title: A correlation study of telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes and kidney function with age.
abstract: The current study aimed to investigate the association between telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes and kidney function in various age groups of a healthy population. A total of 139 healthy individuals were divided into five groups according to their age: 35‑44, 45‑54, 55‑64, 65‑74 and >75 years old. Peripheral blood leukocytes were obtained and the telomere restriction fragment (TRF) length was assayed using a digoxigenin‑labeled hybridization probe in Southern blot assays. Laboratory assays of kidney function were also performed. A correlation was observed between TRF length and age (r=‑0.314, P<0.001), with the telomere length of the individuals >75 years group being significantly shorter than the telomere length of the 35‑44, 45‑54 and 55‑64 years age groups (P<0.05). By contrast, the TRF length for males versus females did not differ for any of the age groups, while a correlation was observed between TRF length and serum levels of cystatin C (r=‑0.195, P<0.05). There was also a correlation between TRF length and glomerular filtration rate (r=‑0.184, P<0.05). The current study demonstrated that in this cohort, leukocyte telomere length reduced with age and was correlated with serum levels of cystatin C and glomerular filtration rate. Therefore, TRF length is associated with kidney function and may serve as a marker of aging.
authors: Department of Nephrology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Chinese People's Liberation Army Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Beijing 100853, P.R. China.
authors: Wei-Guang
authors: WG
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Nephrology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Chinese People's Liberation Army Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Beijing 100853, P.R. China.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Nephrology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Chinese People's Liberation Army Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Beijing 100853, P.R. China.
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Hou
authors: Department of Nephrology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China.
authors: Lin-Pei
authors: LP
authors: Jia
authors: Department of Nephrology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Nephrology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Chinese People's Liberation Army Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Beijing 100853, P.R. China.
authors: De-Long
authors: DL
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Shu-Ying
authors: SY
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110022, P.R. China.
authors: Xiao-Juan
authors: XJ
authors: Bai
authors: Department of Nephrology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Chinese People's Liberation Army Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Beijing 100853, P.R. China.
authors: Guang-Yan
authors: GY
authors: Cai
authors: The Medicine School of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China.
authors: Yan-Ping
authors: YP
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Nephrology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Chinese People's Liberation Army Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Beijing 100853, P.R. China.
authors: Xue-Feng
authors: XF
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Nephrology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Chinese People's Liberation Army Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Beijing 100853, P.R. China.
authors: Xiang-Mei
authors: XM
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055316:Cystatin C / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D055316:Cystatin C