Department of Pediatrics, Subdivision of Endocrinology, Erasmus University Medical Center - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2021 Feb 2;16(2):e0246400. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246400. eCollection 2021.
Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is one of the markers of biological aging as shortening occurs over time. Shorter LTL has been associated with adiposity and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. The objective was to assess LTL and LTL shortening during the first 2 years of life in healthy, term-born infants and to associate LTL shortening with potential stressors and body composition.
In 145 healthy, term-born infants (85 boys), we measured LTL in blood, expressed as telomere to single-gene copy ratio (T/S ratio), at 3 months and 2 years by quantitative PCR technique. Fat mass (FM) was assessed longitudinally by PEAPOD, DXA, and abdominal FM by ultrasound.
LTL decreased by 8.5% from 3 months to 2 years (T/S ratio 4.10 vs 3.75, p<0.001). LTL shortening from 3 months to 2 years associated with FM%(R = 0.254), FM index(R = 0.243) and visceral FM(R = 0.287) at 2 years. LTL shortening tended to associate with gain in FM% from 3 to 6 months (R = 0.155, p = 0.11), in the critical window for adiposity programming. There was a trend to a shorter LTL in boys at 2 years(p = 0.056). LTL shortening from 3 months to 2 years was not different between sexes.
We present longitudinal LTL values and show that LTL shortens considerably (8.5%) during the first 2 years of life. LTL shortening during first 2 years of life was associated with FM%, FMI and visceral FM at age 2 years, suggesting that adverse adiposity programming in early life could contribute to more LTL shortening.
端粒酶长度（LTL）是生物衰老的标志之一，随着时间的推移会缩短。较短的 LTL 与肥胖和心血管疾病风险增加有关。本研究旨在评估健康足月出生婴儿生命最初 2 年内的 LTL 及其缩短情况，并探讨 LTL 缩短与潜在应激源和身体成分的关系。
在 145 名健康足月出生的婴儿（85 名男婴）中，我们使用定量 PCR 技术在 3 个月和 2 岁时测量血液中的 LTL，以端粒与单基因拷贝比（T/S 比）表示。脂肪量（FM）通过 PEAPOD、DXA 和腹部超声进行纵向评估。
LTL 从 3 个月到 2 岁下降了 8.5%（T/S 比从 4.10 降至 3.75，p<0.001）。从 3 个月到 2 岁的 LTL 缩短与 2 岁时的 FM%（R = 0.254）、FM 指数（R = 0.243）和内脏 FM（R = 0.287）相关。LTL 缩短与 3 至 6 个月时 FM%的增加有一定趋势（R = 0.155，p = 0.11），这是肥胖发生的关键时期。2 岁时男孩的 LTL 缩短趋势更明显（p = 0.056）。3 个月至 2 岁时的 LTL 缩短在性别间无差异。
我们提供了纵向 LTL 值，并表明 LTL 在生命的头 2 年中显著缩短（8.5%）。生命最初 2 年内的 LTL 缩短与 2 岁时的 FM%、FMI 和内脏 FM 相关，表明生命早期不良的肥胖发生可能导致 LTL 进一步缩短。
