Aviv Abraham
Hypertension Research Center, The Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
Sci Aging Knowledge Environ. 2004 Dec 22;2004(51):pe43. doi: 10.1126/sageke.2004.51.pe43.
Can telomere dynamics, defined by telomere length and attrition rate, provide information about the biology of human aging above and beyond that provided by chronological age? Accruing data suggest that it can. White blood cells (WBCs) have been used as the primary model in attempts to decipher links between aging, aging-related disorders, and telomere dynamics in humans. The WBC model may be appropriate in clinical settings, provided that we fully appreciate its drawbacks and limitations. On the basis of WBC telomere data, it is evident that age-adjusted telomere length is highly variable, highly heritable, longer in women than men, and shorter in people who harbor a host of age-related disorders, whose common denominators may prove to be increased oxidative stress and inflammation. It appears that shorter age-adjusted WBC telomere length augurs a greater risk of morbidity and premature mortality in the elderly. However, it is unsettled whether human telomere dynamics is only a proxy for fundamental mechanisms that govern the course of aging or a key determinant in its progression.
由端粒长度和损耗率所定义的端粒动态变化，能否提供超越实际年龄之外的有关人类衰老生物学的信息呢？越来越多的数据表明它能。白细胞（WBCs）已被用作主要模型，试图解读人类衰老、衰老相关疾病与端粒动态变化之间的联系。白细胞模型在临床环境中可能是合适的，前提是我们充分认识到它的缺点和局限性。基于白细胞端粒数据，很明显，经年龄调整后的端粒长度具有高度变异性、高度遗传性，女性比男性更长，并且在患有一系列与年龄相关疾病的人群中更短，这些疾病的共同特征可能是氧化应激和炎症增加。似乎经年龄调整后的白细胞端粒长度较短预示着老年人发病和过早死亡的风险更大。然而，人类端粒动态变化究竟只是控制衰老进程的基本机制的一个指标，还是衰老进程中的一个关键决定因素，目前尚无定论。
