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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Optimization of Performance Parameters of the TAGGG Telomere Length Assay
Published on: April 21, 2023
Telomere length in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria correlates with clone size
Gabriela M Baerlocher1, Elaine M Sloand, Neal S Young
1Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Objective:
To study if telomere length can be used as a surrogate marker for the mitotic history in normal and affected hematopoietic cells from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
Methods:
The telomere length was measured by automated multicolor flow fluorescence in situ hybridization in glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol anchored protein (GPI)-negative and GPI-positive peripheral blood leukocytes. Eleven patients were studied, two with predominantly hemolytic PNH and nine with PNH associated with marrow failure.
Results:
Telomere length in GPI-negative cells was significantly shorter than in GPI-positive cells of the same patient (p < 0.01, n = 11). The difference in telomere length (telomere length in GPI-positive minus telomere length in GPI-negative cells) correlated with the percentage of GPI-negative white blood cells.
Conclusion:
Our results support the hypothesis that telomere length is correlated to the replicative history of GPI-positive and GPI-negative cells and warrant further studies of telomere length in relation to disease progression in PNH.
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