title: Telomere length variation: A potential new telomere biomarker for lung cancer risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this report the associations between telomere length variation (TLV), mean telomere length in blood lymphocytes and lung cancer risk were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design is case-control. Cases (N=191) were patients newly diagnosed with histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer. Controls (N=207) were healthy individuals recruited from the same counties as cases and matched to cases on age and gender. Telomere fluorescent in situ hybridization was used to measure telomere features using short-term cultured blood lymphocytes. Logistic regression was used to estimate the strength of association between telomere features and lung cancer risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Telomere length variation across all chromosomal ends was significantly associated with lung cancer risk; adjusted odds ratios 4.67 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46-14.9] and 0.46 (95% CI: 0.25-0.84) for younger (age≤60) and older (age>60) individuals, respectively. TLV and mean telomere length jointly affected lung cancer risk: when comparing individuals with short telomere length and high TLV to those with long telomere length and low TLV, adjusted odd ratios were 8.21 (95% CI: 1.71-39.5) and 0.33 (95% CI: 0.15-0.72) for younger and older individuals, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TLV in blood lymphocytes is significantly associated with lung cancer risk and the associations were modulated by age. TLV in combination with mean telomere length might be useful in identifying high risk population for lung cancer computerized tomography screening.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Krishna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kota
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Yaru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Salaam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Motlak
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States; Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Kepher
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makambi
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States; Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Loffredo
authors.affiliation: James Cancer Hospital, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43220, United States.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology Division, Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Curtis C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States. Electronic address: yz37@georgetown.edu.
authors.forename: Yun-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002877:Chromosomes, Human; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis; D059506:Telomere Shortening
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Blood-based biomarker; Lung cancer; Risk prediction; Telomere dysfunction; Telomere length; Telomere length variation
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