A prospective study of telomere length measured by monochrome multiplex quantitative PCR and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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.
Lan
Qing
Q
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7240, USA. qingl@mail.nih.gov
Cawthon
Richard
R
Shen
Min
M
Weinstein
Stephanie J
SJ
Virtamo
Jarmo
J
Lim
Unhee
U
Hosgood
H Dean
HD
Albanes
Demetrius
D
Rothman
Nathaniel
N
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
D010919:Placebos; D019207:beta Carotene; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol