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Lieber SB, Lipschultz RA, Syed S, Rajan M, Venkatraman S, Lin M, Reid MC, Lue NF, Mandl LA. Association of phenotypic frailty and hand grip strength with telomere length in SLE. Lupus Sci Med 2024; 11:e001008. [PMID: 38519061 PMCID: PMC10961526 DOI: 10.1136/lupus-2023-001008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Frailty and objective hand grip strength (one of the components of the frailty phenotype) are both risk factors for worse health outcomes in SLE. Whether telomere length, an established cellular senescence marker, is a biologic correlate of the frailty phenotype and hand grip strength in patients with SLE is not clear. First, we aimed to evaluate differences in telomere length between frail and non-frail women with SLE and then assessed whether frailty or hand grip strength is differentially associated with telomere length after adjusting for relevant confounders. METHODS Women ≥18 years of age with validated SLE enrolled at a single medical centre. Fried frailty status (which includes hand grip strength), clinical characteristics and telomere length were assessed cross-sectionally. Differences between frail and non-frail participants were evaluated using Fisher's exact or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. The associations between frailty and hand grip strength and telomere length were determined using linear regression. RESULTS Of the 150 enrolled participants, 131 had sufficient data for determination of frailty classification; 26% were frail with a median age of 45 years. There was a non-significant trend towards shorter telomere length in frail versus non-frail participants (p=0.07). Hand grip strength was significantly associated with telomere length (beta coefficient 0.02, 95% CI 0.004, 0.04), including after adjustment for age, SLE disease activity and organ damage, and comorbidity (beta coefficient 0.02, 95% CI 0.002, 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Decreased hand grip strength, but not frailty, was independently associated with shortened telomere length in a cohort of non-elderly women with SLE. Frailty in this middle-aged cohort may be multifactorial rather than strictly a manifestation of accelerated ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Lieber
- Division of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York city, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
| | - Robyn A Lipschultz
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
| | - Shahrez Syed
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology and Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Mangala Rajan
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
| | - Sara Venkatraman
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Myriam Lin
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - M Carrington Reid
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
- Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
| | - Neal F Lue
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
| | - Lisa A Mandl
- Division of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York city, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York city, New York, USA
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2
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Zhang Y, Zhu Y, Ye M, Mao Y, Zhan Y. Telomere length and its association with systemic lupus erythematosus in an Asian population: A Mendelian randomization study. Lupus 2023; 32:1222-1226. [PMID: 37596879 DOI: 10.1177/09612033231195953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate whether shorter telomere length is a causal risk factor for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the Asian population. METHODS We applied the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to the pooled statistics from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 6,707 SLE cases and 16,047 controls. We selected nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with genome-wide significance as instrumental variables for telomere length. The main analysis was carried out by the random-effects inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. Horizontal pleiotropy was evaluated by the intercept of MR-Egger regression. RESULTS A potentially causal relationship between longer genetically predicted telomere length and increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (OR = 1.72, 95%CI: 1.21, 2.46, p = 0.01) was observed. The MR-Egger regression demonstrated an intercept proximal to zero (intercept = 0.017, p = 0.69), which does not provide evidence of the presence of horizontal pleiotropy. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provided evidence supporting a potential causal relationship between longer telomere length and increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasi Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanan Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meijie Ye
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yong Mao
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yiqiang Zhan
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
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3
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Awuah WA, Huang H, Kalmanovich J, Mehta A, Mikhailova T, Ng JC, Abdul-Rahman T, Adebusoye FT, Tan JK, Kamanousa K, Ferreira T, Roy S, Kundu M, Yarlagadda R, Mukerjee N, Alexiou A, Papadakis M. Circadian rhythm in systemic autoimmune conditions: Potential of chrono-immunology in clinical practice: A narrative review. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e34614. [PMID: 37565922 PMCID: PMC10419593 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000034614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The circadian rhythm (CR) is a fundamental biological process regulated by the Earth's rotation and solar cycles. It plays a critical role in various bodily functions, and its dysregulation can have systemic effects. These effects impact metabolism, redox homeostasis, cell cycle regulation, gut microbiota, cognition, and immune response. Immune mediators, cycle proteins, and hormones exhibit circadian oscillations, supporting optimal immune function and defence against pathogens. Sleep deprivation and disruptions challenge the regulatory mechanisms, making immune responses vulnerable. Altered CR pathways have been implicated in diseases such as diabetes, neurological conditions, and systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs). SADs involve abnormal immune responses to self-antigens, with genetic and environmental factors disrupting self-tolerance and contributing to conditions like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Inflammatory Myositis. Dysregulated CR may lead to increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, contributing to the systemic responses observed in SADs. Sleep disturbances significantly impact the quality of life of patients with SADs; however, they are often overlooked. The relationship between sleep and autoimmune conditions, whether causal or consequential to CR dysregulation, remains unclear. Chrono-immunology investigates the role of CR in immunity, offering potential for targeted therapies in autoimmune conditions. This paper provides an overview of the connections between sleep and autoimmune conditions, highlighting the importance of recognizing sleep disturbances in SADs and the need for further research into the complex relationship between the CR and autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Helen Huang
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Aashna Mehta
- University of Debrecen-Faculty of Medicine, Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Jyi Cheng Ng
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | | | | | | | | | - Tomas Ferreira
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sakshi Roy
- School of Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Mrinmoy Kundu
- Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, India
| | | | - Nobendu Mukerjee
- Department of Microbiology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, India
- Department of Health Sciences, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, NSW
| | - Athanasios Alexiou
- Department of Science and Engineering, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, NSW
| | - Marios Papadakis
- Department of Surgery II, University Hospital Witten-Herdecke, Heusnerstrasse 40, University of Witten-Herdecke, Wuppertal, Germany
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4
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Smith AR, Hinojosa Briseño A, Picard M, Cardenas A. The prenatal environment and its influence on maternal and child mitochondrial DNA copy number and methylation: A review of the literature. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 227:115798. [PMID: 37001851 PMCID: PMC10164709 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is sensitive to environmental stressors and associated with human health. We reviewed epidemiological literature examining associations between prenatal environmental, dietary, and social exposures and alterations in maternal/child mtDNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and mtDNA methylation. Evidence exists that prenatal maternal exposures are associated with alterations in mtDNAcn for air pollution, chemicals (e.g. metals), cigarette smoke, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and treatment. Evidence for their associations with mtDNA methylation was limited. Given its potential implications as a disease pathway biomarker, studies with sufficient biological specificity should examine the long-term implications of prenatal and early-life mtDNA alterations in response to prenatal exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R Smith
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alejandra Hinojosa Briseño
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | - Martin Picard
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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5
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Goldschen L, Ellrodt J, Amonoo HL, Feldman CH, Case SM, Koenen KC, Kubzansky LD, Costenbader KH. The link between post-traumatic stress disorder and systemic lupus erythematosus. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 108:292-301. [PMID: 36535611 PMCID: PMC10018810 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous, multisystem autoimmune disorder characterized by unpredictable disease flares. Although the pathogenesis of SLE is complex, an epidemiologic link between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the development of SLE has been identified, suggesting that stress-related disorders alter the susceptibility to SLE. Despite the strong epidemiologic evidence connecting PTSD and SLE, gaps remain in our understanding of how the two may be connected. Perturbations in the autonomic nervous system, neuroendocrine system, and at the genomic level may cause and sustain immune dysregulation that could lower the threshold for the development and propagation of SLE. We first describe shared risk factors for SLE and PTSD. We then describe potential biological pathways which may facilitate excessive inflammation in the context of PTSD. Among those genetically predisposed to SLE, systemic inflammation that accompanies chronic stress may fan the flames of smoldering SLE by priming immune pathways. Further studies on the connection between trauma and inflammation will provide important data on pathogenesis, risk factors, and novel treatments for SLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Goldschen
