Telomere length in small‐for‐gestational‐age babies

Akkad, Andrea; Hastings, Richard A.; Konje, J. C.; Bae, Sang Cheol; Thurston, H.; Williams, Bryan

doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2005.00839.x

Cited by 122 publications

(104 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…This relationship between low birth weight and shorter TL has been found previously in placenta samples (Davy et al, 2009) but was not found in a small study measuring TL in cord blood (Akkad et al, 2006) nor in three cohorts (including 124 MZ and DZ twin pairs) from Finland (Kajantie et al, 2012). These negative reports do not necessarily contradict our findings.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Low Birth Weight in MZ Twins Discordant for Birth Weight is Associated with Shorter Telomere Length and lower IQ, but not Anxiety/Depression in Later Life

Strohmaier

Dongen²,

Willemsen³

et al. 2015

Twin Res Hum Genet

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Shorter telomere length (TL) has found to be associated with lower birth weight and with lower cognitive ability and psychiatric disorders. However, the direction of causation of these associations and the extent to which they are genetically or environmentally mediated are unclear. Within-pair comparisons of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins can throw light on these questions. We investigated correlations of within pair differences in telomere length, IQ, and anxiety/depression in an initial sample from Brisbane (242 MZ pairs, 245 DZ same sex (DZSS) pairs) and in replication samples from Amsterdam (514 MZ pairs, 233 DZSS pairs) and Melbourne (19 pairs selected for extreme high or low birth weight difference). Intrapair differences of birth weight and telomere length were significantly correlated in MZ twins, but not in DZSS twins. Greater intra-pair differences of telomere length were observed in the 10% of MZ twins with the greatest difference in birth weight compared to the bottom 90% in both samples and also in the Melbourne sample. Intra-pair differences of telomere length and IQ, but not of TL and anxiety/depression, were correlated in MZ twins, and to a smaller extent in DZSS twins. Our findings suggest that the same prenatal effects that reduce birth weight also influence telomere length in MZ twins. The association between telomere length and IQ is partly driven by the same prenatal effects that decrease birth weight.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Low Birth Weight in MZ Twins Discordant for Birth Weight is Associated with Shorter Telomere Length and lower IQ, but not Anxiety/Depression in Later Life

Strohmaier

Dongen²,

Willemsen³

et al. 2015

Twin Res Hum Genet

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“…Premature senescence in the kidney may result from ongoing hyperfiltration injury in kidneys with fewer nephrons, compounded by a rapid increase in body size. In humans, leukocyte telomere length was not different between LBW and NBW British newborns, but among 5 year old children from Bangladesh, telomeres were significantly shorter in those who were of LBW 93,94 . Senescence is linked to oxidative stress.…”

Section: Early Growth and Kidney Functionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Effect of fetal and child health on kidney development and long-term risk of hypertension and kidney disease

et al. 2013

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Developmental programming of non-communicable diseases is now an established paradigm. With respect to hypertension and chronic kidney disease, adverse events experienced in utero can affect development of the fetal kidney and reduce final nephron number. Low birth weight and prematurity are the most consistent clinical surrogates for a low nephron number, and are associated with increased risk of hypertension, proteinuria and kidney disease in later life. Rapid weight gain in childhood or adolescence further compounds these risks. Low birth weight, prematurity and rapid childhood weight gain should alert clinicians to an individual's life-long risk of hypertension and kidney disease, prompting education to minimize additional risk factors and ensuring follow-up. Birth weight and prematurity are significantly impacted by maternal nutrition and health during pregnancy. Optimization of maternal health and early childhood nutrition could therefore attenuate this programming cycle and reduce the global burden of hypertension and kidney disease in the future.

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“…In such a situation, availability of a pool of cells for maintenance or for postinjury renal cellular turnover would be limited in kidneys that have already exhausted telomere capacity during a past period of catch-up growth (Figure 2). Although we would not expect significantly shorter telomeres in LBW infants, as has been reported (65), it would be of interest to follow telomere length longitudinally in LBW infants who have experienced catch-up growth in comparison with control counterparts. We would expect reduced telomere length (and hence limited subsequent replicative capacity) after a period of catch-up growth.…”

Section: Role Of Telomere Integrity and Renal Cell Turnovermentioning

confidence: 99%