Epigenome-wide association study of leukocyte telomere length
08-25-2019In this study, the research team conducted a large-scale epigenome-wide association study of LTL using seven large cohorts the Framingham Heart Study, the Jackson Heart Study, the Womens Health Initiative, the Bogalusa Heart Study, the Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 and 1936, and the Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins.
Dr. Steve Horvath from the Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA as well as the Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, at the University of California Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA said, "Telomeres are the (TTAGGG)n repeats located at the ends of each chromosome."
Telomere length is reported to be shorter in leukocytes of men than women, but this sex difference may depend on the measurement method.
Further, leukocyte TL is significantly but weakly associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and exhibits a complex U-shaped association with certain cancers: longer telomeres are associated with an increased risk of certain kinds of cancer.
High heritability estimates for LTL have been reported irrespective of the methods used for measuring LTL; reported heritability estimates are between 36% and 82% based on Southern blot, and between 51% and 76% based on qPCR.
Genome-wide association studies conducted in large observational cohorts have identified 11 loci associated with LTL.
Previous studies have explored the association between DNAm and LTL, but these studies were somewhat limited due to moderate sample sizes or the focus on specific regions in the genome.
The Horvath research team concluded, "We identified over 800 genome-wide significant Cp G sites that are located in or near genes with links to circadian rhythm, blood coagulation and wound healing. These findings link two hallmarks of aging: epigenetic changes and telomere biology."
Full Text - https://www.aging-us.com/article/102230/text
Related paper - https://www.aging-us.com/article/102173/text
Correspondence to: Steve Horvath; email: shorvath@mednet.ucla.edu
Keywords: DNA methylation, leukocyte telomere length, multi-ancestry
Roundtable discussion - https://soundcloud.com/aging-us/roundtable-discussion-dr-steve-horvath
About Aging-US:
Aging publishes research papers in all fields of aging research including but not limited, aging from yeast to mammals, cellular senescence, age-related diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s diseases and their prevention and treatment, anti-aging strategies and drug development and especially the role of signal transduction pathways such as mTOR in aging and potential approaches to modulate these signaling pathways to extend lifespan. The journal aims to promote treatment of age-related diseases by slowing down aging, validation of anti-aging drugs by treating age-related diseases, prevention of cancer by inhibiting aging. Cancer and COVID-19 are age-related diseases.
Aging is indexed by PubMed/Medline (abbreviated as “Aging (Albany NY)”), PubMed Central, Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded (abbreviated as “Aging‐US” and listed in the Cell Biology and Geriatrics & Gerontology categories), Scopus (abbreviated as “Aging” and listed in the Cell Biology and Aging categories), Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, EMBASE, META (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) (2018-2022), and Dimensions (Digital Science).
Please visit our website at www.Aging-US.com and connect with us:
- X
- YouTube
- Spotify, Apple, SoundCloud, and available wherever you listen to podcasts
For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com.