"We hypothesized that CF patients with more severe disease characteristics exhibit shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and greater LTL attrition."
BUFFALO, NY- September 11, 2024 - A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), Volume 16, Issue 16 on August 29, 2024, entitled, "Leukocyte telomere length and attrition in association with disease severity in cystic fibrosis patients."
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is marked by chronic airway inflammation and premature aging, but the link with leukocyte telomere length (LTL) as a marker of biological aging remains unclear. A growing body of research shows an association between telomere shortening and chronic, age-related respiratory diseases. Patients with chronic asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) all exhibit shorter telomeres compared to age-matched controls.
Researchers Dries S. Martens, Elise J. Lammertyn, Pieter C. Goeminne, Kristine Colpaert, Marijke Proesmans, Bart M. Vanaudenaerde, Tim S. Nawrot, and Lieven J. Dupont from Hasselt University, KU Leuven, Hospital VITAZ Sint-Niklaas, University Hospitals Leuven and University Hospital of Leuven in Belgium, studied disease severity and LTL in 168 CF patients, with 85 undergoing a second retrospective LTL assessment.
"We hypothesized that CF patients with more severe disease characteristics exhibit shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and greater LTL attrition."
In conclusion, in CF patients, more severe disease characteristics were associated with shorter LTL, potentially accelerating aging and increasing susceptibility to age-related diseases. These effects likely begin in childhood, highlighting the importance of early CF diagnosis and timely therapeutic intervention.
Continue reading: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206093
Corresponding author: Dries S. Martens - [email protected]
Video short: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHIjsNRMQ1Q
Keywords: aging, cystic fibrosis, telomere length, biological aging, lung diseases, patient cohort
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About Aging:
The journal Aging aims to promote 1) treatment of age-related diseases by slowing down aging, 2) validation of anti-aging drugs by treating age-related diseases, and 3) prevention of cancer by inhibiting aging. (Cancer and COVID-19 are age-related diseases.)
Aging is indexed by PubMed/Medline (abbreviated as "Aging (Albany NY)"), PubMed Central, Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded (abbreviated as "Aging‐US" and listed in the Cell Biology and Geriatrics & Gerontology categories), Scopus (abbreviated as "Aging" and listed in the Cell Biology and Aging categories), Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, EMBASE, META (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) (2018-2022), and Dimensions (Digital Science).
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