title: Plasma micronutrient levels and telomere length in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Telomeres are long hexamer (TTAGGG) repeats at the ends of chromosomes, and contribute to maintenance of chromosomal stability. Telomere shortening has been linked to cancers and other chronic diseases in adults, although evidence for causal associations is limited. The aim of this study was to determine whether nutritional factors are associated with telomere length (TL) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study of nutritional factors and TL in 437 children between 2009 and 2011. Healthy children ages 3, 6, and 9 y provided blood samples, and their parents completed a food frequency questionnaire and a telephone interview about relevant environmental exposures. TL and blood micronutrient levels were measured, and genotyping at 10 loci was undertaken. Associations between the micronutrients and other variables were assessed using linear regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant main or interactive effects of age or sex were seen. After adjustment for age, sex, parental education, and month of blood collection, TL was inversely associated with plasma zinc, and shorter in children with the homozygous mutant genotype of the RFC G80A (rs1051266) polymorphism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation of the association between telomere length and micronutrients in healthy children. The reason for the inverse relationship of TL with zinc is unknown but could be the result of an increase in telomere sequence deletions caused by labile zinc induction of oxidative stress. These findings should be corroborated in other studies before nutritional recommendations might be considered.
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: Liz.Milne@telethonkids.org.au.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Food, Nutrition and Bioproducts Flagship, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: O'Callaghan
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Padmaja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramankutty
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: de Klerk
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathryn R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Greenop
authors.affiliation: Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Sax Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Bruce K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.affiliation: Child Health Promotion Research Centre, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Food, Nutrition and Bioproducts Flagship, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenech
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004249:DNA Damage; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000097:blood*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D051818:Replication Protein C / Q000235:genetics; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis; D014965:X-Rays / Q000009:adverse effects; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients; D010575:Pesticides; C081632:RFC1 protein, human; D005492:Folic Acid; D051818:Replication Protein C; D012643:Selenium; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc; D003367:Cotinine; D002118:Calcium; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: DNA damage; Nutrients; Nutrition; Pediatric; Polymorphisms; Zinc