Vakonaki E, Tsiminikaki K, Plaitis S, Fragkiadaki P, Tsoukalas D, Katsikantami I, Vaki G, Tzatzarakis M N, Spandidos D A, Tsatsakis A M
Laboratory of Toxicology Science and Research, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71409 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Biomed Rep. 2018 Feb;8(2):111-116. doi: 10.3892/br.2018.1040. Epub 2018 Jan 8.
Telomeres are repeated 5'-TTAGGG-3' sequences at the end of chromosomes, which maintain genomic stability. Their length is related to a number of diseases that affect humans. Apart from cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other, telomere length has been associated with chronic diseases. Chronic mental illness includes various types of mental disorders with the most common being depression, schizophrenia and stress-anxiety. The aim of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge on the role of telomeres in these disorders and to compare telomere length variations in patients receiving medication and patients not taking treatment. Most studies report reduced telomere length in patients suffering from mental disorders, compared to the general population. Since the factors that can affect telomere length are various, more experiments and investigations are required to understand the general impact of different factors on telomere length.
端粒是染色体末端重复的5'-TTAGGG-3'序列，其维持基因组稳定性。它们的长度与许多影响人类的疾病相关。除癌症、心血管疾病、糖尿病等外，端粒长度还与慢性疾病有关。慢性精神疾病包括各种类型的精神障碍，最常见的是抑郁症、精神分裂症和应激性焦虑症。本综述的目的是总结目前关于端粒在这些疾病中作用的知识现状，并比较接受药物治疗的患者和未接受治疗的患者的端粒长度变化。大多数研究报告称，与普通人群相比，患有精神障碍的患者端粒长度缩短。由于能够影响端粒长度的因素多种多样，因此需要更多的实验和调查来了解不同因素对端粒长度的总体影响。
