Jung-Ha Kim1, Chung Mo Nam2, Donghee Lee3, Hyoweon Bang3, Jae-Hong Ko3, Inja Lim3, Gwang Jun Kim4, Bart W Koes5, Duk-Chul Lee6. 1. Department of Family Medicine, Chung-Ang University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 3. Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 4. Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Chung-Ang University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 5. Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 6. Department of Family Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. faith@yuhs.ac.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL), an indicator of aging, is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors; however, its heritability is unknown. We determined heritability and inheritance patterns of telomere length across three generations of families. METHODS: We analyzed 287 individuals from three generations of 41 Korean families, including newborns, parents, and grandparents. LTL (the ratio of telomere repeat copy number to single gene copy number) was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. We estimated heritability using the SOLAR software maximum-likelihood variance component methods and a pedigree dataset. With adjustment for age and length of marriage, Pearson's partial correlation was performed for spousal pairs. RESULTS: Heritability of LTL was high in all participants (h2 = 0.64). There were no significant differences in correlation coefficients of telomere length between paternal and maternal lines. There was a positive LTL correlation in grandfather-grandmother pairs (r = 0.25, p = 0.03) but not in father-mother pairs. After adjusting for age and length of marriage, the relationship between telomere lengths in grandfathers and grandmothers disappeared. There were inverse correlations between spousal rank differences of telomere length and length of marriage. CONCLUSIONS: LTL is highly heritable without a sex-specific inheritance pattern and may be influenced by a shared environment.
BACKGROUND: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL), an indicator of aging, is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors; however, its heritability is unknown. We determined heritability and inheritance patterns of telomere length across three generations of families. METHODS: We analyzed 287 individuals from three generations of 41 Korean families, including newborns, parents, and grandparents. LTL (the ratio of telomere repeat copy number to single gene copy number) was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. We estimated heritability using the SOLAR software maximum-likelihood variance component methods and a pedigree dataset. With adjustment for age and length of marriage, Pearson's partial correlation was performed for spousal pairs. RESULTS: Heritability of LTL was high in all participants (h2 = 0.64). There were no significant differences in correlation coefficients of telomere length between paternal and maternal lines. There was a positive LTL correlation in grandfather-grandmother pairs (r = 0.25, p = 0.03) but not in father-mother pairs. After adjusting for age and length of marriage, the relationship between telomere lengths in grandfathers and grandmothers disappeared. There were inverse correlations between spousal rank differences of telomere length and length of marriage. CONCLUSIONS: LTL is highly heritable without a sex-specific inheritance pattern and may be influenced by a shared environment.
Authors: Dhuha M B AlDehaini; Suzanne A Al-Bustan; Muhalab E Ali; Zainab Hasan Abdulla Malalla; Mai Sater; Hayder A Giha Journal: Acta Diabetol Date: 2020-06-04 Impact factor: 4.280
Authors: Gabriel R Fries; Madeline J Zamzow; Gabriela D Colpo; Nancy Monroy-Jaramillo; Joao Quevedo; Jodi G Arnold; Charles L Bowden; Consuelo Walss-Bass Journal: J Psychiatr Res Date: 2020-05-26 Impact factor: 4.791