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Is chronic asthma associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length at midlife?

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Date
2014-08-15
Authors
Belsky, Daniel W
Shalev, Idan
Sears, Malcolm R
Hancox, Robert J
Lee Harrington, Hona
Houts, Renate
Moffitt, Terrie E
Sugden, Karen
Williams, Benjamin
Poulton, Richie
Caspi, Avshalom
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(11 total)
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Abstract
RATIONALE: Asthma is prospectively associated with age-related chronic diseases and mortality, suggesting the hypothesis that asthma may relate to a general, multisystem phenotype of accelerated aging. OBJECTIVES: To test whether chronic asthma is associated with a proposed biomarker of accelerated aging, leukocyte telomere length. METHODS: Asthma was ascertained prospectively in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study cohort (n = 1,037) at nine in-person assessments spanning ages 9-38 years. Leukocyte telomere length was measured at ages 26 and 38 years. Asthma was classified as life-course-persistent, childhood-onset not meeting criteria for persistence, and adolescent/adult-onset. We tested associations between asthma and leukocyte telomere length using regression models. We tested for confounding of asthma-leukocyte telomere length associations using covariate adjustment. We tested serum C-reactive protein and white blood cell counts as potential mediators of asthma-leukocyte telomere length associations. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Study members with life-course-persistent asthma had shorter leukocyte telomere length as compared with sex- and age-matched peers with no reported asthma. In contrast, leukocyte telomere length in study members with childhood-onset and adolescent/adult-onset asthma was not different from leukocyte telomere length in peers with no reported asthma. Adjustment for life histories of obesity and smoking did not change results. Study members with life-course-persistent asthma had elevated blood eosinophil counts. Blood eosinophil count mediated 29% of the life-course-persistent asthma-leukocyte telomere length association. CONCLUSIONS: Life-course-persistent asthma is related to a proposed biomarker of accelerated aging, possibly via systemic eosinophilic inflammation. Life histories of asthma can inform studies of aging.
Type
Journal article
Subject
aging
asthma
developmental phenotype
longitudinal
telomere
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aging
Asthma
Biomarkers
C-Reactive Protein
Child
Child, Preschool
Chronic Disease
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Leukocyte Count
Leukocytes
Longitudinal Studies
Male
New Zealand
Telomere Homeostasis
Young Adult
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9380
Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1164/rccm.201402-0370OC
Publication Info
Belsky, Daniel W; Shalev, Idan; Sears, Malcolm R; Hancox, Robert J; Lee Harrington, Hona; Houts, Renate; ... Caspi, Avshalom (2014). Is chronic asthma associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length at midlife?. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 190(4). pp. 384-391. 10.1164/rccm.201402-0370OC. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9380.
This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Scholars@Duke

Belsky

Daniel W Belsky

Assistant Professor in Population Health Sciences
The goal of Dan’s work is to reduce social inequalities in aging outcomes in the US and elsewhere. Dan's research seeks to understand how genes and environments combine to shape health across the life course. His work uses tools from genome science and longitudinal data from population-based cohort studies. The aim is to identify targets for policy and clinical interventions to promote positive development in early life and extend healthspan.Areas of interest: Aging, health
Caspi

Avshalom Caspi

Edward M. Arnett Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
Moffitt

Terrie E. Moffitt

Nannerl O. Keohane University Distinguished Professor
Sugden

Karen Sugden

Research Project Mgr, University
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