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Jack Ellrodt
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hermioni L Amonoo
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, MA 02115, USA; Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Candace H Feldman
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Siobhan M Case
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Karestan C Koenen
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Laura D Kubzansky
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Karen H Costenbader
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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6
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Alsaleh G, Richter FC, Simon AK. Age-related mechanisms in the context of rheumatic disease. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2022; 18:694-710. [PMID: 36329172 DOI: 10.1038/s41584-022-00863-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ageing is characterized by a progressive loss of cellular function that leads to a decline in tissue homeostasis, increased vulnerability and adverse health outcomes. Important advances in ageing research have now identified a set of nine candidate hallmarks that are generally considered to contribute to the ageing process and that together determine the ageing phenotype, which is the clinical manifestation of age-related dysfunction in chronic diseases. Although most rheumatic diseases are not yet considered to be age related, available evidence increasingly emphasizes the prevalence of ageing hallmarks in these chronic diseases. On the basis of the current evidence relating to the molecular and cellular ageing pathways involved in rheumatic diseases, we propose that these diseases share a number of features that are observed in ageing, and that they can therefore be considered to be diseases of premature or accelerated ageing. Although more data are needed to clarify whether accelerated ageing drives the development of rheumatic diseases or whether it results from the chronic inflammatory environment, central components of age-related pathways are currently being targeted in clinical trials and may provide a new avenue of therapeutic intervention for patients with rheumatic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghada Alsaleh
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Botnar Research Centre, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Felix C Richter
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anna K Simon
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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7
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Nguyen LNT, Nguyen LN, Zhao J, Schank M, Dang X, Cao D, Khanal S, Wu XY, Zhang Y, Zhang J, Ning S, Wang L, El Gazzar M, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ. TRF2 inhibition rather than telomerase disruption drives CD4T cell dysfunction during chronic viral infection. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:275609. [PMID: 35660868 PMCID: PMC9377711 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the role of telomerase and telomere repeat-binding factor 2 (TRF2 or TERF2) in T-cell dysfunction in chronic viral infection. We found that the expression and activity of telomerase in CD4+ T (CD4T) cells from patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections or people living with HIV (PLWH) were intact, but TRF2 expression was significantly inhibited at the post-transcriptional level, suggesting that TRF2 inhibition is responsible for the CD4T cell dysfunction observed during chronic viral infection. Silencing TRF2 expression in CD4T cells derived from healthy subjects induced telomeric DNA damage and CD4T cell dysfunction without affecting telomerase activity or translocation - similar to what we observed in CD4T cells from HCV patients and PLWH. These findings indicate that premature T-cell aging and dysfunction during chronic HCV or HIV infection are primarily caused by chronic immune stimulation and T-cell overactivation and/or proliferation that induce telomeric DNA damage due to TRF2 inhibition, rather than telomerase disruption. This study suggests that restoring TRF2 presents a novel approach to prevent telomeric DNA damage and premature T-cell aging, thus rejuvenating T-cell functions during chronic viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lam Ngoc Thao Nguyen
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Lam Nhat Nguyen
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Juan Zhao
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Madison Schank
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Xindi Dang
