Telomere Length Shortening in Hospitalized Preterm Infants: A Pilot Study

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2021 Jan 20

PMID 33471805

Citations 5

Authors

Mandy Brown Belfort

Farah Qureshi

Jonathan Litt

Michelle Bosquet Enlow

Immaculata De Vivo

Katherine Gregory

Henning Tiemeier

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Leukocyte telomere length is a biomarker of aging-related health risks. Hospitalized preterm infants frequently experience elevated oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which contribute to telomere shortening. Our aim was to examine changes in telomere length during neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization in a cohort of preterm infants <32 weeks' gestation. We conducted a longitudinal study of 10 infants (mean gestational age 27 weeks, range 23.5 to 29, at birth). We isolated DNA from dried blood spots and used Real Time Quantitative PCR to measure relative leukocyte telomere length in triplicate at three time points for each participant. From birth to discharge, infants experienced an average decline in relative telomere length of 0.021 units per week (95% CI -0.040, -0.0020; p = 0.03), after adjustment for gestational age at birth. Our results suggest a measurable decline in telomere length during NICU hospitalization. We speculate that telomere length change may convey information about NICU exposures that carry short- and long-term health risks.

Citing Articles

Neonatal multimorbidity and the phenotype of premature aging in preterm infants.

Litt J, Belfort M, Everson T, Haneuse S, Tiemeier H Pediatr Res. 2024; .

PMID: 39455859 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03617-2.

Robust evidence supports a causal link between higher birthweight and longer telomere length: a mendelian randomization study.

Zhang Z, Zhang J, Zhang K, Ge X, Zhai X Front Genet. 2024; 15:1264028.

PMID: 38974386 PMC: 11224456. DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1264028.

Ensuring Optimal Outcomes for Preterm Infants after NICU Discharge: A Life Course Health Development Approach to High-Risk Infant Follow-Up.

Litt J, Halfon N, Msall M, Russ S, Hintz S Children (Basel). 2024; 11(2).

PMID: 38397258 PMC: 10886801. DOI: 10.3390/children11020146.

Preterm Birth and Its Association with Maternal Diet, and Placental and Neonatal Telomere Length.

Lis N, Lamnisos D, Bograkou-Tzanetakou A, Hadjimbei E, Tzanetakou I Nutrients. 2023; 15(23).

PMID: 38068836 PMC: 10708229. DOI: 10.3390/nu15234975.

Educational Review: The Impact of Perinatal Oxidative Stress on the Developing Kidney.

DeFreitas M, Katsoufis C, Benny M, Young K, Kulandavelu S, Ahn H Front Pediatr. 2022; 10:853722.

PMID: 35844742 PMC: 9279889. DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.853722.

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