Accumulation of cells with short telomeres is associated with impaired zinc homeostasis and inflammation in old hypertensive participants.
Critical shortening of telomeres, likely associated with a considerable increase of senescent cells, can be observed in PBMC of individuals aged 80 and older. We investigated the relationship between critical telomere shortening and zinc status in healthy or hypertensive participants with or without cardiovascular disease in old and very old participants. Telomere shortening and accumulation of cells with short telomeres (percent of cells with short telomeres) in advancing age was evident in patients and healthy controls, but exacerbated in those patients aged 80 and older. Moreover, in very old patients, the accumulation of % CST may impair intracellular zinc homeostasis and metallothioneins expression, which itself is linked to an increased number of inflammatory agents, thereby suggesting the existence of a possible causal relationship between % CST and zinc homeostasis. The determination of % CST could be a more reliable means than the simple measure of telomere length as fundamental parameter in ageing to determine whether individuals are still able to respond to stress.
Immunology Center, Research Department Istituto Nazionale Riposo e Cura per Anziani, Ancona, Italy.
Catia
C
Cipriano
Silvia
S
Tesei
Marco
M
Malavolta
Robertina
R
Giacconi
Elisa
E
Muti
Laura
L
Costarelli
Francesco
F
Piacenza
Sara
S
Pierpaoli
Roberta
R
Galeazzi
Maria
M
Blasco
Elsa
E
Vera
Andres
A
Canela
Fabrizia
F
Lattanzio
Eugenio
E
Mocchegiani
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc