Future longitudinal studies should test whether the association of CMV with lower TA contributes to accelerated telomere shortening over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer B Dowd
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Hunter College, CUNY School of Public Health, 2180 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10035, USA.
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Abstract
Fluorescent nuclear actin reporters are used to determine the distribution of nuclear actin in live somatic cells and evaluate its potential functions. They reveal distinct monomeric and filamentous actin populations in nuclei of live somatic cells and implicate nuclear actin in mRNA processing and organization of the nucleoplasm. In addition to its long-studied presence in the cytoplasm, actin is also found in the nuclei of eukaryotic cells. The function and form (monomer, filament, or noncanonical oligomer) of nuclear actin are hotly debated, and its localization and dynamics are largely unknown. To determine the distribution of nuclear actin in live somatic cells and evaluate its potential functions, we constructed and validated fluorescent nuclear actin probes. Monomeric actin probes concentrate in nuclear speckles, suggesting an interaction of monomers with RNA-processing factors. Filamentous actin probes recognize discrete structures with submicron lengths that are excluded from chromatin-rich regions. In time-lapse movies, these actin filament structures exhibit one of two types of mobility: 1) diffusive, with an average diffusion coefficient of 0.06–0.08 μm2/s, or (2) subdiffusive, with a mobility coefficient of 0.015 μm2/s. Individual filament trajectories exhibit features of particles moving within a viscoelastic mesh. The small size of nuclear actin filaments is inconsistent with a role in micron-scale intranuclear transport, and their localization suggests that they do not participate directly in chromatin-based processes. Our results instead suggest that actin filaments form part of a large, viscoelastic structure in the nucleoplasm and may act as scaffolds that help organize nuclear contents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany J Belin
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Jacobs EG, Kroenke C, Lin J, Epel ES, Kenna HA, Blackburn EH, Rasgon NL. Accelerated cell aging in female APOE-ε4 carriers: implications for hormone therapy use. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54713. [PMID: 23418430 PMCID: PMC3572118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Apolipoprotein-ε4 (APOE-ε4) is a major genetic risk factor for cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and early mortality. An accelerated rate of biological aging could contribute to this increased risk. Here, we determined whether APOE-ε4 status impacts leukocyte telomere length (TL) and the rate of cellular senescence in healthy mid-life women and, further, whether hormone replacement therapy (HT) modifies this association. Post-menopausal women (N = 63, Mean age = 57.7), all HT users for at least one year, were enrolled in a randomized longitudinal study. Half of the participants (N = 32) remained on their HT regimen and half (N = 31) went off HT for approximately two years (Mean = 1.93 years). Participants included 24 APOE-ε4 carriers and 39 non-carrier controls. Leukocyte TL was measured at baseline and the end of year 2 using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the odds of an APOE-ε4 carrier exhibiting telomere shortening (versus maintenance/growth) over the 2-year study were more than 6 (OR = 6.26, 95% CI = 1.02, 38.49) times higher than a non-carrier, adjusting for established risk factors and potential confounds. Despite the high-functioning, healthy mid-life status of study participants, APOE-ε4 carriers had marked telomere attrition during the 2-year study window, the equivalent of approximately one decade of additional aging compared to non-carriers. Further analyses revealed a modulatory effect of hormone therapy on the association between APOE status and telomere attrition. APOE-ε4 carriers who went off their HT regimen exhibited TL shortening, as predicted for the at-risk population. APOE-ε4 carriers who remained on HT, however, did not exhibit comparable signs of cell aging. The opposite pattern was found in non-carriers. The results suggest that hormone use might buffer against accelerated cell aging in mid-life women at risk for dementia. Importantly, for non-carrier women there was no evidence that HT conferred protective effects on telomere dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily G. Jacobs
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars Program, Center for Health and Community, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (EGJ); (NLR)
| | - Candyce Kroenke
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Heather A. Kenna
- Stanford Center for Neuroscience in Women's Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth H. Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Natalie L. Rasgon
- Stanford Center for Neuroscience in Women's Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (EGJ); (NLR)
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Entringer S, Epel ES, Lin J, Buss C, Shahbaba B, Blackburn EH, Simhan HN, Wadhwa PD. Maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy is associated with newborn leukocyte telomere length. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2013. [PMID: 23200710 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2012.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In adults, one of the major determinants of leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a predictor of age-related diseases and mortality, is cumulative psychosocial stress exposure. More recently we reported that exposure to maternal psychosocial stress during intrauterine life is associated with LTL in young adulthood. The objective of the present study was to determine how early in life this effect of stress on LTL is apparent by quantifying the association of maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy with newborn telomere length. STUDY DESIGN In a prospective study of N = 27 mother-newborn dyads maternal pregnancy-specific stress was assessed in early gestation and cord blood peripheral blood mononuclear cells were subsequently collected and analyzed for LTL measurement. RESULTS After accounting for the effects of potential determinants of newborn LTL (gestational age at birth, weight, sex, and exposure to antepartum obstetric complications), there was a significant, independent, linear effect of pregnancy-specific stress on newborn LTL that accounted for 25% of the variance in adjusted LTL (β = -0.099; P = .04). CONCLUSION Our finding provides the first preliminary evidence in human beings that maternal psychological stress during pregnancy may exert a "programming" effect on the developing telomere biology system that is already apparent at birth, as reflected by the setting of newborn LTL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth H Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
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Abstract
The enzyme telomerase lengthens telomeres-protective structures containing repetitive DNA sequences at chromosome ends. Telomere shortening is associated with diseases of ageing in mammals. Chronic stress has been related to shorter immune-cell telomeres, but telomerase activity under stress may be low, permitting telomere loss, or high, partially attenuating it. We developed an experimental model to examine the impacts of extended unpredictable stress on telomerase activity in male rats. Telomerase activity was 54 per cent higher in stressed rats than in controls, and associated with stress-related physiological and behavioural outcomes. This significant increase suggests a potential mechanism for resilience to stress-related replicative senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annaliese K Beery
- Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholar at University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 04143, USA.
