title: Leukocyte telomere length and mortality risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) shortening is found in a number of age-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In this study its possible association with mortality was analyzed in a sample of 568 T2DM patients (mean age 65.9 ± 9 years), who were followed for a median of 10.2 years (interquartile range 2.2). A number of demographic, laboratory and clinical parameters determined at baseline were evaluated as mortality risk factors. LTL was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and reported as T/S (telomere-to-single copy gene ratio). Age, gender, creatinine, diabetes duration at baseline, and LTL were significantly different between T2DM patients who were dead and alive at follow-up. In the Cox regression analysis adjusted for the confounding variables, shorter LTL, older age, and longer disease duration significantly increased the risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 3.45, 95%CI 1.02-12.5, p = 0.004). Kaplan-Maier analysis also found a different cumulative mortality risk for patients having an LTL shorter than the median (T/S ≤0.04) and disease duration longer than the median (>10 years) (log-rank = 11.02, p = 0.011). Time-dependent mortality risk stratification showed that T2DM duration and LTL combined was a fairly good predictor of mortality over the first 76 months of follow-up.In conclusion, LTL combined with clinical parameters can provide additive prognostic information on mortality risk in T2DM patients.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, INRCA-IRCCS National Institute, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bonfigli
authors.affiliation: Center of Biostatistics, INRCA-IRCCS National Institute, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spazzafumo
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prattichizzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, DIMES, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonafè
authors.affiliation: Center of Clinical Pathology and Innovative Therapy, National Institute INRCA-IRCCS, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mensà
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Micolucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.affiliation: Center of Biostatistics, INRCA-IRCCS National Institute, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fabbietti
authors.affiliation: Experimental Models in Clinical Pathology, INRCA-IRCCS National Institute, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Diseases and Diabetology Unit, INRCA-IRCCS National Institute, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boemi
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, INRCA-IRCCS National Institute, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lattanzio
authors.affiliation: Center of Clinical Pathology and Innovative Therapy, National Institute INRCA-IRCCS, Ancona, Italy.|Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabiola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olivieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016615:Telomere / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers
keywords: Gerotarget; aging; mortality; telomere shortening; type 2 diabetes