title: A prospective study of telomere length measured by monochrome multiplex quantitative PCR and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Telomere length plays an important role in the maintenance of chromosomal stability and in tumorigenesis. We hypothesized that telomere length in peripheral WBC DNA obtained from healthy individuals would be a predictor of future risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a new assay to measure relative telomere length, monochrome multiplex quantitative PCR, which strongly correlates with telomere length measured by Southern blot (Spearman r = 0.91, P < 0.0001) and has high precision (coefficient of variation = 7%), we compared telomere length in peripheral WBC DNA in 107 incident male non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases and 107 matched controls within the prospective Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study cohort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median (10th, 90th percentile) telomere length was 1.10 (0.79, 1.43) in cases and 1.02 (0.78, 1.26) in controls (P = 0.0017, Wilcoxon sign test). There was a strong dose-response relationship between quartiles of telomere length and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma overall [odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) by quartile: 1.0; 1.1 (0.4-2.7); 1.8 (0.7-4.9); and 3.6 (1.4-8.9); P trend = 0.003], and this association was similar across the most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes present in this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that longer telomere length may be a potential predictor for future risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7240, USA. qingl@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cawthon
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Stephanie J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.forename: Jarmo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Virtamo
authors.forename: Unhee
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: H Dean
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Hosgood
authors.forename: Demetrius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Albanes
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rothman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010919:Placebos; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D016615:Telomere / Q000648:ultrastructure; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D019207:beta Carotene; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol