title: Systemic telomere length and preclinical atherosclerosis: the Asklepios Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Peripheral blood leucocyte (PBL) telomere length (TL) is a systemic ageing biomarker and has been proposed to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed at providing an explanation for this association by the evaluation of the biomarker value of PBL-TL in preclinical atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Peripheral blood leucocyte telomere length was assessed by telomere restriction fragment analysis in 2509 volunteers free from established CVD, aged approximately 35-55 years old, from the Asklepios Study cohort. Intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque presence were determined by ultrasonography in both left and right carotid and femoral arteries. Peripheral blood leucocyte telomere length was not a significant independent determinant of IMT (P > 0.3) or plaque presence (P > 0.05), in either artery or either sex. In women but not in men, PBL-TL was a weak determinant of combined (carotid or femoral) plaque presence, adjusted for other risk factors (women: P = 0.03, men: P > 0.4). However, even in women presenting plaques, PBL-TL was still longer than in men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since systemic TL is not a substantial underlying determinant of preclinical atherosclerosis, the association between CVD and TL cannot be explained by the fact that subjects with shorter inherited TL are predisposed to atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. tim.demeyer@ugent.be
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Meyer
authors.forename: Ernst R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Rietzschel
authors.forename: Marc L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: De Buyzere
authors.forename: Michel R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Langlois
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Bacquer
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Segers
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Damme
authors.forename: Guy G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: De Backer
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Oostveldt
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Criekinge
authors.forename: Thierry C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Gillebert
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bekaert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012307:Risk Factors; D016615:Telomere / Q000473:pathology*