Stacy S Drury1, Kyle Esteves2, Virginia Hatch2, Margaret Woodbury3, Sophie Borne2, Alys Adamski4, Katherine P Theall4. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA. Electronic address: sdrury@tulane.edu. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA. 3. University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. 4. Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore racial differences in newborn telomere length (TL) and the effect moderation of the sex of the infant while establishing the methodology for the use of newborn blood spots for TL analyses. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant mothers were recruited from the Greater New Orleans area. TL was determined via monochrome multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction on DNA extracted from infant blood spots. Demographic data and other covariates were obtained via maternal report before the infant's birth. Birth outcome data were obtained from medical records and maternal report. RESULTS: Black infants weighed significantly less than white infants at birth and had significantly longer TL than white infants (P=.0134), with the strongest effect observed in black female infants. No significant differences in gestational age were present. CONCLUSIONS: Significant racial differences in TL were present at birth in this sample, even after we controlled for a range of birth outcomes and demographic factors. Because longer initial TL is predictive of more rapid TL attrition across the life course, these findings provide evidence that, even at birth, biological vulnerability to early life stress may differ by race and sex.
OBJECTIVE: To explore racial differences in newborn telomere length (TL) and the effect moderation of the sex of the infant while establishing the methodology for the use of newborn blood spots for TL analyses. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant mothers were recruited from the Greater New Orleans area. TL was determined via monochrome multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction on DNA extracted from infant blood spots. Demographic data and other covariates were obtained via maternal report before the infant's birth. Birth outcome data were obtained from medical records and maternal report. RESULTS: Black infants weighed significantly less than white infants at birth and had significantly longer TL than white infants (P=.0134), with the strongest effect observed in black female infants. No significant differences in gestational age were present. CONCLUSIONS: Significant racial differences in TL were present at birth in this sample, even after we controlled for a range of birth outcomes and demographic factors. Because longer initial TL is predictive of more rapid TL attrition across the life course, these findings provide evidence that, even at birth, biological vulnerability to early life stress may differ by race and sex.
Authors: K Youngren; E Jeanclos; H Aviv; M Kimura; J Stock; M Hanna; J Skurnick; A Bardeguez; A Aviv Journal: Hum Genet Date: 1998-06 Impact factor: 4.132
Authors: I Shalev; T E Moffitt; K Sugden; B Williams; R M Houts; A Danese; J Mill; L Arseneault; A Caspi Journal: Mol Psychiatry Date: 2012-04-24 Impact factor: 15.992
Authors: David H Chae; Amani M Nuru-Jeter; Nancy E Adler; Gene H Brody; Jue Lin; Elizabeth H Blackburn; Elissa S Epel Journal: Am J Prev Med Date: 2014-02 Impact factor: 5.043
Authors: K S Tsang; A P Y Wong; M S Cheung; S H Tang; Y Leung; C K Li; T T Lau; M H L Ng; P M P Yuen Journal: Cytotherapy Date: 2002 Impact factor: 5.414
Authors: Mark F Haussmann; Andrew S Longenecker; Nicole M Marchetto; Steven A Juliano; Rachel M Bowden Journal: Proc Biol Sci Date: 2011-11-09 Impact factor: 5.349
Authors: Youli Yao; Alexandra M Robinson; Fabiola C R Zucchi; Jerrah C Robbins; Olena Babenko; Olga Kovalchuk; Igor Kovalchuk; David M Olson; Gerlinde A S Metz Journal: BMC Med Date: 2014-08-07 Impact factor: 8.775
Authors: Stacy S Drury; Brittany R Howell; Christopher Jones; Kyle Esteves; Elyse Morin; Reid Schlesinger; Jerrold S Meyer; Kate Baker; Mar M Sanchez Journal: Dev Psychopathol Date: 2017-12
Authors: Abhinav Ajaykumar; Hugo Soudeyns; Fatima Kakkar; Jason Brophy; Ari Bitnun; Ariane Alimenti; Arianne Y K Albert; Deborah M Money; Hélène C F Côté Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2018-02-14 Impact factor: 5.226