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Abstract
There has been mounting evidence of a causal role for telomere dysfunction in a number of degenerative disorders. Their manifestations encompass common disease states such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and bone marrow failure. Although these disorders seem to be clinically diverse, collectively they comprise a single syndrome spectrum defined by the short telomere defect. Here we review the manifestations and unique genetics of telomere syndromes. We also discuss their underlying molecular mechanisms and significance for understanding common age-related disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Armanios
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
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Abstract
There has been mounting evidence of a causal role for telomere dysfunction in a number of degenerative disorders. Their manifestations encompass common disease states such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and bone marrow failure. Although these disorders seem to be clinically diverse, collectively they comprise a single syndrome spectrum defined by the short telomere defect. Here we review the manifestations and unique genetics of telomere syndromes. We also discuss their underlying molecular mechanisms and significance for understanding common age-related disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Armanios
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
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Needham BL, Fernandez JR, Lin J, Epel ES, Blackburn EH. Socioeconomic status and cell aging in children. Soc Sci Med 2012; 74:1948-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2011] [Revised: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 02/22/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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O’Donovan A, Tomiyama AJ, Lin J, Puterman E, Adler NE, Kemeny M, Wolkowitz OM, Blackburn EH, Epel ES. Stress appraisals and cellular aging: a key role for anticipatory threat in the relationship between psychological stress and telomere length. Brain Behav Immun 2012; 26:573-9. [PMID: 22293459 PMCID: PMC3322317 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2012.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2011] [Revised: 01/07/2012] [Accepted: 01/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic psychological stress is a risk factor for multiple diseases of aging. Accelerated cellular aging as indexed by short telomere length has emerged as a potential common biological mechanism linking various forms of psychological stress and diseases of aging. Stress appraisals determine the degree and type of biological stress responses and altered stress appraisals may be a common psychological mechanism linking psychological stress and diseases of aging. However, no previous studies have examined the relationship between stress appraisals and telomere length. We exposed chronically stressed female caregivers and non-caregiving controls (N=50; M age=62.14±6.10) to a standardized acute laboratory stressor and measured their anticipatory and retrospective threat and challenge appraisals of the stressor. We hypothesized that threat and challenge appraisals would be associated with shorter and longer telomere length respectively, and that chronic caregiving stress would influence telomere length through altered stress appraisals. Higher anticipatory threat appraisals were associated with shorter age-adjusted telomere length (β=-.32, p=.03), but challenge appraisals and retrospective threat appraisals showed no independent association with telomere length. Caregivers reported significantly higher anticipatory (β=-.36, p=.006) and retrospective (β=-.29, p=.03) threat appraisals than controls, but similar challenge appraisals. Although there was no significant main effect of caregiver status on telomere length, caregiving had a significant indirect effect on telomere length through anticipatory threat appraisals. Exaggerated anticipatory threat appraisals may be a common and modifiable psychological mechanism of psychological stress effects on cellular aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife O’Donovan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Eli Puterman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Nancy E. Adler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Margaret Kemeny
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Owen M. Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Elizabeth H. Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
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Wolkowitz OM, Mellon SH, Epel ES, Lin J, Reus VI, Rosser R, Burke H, Compagnone M, Nelson JC, Dhabhar FS, Blackburn EH. Resting leukocyte telomerase activity is elevated in major depression and predicts treatment response. Mol Psychiatry 2012; 17:164-72. [PMID: 21242992 PMCID: PMC3130817 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2010.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes that cap linear DNA strands, protecting DNA from damage. When telomeres critically shorten, cells become susceptible to senescence and apoptosis. Telomerase, a cellular ribonucleoprotein enzyme, rebuilds the length of telomeres and promotes cellular viability. Leukocyte telomeres are reportedly shortened in major depression, but telomerase activity in depression has not been previously reported. Further, there are no published reports of the effects of antidepressants on telomerase activity or on the relationship between telomerase activity and antidepressant response. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) telomerase activity was assessed in 20 medication-free depressed individuals and 18 controls. In total, 16 of the depressed individuals were then treated with sertraline in an open-label manner for 8 weeks, and PBMC telomerase activity was reassessed in 15 of these individuals after treatment. Pre- and post-treatment symptom severity was rated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. All analyses were corrected for age and sex. Pre-treatment telomerase activity was significantly elevated in the depressed individuals compared with the controls (P=0.007) and was directly correlated with depression ratings (P<0.05) across all subjects. In the depressed group, individuals with relatively lower pre-treatment telomerase activity and with relatively greater increase in telomerase activity during treatment, showed superior antidepressant responses (P<0.05 and P<0.005, respectively). This is the first report characterizing telomerase activity in depressed individuals. PBMC telomerase activity might reflect a novel aspect of depressive pathophysiology and might represent a novel biomarker of antidepressant responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- OM Wolkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - SH Mellon
- Department of OB-GYN and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - ES Epel
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Psychology Program, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - VI Reus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - R Rosser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - H Burke
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Psychology Program, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - M Compagnone
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - JC Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - FS Dhabhar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - EH Blackburn
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
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