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Dechao Cao
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Sushant Khanal
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Xiao Y Wu
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Jinyu Zhang
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Shunbin Ning
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Ling Wang
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Mohamed El Gazzar
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Jonathan P Moorman
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Hepatitis (HCV/HBV/HIV) Program, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Johnson City, TN 37684, USA
| | - Zhi Q Yao
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.,Hepatitis (HCV/HBV/HIV) Program, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Johnson City, TN 37684, USA
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8
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Bridges J, Chung KW, Martz CD, Smitherman EA, Drenkard C, Wu C, Lin J, Lim SS, Chae DH. Leukocyte Telomere Length and Childhood Onset of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus Study. ACR Open Rheumatol 2022; 4:426-431. [PMID: 35178897 PMCID: PMC9096517 DOI: 10.1002/acr2.11411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The study objective was to compare leukocyte telomere length (LTL) among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosed in childhood versus adulthood. Methods Data are from the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) study. Multivariable linear regression analyses that examined childhood diagnosis of SLE (diagnosed before 18 years of age), age, and their interaction in relationship to LTL were conducted, adjusting for a range of demographic, socioeconomic, and health‐related covariates. Results The total analytic sample size was 415. Forty participants (9.6%) were diagnosed in childhood. There was no main effect of childhood diagnosis on LTL (b = 0.007; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.089 to 0.103). However, the interaction between age and childhood diagnosis was significant (b = −0.008; 95% CI: −0.016 to −0.001), indicating a steeper inverse association between age and LTL among those diagnosed in childhood compared with those diagnosed in adulthood. This interaction remained statistically significant (P = 0.024) after controlling for disease duration measured dichotomously (less than 10 years vs. 10 years or more); it was marginally significant (P = 0.083) when controlling for disease duration measured continuously. Conclusion This cross‐sectional analysis suggests that Black women with childhood‐onset SLE may undergo accelerated LTL shortening compared with their adult‐onset counterparts. This relationship persisted even after controlling for differences in SLE damage and disease duration. These findings inform research on immunosenescence mechanisms of SLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Bridges
- Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.,Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - Kara W Chung
- Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA
| | - Connor D Martz
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Auburn University, Auburn, USA
| | - Emily A Smitherman
- Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | | | - Calvin Wu
- School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - S Sam Lim
- Division of Rheumatology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - David H Chae
- Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA
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9
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Teixeira MZ. Telomere and Telomerase: Biological Markers of Organic Vital Force State and Homeopathic Treatment Effectiveness. HOMEOPATHY 2021; 110:283-291. [PMID: 34000743 PMCID: PMC8575553 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1726008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Philosophical-scientific correlations described in previous studies suggest that the genome can be the biological representation of the vital force, whilst the disease-promoting epigenetic alterations would be the biological representation of the chronic miasmas. In this study, we expand the functional correlation between vital force and chromosomes, describing the mechanism of action of the telomere-telomerase complex in the context of physiological balance. AIMS The aim of the work is to study the role of the telomere-telomerase complex in cell vitality, biological aging, and the health-disease process, with the goal of proposing the use of telomere length as a biomarker of the vital force state and the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment. RESULTS Similar to the vital force, telomere length and telomerase enzyme activity play an important role in maintaining cellular vitality, biological longevity, and physiological homeostasis. Telomere shortening functions as a biomarker of vital imbalance and is associated with numerous diseases and health disorders. On the other hand, health-promotion practices neutralize the pathological shortening of the telomeres, acting therapeutically in diseases or age-dependent health disorders. CONCLUSIONS As a hypothetical biomarker of the vital force state, an intra-individual analysis of the mean leukocyte telomere length before, during, and after homeopathic treatment can be used as a biomarker of therapeutic effectiveness.
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10
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Smith AR, Lin PID, Rifas-Shiman SL, Rahman ML, Gold DR, Baccarelli AA, Claus Henn B, Amarasiriwardena C, Wright RO, Coull B, Hivert MF, Oken E, Cardenas A. Prospective Associations of Early Pregnancy Metal Mixtures with Mitochondria DNA Copy Number and Telomere Length in Maternal and Cord Blood. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:117007. [PMID: 34797165 PMCID: PMC8604047 DOI: 10.1289/ehp9294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metal exposure during pregnancy influences maternal and child health. Oxidative stress and inflammation may mediate adverse effects of heavy metals, whereas essential metals may act as antioxidants. Mitochondrial DNA is a prime target for metal-induced oxidative damage. Telomere dysfunction is attributed to imbalances between reactive oxidant species and antioxidants. OBJECTIVES We evaluated individual and joint associations of prenatal metals with mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and telomere length (TL) in maternal and cord blood as biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. METHODS We measured six nonessential metals (arsenic, barium, cadmium, cesium, lead, mercury) and four essential metals (magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc) in first-trimester maternal red blood cells in Project Viva, a U.S. prebirth cohort. We measured relative mtDNAcn (n=898) and TL (n=893) in second-trimester maternal blood and mtDNAcn (n=419) and TL (n=408) in cord blood. We used multivariable linear regression and quantile g-computation to estimate associations between prenatal metals and the biomarkers. We used generalized additive models and Bayesian kernel machine regression to examine nonlinearity and interactions. RESULTS A 2-fold increase in maternal magnesium was associated with lower maternal [β=-0.07, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.10, -0.01] and cord blood (β=-0.08, 95% CI: -0.20, -0.01) mtDNAcn. Lead was associated with higher maternal mtDNAcn (β=0.04, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.06). Selenium was associated with longer cord blood TL (β=0.30, 95% CI: 0.01 0.50). An association was observed between the nonessential metal mixture and higher maternal mtDNAcn (β=0.04, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.07). There was a nonlinear relationship between cord blood mtDNAcn and magnesium; maternal mtDNAcn and barium, lead, and mercury; and maternal TL and barium. DISCUSSION Maternal exposure to metals such as lead, magnesium, and selenium was associated with mtDNAcn and TL in maternal second trimester and cord blood. Future work will evaluate whether these biomarkers are associated with child health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9294.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R. Smith
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Pi-I D. Lin
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mohammad L. Rahman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Diane R. Gold
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrea A. Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Birgit Claus Henn
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chitra Amarasiriwardena
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Robert O. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Brent Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marie-France Hivert
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Diabetes Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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11
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Teixeira MZ. Telomere length: biological marker of cellular vitality, aging, and health-disease process. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992) 2021; 67:173-177. [PMID: 34406239 DOI: 10.1590/1806-9282.67.02.20200655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The aging process occurs due to the decline of vital physiological functions and adaptability of the body, being influenced by genetics and lifestyle. With advances in genetics, biological aging can be calculated by telomere length. Telomeres are regions at the ends of chromosomes that play a role in the maintenance and integrity of DNA. With biological aging, telomere shortening occurs, causing cellular senescence. Several studies show that shorter telomeres are associated with acute and chronic diseases, stress, addictions, and intoxications. Even in the current COVID-19 pandemic, telomere shortening is proposed as a marker of severity in individuals infected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). On the other hand, healthy lifestyle habits increase telomere length and balance of various cellular functions, preventing diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Zulian Teixeira
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina - Universidade de São Paulo (SP), Brazil
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12
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Association of the PINX1 Variant rs6984094, Which Lengthens Telomeres, with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Susceptibility in Chinese Populations. J Immunol Res 2021; 2021:7079359. [PMID: 34337078 PMCID: PMC8294968 DOI: 10.1155/2021/7079359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) of Asian ancestry reported that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) was associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). TERT has a critical role in maintaining the chromosomal stability and the length of telomere. Given that only a small portion of the genetic heritability of SLE has been explained so far, we aimed to identify novel loci in telomere-related genes responsible for SLE susceptibility in Chinese populations. We performed a comprehensive genetic association analysis of SLE with telomere-related genes. To identify functional significance, we analyzed the publicly available HaploReg v4.1 and RegulomeDB databases. Differential gene expression analysis was also performed using ArrayExpress. A novel signal of PINX1 rs6984094 was identified (P discovery = 4.13 × 10-2, OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.35-0.98) and successfully replicated (P replication = 5.73 × 10-3, OR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.26-0.81). Multiple layers of functional analysis suggested that the PINX1 rs6984094 risk T allele exhibited increased nuclear protein binding. We also observed an increased expression of PINX1 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SLE patients compared with healthy controls. Overall, we observed a novel genetic association between PINX1 (encodes the PinX1 protein, an inhibitory telomerase enzyme that lengthens telomeres) and SLE susceptibility in Chinese populations.
