Telomere shortening velocity of patients administered with hypnotics is accelerated in a gender-differential manner

Author(s):  
Toyoki Maeda ◽  
Takahiko Horiuchi ◽  
Naoki Makino

The telomere length and its distribution were compared between patients administered with and without hypnotics to see if regular administration of hypnotics is associated with their aging-related somatic telomere shortening. Male patients presented significant shortening of telomere length of circulating leukocytes in association with age (–41.9 bp/year, p = 0.045) in contrast with controls (–18.3 kb/year, p = 0.155). On the other hand, female patients presented no significant shortening of telomere length with aging (–16.4 bp/year, p = 0.372) in contrast with controls (–55.9 bp/year, p = 0.00005). These results suggested that regular administration of hypnotics is associated with aging progression in a gender-related manner. The administration of hypnotics could be an indicator as the somatic aging status and for the screening of background lifestyle-associated diseases promoting biological aging.

Author(s):  
Basak Celtikci ◽  
Gulnihal Kulaksiz Erkmen ◽  
Zeliha Gunnur Dikmen

: Telomeres are the protective end caps of eukaryotic chromosomes and they decide the proliferative lifespan of somatic cells, as the guardians of the cell replication. Telomere length in leucocytes reflects telomere length in other somatic cells. Leucocyte telomere length can be a biomarker of human ageing. The risk of diseases, which are associated with reduced cell proliferation and tissue degeneration, including aging or aging-associated diseases, such as dyskeratosis congenita, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary fibrosis and aplastic anemia, are correlated with an increase in short telomeres. On the other hand, the risk of diseases, which are associated with increased proliferative growth, including major cancers, is correlated with long telomeres. In most of the cancers, a telomere maintenance mechanism during DNA replication is essential. The reactivation of the functional ribonucleoprotein holoenzyme complex [telomerase] starts the cascade from normal and premalignant somatic cells to advanced malignant cells. Telomerase is overexpressed during the development of cancer and embryonic stem cells, through controlling genome integrity, cancer formation and stemness. Cancer cells have mechanisms to maintain telomeres to avoid initiation of cellular senescence or apoptosis, and halting cell division by critically short telomeres. Modulation of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase is the ratelimiting step for the production of functional telomerase and the telomere maintenance. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter promotes its gene expression only in tumor cells, but not in normal cells. Some cancers activate an alternative lengthening of telomeres maintenance mechanism via DNA recombination to unshorten their telomeres. Not only heritability but also oxidative stress, inflammation, environmental factors, and therapeutic interventions have an effect on telomere shortening, explaining the variability in telomere length across individuals. There have been a large number of publications, which correlate human diseases with progressive telomere shortening. Telomere length of an individual at birth is also important to follow up telomere shortening, and it can be used as biomarkers for healthy aging. On the other hand, understanding of cellular stress factors, which affect stem cell behavior, will be useful in regeneration or treatment in cancer and age-associated diseases. In this review, we will understand the connection between stem cell and telomere biology, cancer, and aging-associated diseases. This connection may be useful for discovering novel drug targets and improve outcomes for patients having cancer and aging-associated diseases.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aijie Liu ◽  
Xiaoxu Yang ◽  
Xiaoling Yang ◽  
Qixi Wu ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
...  

BackgroundMutations in the PCDH19 gene have mainly been reported in female patients with epilepsy. To date, PCDH19 mutations have been reported in hundreds of females and only in 10 mosaic male epileptic patients with mosaicism.ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the occurrence of mosaic PCDH19 mutations in 42 families comprising at least one patient with PCDH19-related epilepsy.MethodsTwo male patients with mosaic PCDH19 variants were identified using targeted next-generation sequencing. Forty female patients with PCDH19 variants were identified by Sanger sequencing and Multiple Ligation Probe Amplification (MLPA). Microdroplet digital PCR was used to quantify the mutant allelic fractions (MAFs) in 20 families with PCDH19 variants.ResultsFive mosaic individuals, four males and one female, were identified in total. Mosaic variant was confirmed in multiple somatic tissues from one male patient and in blood from the other male patient. Among 22 female patients harbouring a newly occurred PCDH19 variant identified by Sanger sequencing and MLPA, Sanger sequencing revealed two mosaic fathers (9%, 2/22), one with two affected daughters and the other with an affected child. Two asymptomatic mosaic fathers were confirmed as gonosomal mosaicism, with MAFs ranging from 4.16% to 37.38% and from 1.27% to 19.13%, respectively. In 11 families with apparent de novo variants, 1 female patient was identified as a mosaic with a blood MAF of 26.72%.ConclusionOur study provides new insights into phenotype-genotype correlations in PCDH19 related epilepsy and the finding of high-frequency mosaicism has important implications for genetic counselling.


2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 873-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Hernando ◽  
Marta Gil-Barrachina ◽  
Elena Tomás-Bort ◽  
Ignacio Martinez-Navarro ◽  
Eladio Collado-Boira ◽  
...  

Habitual ultra-endurance exercise seems to promote telomere length maintenance, especially at older ages. In addition, the beneficial effect of ultra-endurance training on biological aging is higher in ultra-trail runners who have been engaged to ultra-endurance training during many years. Finally, and for the first time, this study shows that the SOD2 rs4880 polymorphism has a significant impact on telomere length, as well as on acute inflammatory response to a 107-km trail race.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Buyun Liu ◽  
Yangbo Sun ◽  
Guifeng Xu ◽  
Shuang Rong ◽  
Wei Bao

Abstract Objectives DNA damage induced by oxidative stress is implicated in accelerated telomere shortening, a biomarker of biological aging. Although selenium has antioxidant properties, its impact on telomere length is largely unknown. This study aimed to examine the association between dietary selenium intake and leukocyte telomere length in a nationally representative sample of US adults. Methods We included 7409 adults aged 20 years or older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002. Dietary selenium intake was calculated using data collected in the 24-hour dietary recall. Leukocyte telomere length was assayed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. The association between selenium intake and telomere length was estimated by weighted linear regression models adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, body mass index, supplements intake, and leukocyte cell type composition. Results The average dietary selenium intake was 109.1 mg/d (standard error [SE] 1.15). We didn't find a significant association between dietary selenium intake and telomere length in US adults. The average telomere length (SE) was 1.01 (0.02), 1.01 (0.01), and 1.04 (0.01) across increasing tertiles of dietary selenium intake. However, a significant interaction was observed for age (P = 0.02). Among individuals aged 20–44 years, the β coefficient of log-transformed telomere length, compared to lowest tertile of dietary selenium intake, was −0.041 (SE 0.012, P = 0.002) and −0.033 (SE 0.018, P = 0.07) for middle tertile and the highest tertile of selenium intake, respectively. The corresponding β coefficient was 0.009 (SE 0.016, P = 0.59) and −0.001 (SE 0.012, P = 0.95), respectively, for adults 45–64 years old, and 0.017 (SE 0.015, P = 0.28) and 0.059 (SE 0.021, P = 0.01), respectively, for those aged 65 years or older. The results were not appreciably changed even after additionally adjustment for dietary intake of vitamin A, vitamin E, and zinc. Conclusions The association between dietary selenium intake and telomere length differed significantly by age groups, indicating that higher selenium intake may prevent telomere shortening in older adults but not in younger or middle-aged adults. Further studies about the underlying mechanisms are warranted. Funding Sources NA.


Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1425
Author(s):  
Anthony S. Zannas ◽  
Oksana Kosyk ◽  
Calvin S. Leung

Psychosocial stress, especially when chronic or excessive, can increase disease risk and accelerate biological aging. Although the underlying mechanisms are unclear, in vivo studies have associated exposure to stress and glucocorticoid stress hormones with shorter telomere length. However, the extent to which prolonged glucocorticoid exposure can shorten telomeres in controlled experimental settings remains unknown. Using a well-characterized cell line of human fibroblasts that undergo gradual telomere shortening during serial passaging in culture, we show that prolonged exposure (up to 51 days) to either naturalistic levels of the human endogenous glucocorticoid cortisol or the more potent synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone is not sufficient to accelerate telomere shortening. While our findings await extension in other cell types and biological contexts, they indicate that the in vivo association of psychosocial stress with telomere shortening is unlikely to be mediated by a direct and universal glucocorticoid effect on telomere length.


