title: Lack of causal relationship between leukocyte telomere length and coronary heart disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between genetic variation in telomerase RNA component (TERC) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  An analysis of LTL was conducted, focusing on two SNPs in 2 community-based cohort populations comprising 3500 Chinese Han individuals. In addition, LTL ratio was determined in a case-control setting involving 4351 participants: 2211 healthy individuals and 2140 CHD patients. The association between LTL and the presence and extent of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular lesions were tested. Results confirmed the association of rs12696304 and rs16847897 with LTL in the Chinese Han population (P=1.63×10(-6) and P=1.44×10(-7), respectively). However, these SNPs confer a moderate risk for CHD but did not achieve significant threshold after multiple corrections. Decreased LTL ratio was associated with CHD (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.34; P<0.01). In addition, the LTL ratio in CHD patients was related to numbers of vascular disease lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results do not support a causal role of LTL for the development of CHD. However, LTL may be related to complex conditions associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease manifestations.
authors: Departments of Internal Medicine and the Institute of Hypertension, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefang Ave., Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Guanglin
authors: G
authors: Cui
authors: Departments of Internal Medicine and the Institute of Hypertension, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefang Ave., Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Sun
authors: Departments of Internal Medicine and the Institute of Hypertension, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefang Ave., Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Lina
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Departments of Internal Medicine and the Institute of Hypertension, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefang Ave., Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Li
authors: Departments of Internal Medicine and the Institute of Hypertension, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefang Ave., Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Université Laval, Y4332, 2725 Chemin Ste-Foy, Québec, QC G1V 4G5, Canada.
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Cianflone
authors: Departments of Internal Medicine and the Institute of Hypertension, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefang Ave., Wuhan 430030, China. Electronic address: huding@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.
authors: Hu
authors: H
authors: Ding
authors: Departments of Internal Medicine and the Institute of Hypertension, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefang Ave., Wuhan 430030, China. Electronic address: dwwang@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.
authors: Dao Wen
authors: DW
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015984:Causality; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D002681:China; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012313:RNA / Q000097:blood*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D019098:Telomerase / Q000097:blood*; D016615:Telomere / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis
chemical_list: C422952:telomerase RNA; D012313:RNA; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: Coronary heart disease; Risk assessment; TERC; Telomere length