title: Telomere length and periodontal attachment loss: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to examine the association between telomere erosion and periodontitis in a long-standing prospective cohort study of New Zealand adults. Specific hypotheses tested were as follows: (i) that exposure to periodontitis at ages 26 and 38 was associated with accelerated leucocyte telomere erosion and (ii) that accelerated leucocyte telomere erosion was associated with higher rates of periodontitis by ages 26 and 38.
  
  
  METHODS
  Periodontal attachment loss data were collected at ages 26 and 38. Blood samples taken at the same ages were analysed to obtain estimates of leucocyte telomere length and erosion over a 12-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the mean telomere length was reduced by 0.15 T/S ratio (adjusted) from age 26 to 38 among the 661 participants reported on here. During the same period, the mean attachment loss increased by 10%, after adjusting for sex, socio-economic status and smoking. Regression models showed that attachment loss did not predict telomere length, and that telomere erosion did not predict attachment loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although both periodontitis and telomere length are age-dependent, they do not appear to be linked, suggesting that determination of leucocyte telomere length may not be a promising clinical approach at this age for identifying people who are at risk for periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Sir John Walsh Research Institute, School of Dentistry, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: William Murray
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jiaxu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Sir John Walsh Research Institute, School of Dentistry, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Broadbent
authors.affiliation: Sir John Walsh Research Institute, School of Dentistry, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lyndie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Foster Page
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Idan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shalev
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Terrie E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Moffitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Avshalom
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caspi
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Sheila M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Antony W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Braithwaite
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Richie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poulton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss; D010518:Periodontitis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking; D016615:Telomere; D059506:Telomere Shortening
keywords: cell ageing; epidemiology; periodontitis; telomere shortening