title: Leukocyte telomere length is associated with measures of subclinical atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to test the association of mean leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with ultrasonic measures of subclinical atherosclerosis such as intima-media thickness in the common carotid (IMTcc) and sum of plaque areas (SPA) and with serological markers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carotid and femoral bifurcations were scanned in 762 general population volunteers (46% men) over 40. Four features were considered: (a) IMTcc, (b) sum plaque areas of carotid plaques (SPAcar), (c) sum plaque area of common femoral plaques (SPAfem) and (d) sum plaque area (SPA--sum of the plaque areas of the largest plaques present in each of both carotid and femoral bifurcations). Mean LTL was determined with a quantitative real-time PCR-based method. IMTcc was strongly associated with mean LTL both before and after correction for traditional risk factors (B=-0.002; 95% CI=-0.004 to -0.00; p=0.014). In sex-specific analysis, the association was stronger in men (p for sex interaction<0.001). SPAfem was associated with LTL in women before and after correction (B=-0.195; 95% CI=-0.38 to -0.01; p=0.037) (p for sex interaction<0.001). LTL was also associated with age and sex-adjusted levels of hsCRP (p=0.012), sCD40L (p=0.042), homocysteine (p=0.006), creatinine (p=0.02), ApoA1 (p=0.01), Lp(a) (p=0.04) and HOMA-IR (p=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the telomere hypothesis and highlight potential differences in the biological mechanisms leading to intima-media thickening and/or plaque formation between vascular beds. They may provide insights into a novel treatment of antisenescence to prevent atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Genetics, UCL, London, UK. andriepanayiotou@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Panayiotou
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tyllis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoppensteadt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fareed
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Humphries
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D016615:Telomere / Q000737:chemistry*; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography