title: The correlation between peripheral leukocyte telomere length and indicators of cardiovascular aging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between telomere length in peripheral blood white cells and cardiovascular function in a healthy, aging Han Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2012, peripheral blood leukocytes were obtained from 139 healthy individuals in Beijing, China, and telomere restriction fragment (TRF) length was assayed using a digoxigenin-labeled hybridization probe in Southern blot assays. Indicators of cardiovascular function were also evaluated, including electrocardiograms (ECG), (RR, P, PR, QRS, ST and T intervals); blood pressure (BP), (SBP, DBP, PP, PPI); cardiovascular ultrasound (left ventricular ejection fraction, LVEF); mitral early and late diastolic peak flow velocity (MVE and MVA); and lipid indices (TC, TG, HDL, LDL, LCI). The relationships of these cardiovascular indictors to telomere length were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No correlations were found between telomere length and ECG, BP or lipid indices even after adjustment for age. Correlations were found between TFR length and some cardiovascular ultrasound indictors (D, MVEA, MVEDT, MVES, MVEL, MVEI, IMT), but these were not seen after adjusting for age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We did not find that leukocyte TFR length was associated with cardiovascular ultrasound indictors, ECG, BP, or lipid indices in this population of healthy Han Chinese individuals. Telomere length may serve as a genetic factor in biological aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Guang
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: De-Long
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zuo-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Dian-Geng
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Yan
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China. Electronic address: xmchen301@126.com.
authors.forename: Xue-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002681:China; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000503:physiopathology; D013318:Stroke Volume; D059506:Telomere Shortening; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Blood pressure; Cardiovascular function; Cardiovascular ultrasound.; Electrocardiogram; Telomere length