2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 422-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine L. Chiu ◽  
Nerissa L. Hearn ◽  
Devin Paine ◽  
Nicole Steiner ◽  
Joanne M. Lind

Telomere length is widely considered as a marker of biological aging. Clinical studies have reported associations between reduced telomere length and hypertension. The aim of this study was to compare telomere length in hypertensive and normotensive mice at pre-disease and established disease time points to determine whether telomere length differs between the strains before and after the onset of disease. Genomic DNA was extracted from kidney and heart tissues of 4-, 12-, and 20-week-old male hypertensive (BPH/2J) and normotensive (BPN/3J) mice. Relative telomere length (T/S) was measured using quantitative PCR. Age was inversely correlated with telomere length in both strains. In 4-week-old pre-hypertensive animals, no difference in T/S was observed between BPH/2J and BPN/3J animals in kidney or heart tissue (kidney p = 0.14, heart p = 0.06). Once the animals had established disease, at 12 and 20 weeks, BPH/2J mice had significantly shorter telomeres when compared to their age-matched controls in both kidney (12 weeks p < 0.001 and 20 weeks p = 0.004) and heart tissues (12 weeks p < 0.001 and 20 weeks p < 0.001). This is the first study to show that differences in telomere lengths between BPH/2J and BPN/3J mice occur after the development of hypertension and do not cause hypertension in the BPH/2J mice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifei Li ◽  
Juan Li ◽  
Zhen Yang ◽  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Lili Dong ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThis study explored gender differences in anxiety, depression, and nursing needs among isolated Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, with a particular focus on the influencing factors. The main goal was to elucidate breakthrough points and intervention targets for psychological counseling aimed at the promotion of overall health during isolation treatment.MethodsA survey was conducted to obtain information about the nursing needs of COVID-19 patients, with mental health assessed via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Participants included 219 isolated COVID-19 patients at a Wuhan module hospital in Hubei province, China.ResultsA total of 216 valid questionnaires were collected (98.63% retrieval rate). Of these participants, 21.76% had anxiety symptoms, while 17.59% had depression symptoms. Colleagues infected with COVID-19 (OR = 3.896, 95%CI: 1.555–9.764, P = 0.004) were the main influencing factors for anxiety symptoms, while marital status (OR = 2.700, 95% CI: 1.033–7.055, P = 0.043) and family members infected with COVID-19 (OR = 2.969, 95% CI: 1.243–7.095, P = 0.014) were the main influencing factors for depression symptoms. As for gender, male patients were generally more prone to depression and anxiety than female patients, especially those who were infected with colleagues. On the other hand, female patients reported greater concerns about safe treatment environments and communication with medical staff.ConclusionThis study found gender-based differences regarding the factors influencing anxiety and depression in isolated COVID-19 patients, with males reporting a greater general tendency for symptoms. On the other hand, female patients reported greater overall psychological nursing needs than males. Targeted nursing should thus be implemented to address specific psychological characteristics and nursing needs.


Author(s):  
Samuel S. Aguiar ◽  
Thiago S. Rosa ◽  
Rodrigo V. P. Neves ◽  
Patrício L. A. Leite ◽  
Larissa A. Maciel ◽  
...  

