Systematic and Cell Type-Specific Telomere Length Changes in Subsets of Lymphocytes. (10th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lin, Jue; Cheon, Joshua; Brown, Rashida; Coccia, Michael; Puterman, Eli; Aschbacher, Kirstin; Sinclair, Elizabeth; Epel, Elissa; Blackburn, Elizabeth H.
• Other Names: Elkord Eyad Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of immunology research. Volume 2016(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-02-10
• Subjects: Immunology -- Periodicals; Immunology -- Research -- Periodicals; 616.07905
• DOI: 10.1155/2016/5371050
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2314-8861

Abstract

Abstract : Telomeres, the protective DNA-protein complexes at the ends of linear chromosomes, are important for genome stability. Leukocyte or peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) telomere length is a potential biomarker for human aging that integrates genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors and is associated with mortality and risks for major diseases. However, only a limited number of studies have examined longitudinal changes of telomere length and few have reported data on sorted circulating immune cells. We examined the average telomere length (TL) in CD4+, CD8+CD28+, and CD8+CD28− T cells, B cells, and PBMCs, cross-sectionally and longitudinally, in a cohort of premenopausal women. We report that TL changes over 18 months were correlated among these three T cell types within the same participant. Additionally, PBMC TL change was also correlated with those of all three T cell types, and B cells. The rate of shortening for B cells was significantly greater than for the three T cell types. CD8+CD28− cells, despite having the shortest TL, showed significantly more rapid attrition when compared to CD8+CD28+ T cells. These results suggest systematically coordinated, yet cell type-specific responses to factors and pathways contribute to telomere length regulation.