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13
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Meier HCS, Parks CG, Liu HB, Sandler DP, Simonsick EM, Deane K, Weng NP. Cellular aging over 13 years associated with incident antinuclear antibody positivity in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. J Autoimmun 2019; 105:102295. [PMID: 31303354 PMCID: PMC6878149 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Age-associated increases in antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in the general population are commonly noted but the mechanisms underlying this observation are unclear. This study aims to evaluate whether shorter peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) telomere length, a marker of more advanced biological age, is associated with ANA positivity prevalence and incidence in middle and older aged autoimmune disease-free individuals from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). Telomere length was measured by Southern Blot and categorized into tertiles. ANA was measured in a 1:80 and a 1:160 dilution of sera by immunofluorescence using HEp-2 cells (seropositive = 3 or 4). Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of ANA positivity comparing the shorter tertiles of telomere length to the longest tertile for two cross-sectional points in time and then longitudinally to assess the association between shorter telomere length and incident ANA positivity. Cross-sectional analyses were adjusted for sex, race and BMI (N = 368 baseline, N = 370 follow-up) and longitudinal analyses were adjusted for sex, race, BMI and time between baseline and follow-up (N = 246). No statistically significant cross-sectional associations were observed at baseline or follow-up. Among those where ANA negative at baseline, individuals with shorter telomeres were more likely to be ANA positive at follow-up, an average 13 years later. Individuals with short telomeres at both time periods were more likely to be ANA positive. Findings suggest that ANA positivity in the general population may be indicative of immune dysfunction resulting from advanced cellular aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen C S Meier
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Hans B Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Eleanor M Simonsick
- Longitudinal Studies Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kevin Deane
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Nan-Ping Weng
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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14
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Smith L, Luchini C, Demurtas J, Soysal P, Stubbs B, Hamer M, Nottegar A, Lawlor RT, Lopez-Sanchez GF, Firth J, Koyanagi A, Roberts J, Willeit P, Waldhoer T, Loosemore M, Abbs AD, Johnstone J, Yang L, Veronese N. Telomere length and health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies. Ageing Res Rev 2019; 51:1-10. [PMID: 30776454 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to map and grade evidence for the relationships between telomere length with a diverse range of health outcomes, using an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses. We searched for meta-analyses of observational studies reporting on the association of telomere length with any health outcome (clinical disease outcomes and intermediate traits). For each association, random-effects summary effect size, 95% confidence interval (CI), and 95% prediction interval were calculated. To evaluate the credibility of the identified evidence, we assessed also heterogeneity, evidence for small-study effect and evidence for excess significance bias. Twenty-one relevant meta-analyses were identified reporting on 50 different outcomes. The level of evidence was high only for the association of short telomeres with higher risk of gastric cancer in the general population (relative risk, RR = 1.95, 95%CI: 1.68-2.26), and moderate for the association of shorter telomeres with diabetes or with Alzheimer's disease, even if limited to meta-analyses of case-control studies. There was weak evidence for twenty outcomes and not significant association for 27 health outcomes. The present umbrella review demonstrates that shorter telomere length may have an important role in incidence gastric cancer and, probably, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, conversely to general assumptions, it does not find strong evidence supporting the notion that shorter telomere length plays an important role in many health outcomes that have been studied thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Smith
- The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Claudio Luchini
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Italy
| | - Jacopo Demurtas
- Primary Care Department Azienda USL Toscana Sud Est, Grosseto, Italy
| | - Pinar Soysal
- Kayseri Education and Research Hospital, Geriatric Center, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Brendon Stubbs
- Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ, UK; Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Mark Hamer
- School Sport Exercise Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Alessia Nottegar
- Department of Surgery, Section of Pathology, San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy
| | - Rita T Lawlor
- ARC-Net Research Center, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Joseph Firth
- NICM Health Research Institute, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ai Koyanagi
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu/CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Justin Roberts
- The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Willeit
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria; Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas Waldhoer
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Mike Loosemore
- University College London, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, UK
| | | | - James Johnstone
- The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lin Yang
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicola Veronese
- National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Aging Branch, Padova, Italy.
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