AbstractLower SIRT1 and insulin resistance are associated with accelerated telomere shortening. This study investigated whether the lifestyle of master athletes can attenuate these age-related changes and thereby slow aging. We compared insulin, SIRT1, and telomere length in highly trained male master athletes (n=52; aged 49.9±7.2 yrs) and age-matched non-athletes (n=19; aged 47.3±8.9 yrs). This is a cross-sectional study, in which all data were collected in one visit. Overnight fasted SIRT1 and insulin levels in whole blood were assessed using commercial kits. Relative telomere length was determined in leukocytes through qPCR analyses. Master athletes had higher SIRT1, lower insulin, and longer telomere length than age-matched non-athletes (p<0.05 for all). Insulin was inversely associated with SIRT1 (r=−0.38; p=0.001). Telomere length correlated positively with SIRT1 (r=0.65; p=0.001), whereas telomere length and insulin were not correlated (r=0.03; p=0.87). In conclusion, master athletes have higher SIRT1, lower insulin, and longer telomeres than age-matched non-athletes. Furthermore, SIRT1 was negatively associated with insulin and positively associated with telomere length. These findings suggest that in this sample of middle-aged participants reduced insulin, increased SIRT1 activity, and attenuation of biological aging are connected.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 15-24
Author(s):  
Raghad Sanyi ◽  
Tuqa Sami ◽  
Izzat AlRayahi

Celiac disease is an inflammatory disorder involving the small bowel, in addition to other organs. An inappropriate immune response to dietary gluten mainly in genetically predisposed individuals lies behind the persistent inflammation of the mucosa lining the proximal small bowel. Malabsorption in celiac disease patients lead to deficiencies in a number of minerals and vitamins. Among the affected vitamins is vitamin D. The present study aimed to figure out the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in celiac disease patients and investigate whether any vitamin D deficiency could associate with the level of autoantibodies. Forty-six early diagnosed celiac disease patients (11 males and 35 females) were consecutively recruited from Special Nursing Hospital \ Baghdad, during the period from July 2018 to February 2019. Twenty apparently healthy subjects were also recruited to serve as a control group. Age distribution of patients showed that 43.7% of patients were between 10 and 20 years old. On the other hand, 6 (13%), 1 (2.1%) and 4 (8.6%) patients were in the age groups 20-30, 30-40 and 40-50 years respectively. Female patients were more than male patients (66 and 34% respectively). Celiac disease patients had a significantly lower level of vitamin D in comparison with the control (14.3 ±9.9 and 68± 4 ng/ml respectively). In addition, 71.73% of celiac disease patients had vitamin D deficiency, 23.91% had vitamin D insufficiency, while 4.34% of celiac disease patients had vitamin D sufficiency. On the other hand, 100% of control subjects had vitamin D sufficiency. Nevertheless, no statistical difference in the level of vitamin D was found between female and male patients (15.3±10.08 and 12.58±8.9 ng/ml respectively). It can be concluded that vitamin D is significantly decreased in patients with celiac disease


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-157
Author(s):  
Su Jin Kim ◽  
Ho Yun Lee ◽  
Tae Hyun Kim ◽  
Tae Hoon Kim ◽  
Kun Hee Lee

Background and Objectives: The alar-columellar relationship plays an important role in the esthetic balance of the nose. We analyzed alar rim deformities and aesthetic concerns and expectations among patients by deformity type in Korean primary rhinoplasty patients.Materials and Methods: Retrospective photographic analysis was done on 336 patients planning to undergo primary rhinoplasty at Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong. We categorized their alar rim deformities as normal, hanging columella, retracted columella, hanging ala, retracted ala, convex ala, concave ala, thick ala, and a combination of the above. Patients’ aesthetic concerns and expectations about their nose were analyzed by preoperative questionnaire.Results: Of the enrolled patients, 38 (11.3%) had no alar rim deformities, and the other 298 patients (88.7%) had one or more deformities. The most prevalent alar rim deformity was hanging ala (59.2%), followed by convex ala (53.3%) and thick ala (32.1%). Male patients were more likely to have convex ala and retracted columella than female patients. More than one-half of the patients (64.1%) had two or more deformities and tended to be young (p=0.028). Patients with thick ala had several reasons for being dissatisfied with their nose and various demands for correction.Conclusion: Distinctive characteristics of alar rim deformities should be considered in surgical planning in order to obtain satisfactory results in Korean primary rhinoplasty patients.


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