Association of the Laminin, Alpha 5 (LAMA5) rs4925386 with height and longevity in an elderly population from Southern Italy.

Studies in animal models and humans suggest that reduced growth and adult stature are associated with lifespan extension. Moreover, epidemiological studies reported a positive association between adult height and risk of multiple cancers. Yet, it is unclear which factors mediate these relationships. Laminins are major components of the basement membranes and cooperate with growth factors and matrix-dependent receptors in cell proliferation and differentiation. Previously, we reported the association of rs659822-C/T in LAMA5, encoding the laminin-α5 chain, with weight and height in a cohort of healthy 64-107 aged Italian individuals. Notably, two independent meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies found the C-allele of LAMA5 rs4925386-C/T correlated with the risk of colorectal cancer. We tested additional SNPs within the LAMA5 gene for association with anthropometric traits and longevity in our cohort of elderly subjects (N=624). Under an additive model, the rs2427283-C allele (P=0.02) and the rs4925386-T allele (P=0.01) were associated with shorter stature. Age-stratified analyses showed that the rs4925386-T allele was also positively associated with longevity (P=0.001). The association of LAMA5 rs4925386 alleles with both inter-individual differences in height and in longevity suggests that laminins may be among the factors linking stature and cancer susceptibility.