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Updated: Oct 4, 2025
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Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Published on: May 22, 2013
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Interstitial lung abnormalities are associated with decreased mean telomere length
Rachel K Putman1, Gisli Thor Axelsson2,3, Samuel Y Ash4
1Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA rputman@bwh.harvard.edu.
The European Respiratory Journal
|February 4, 2022
Summary
Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) are linked to shorter mean telomere length (MTL). This study found ILA associated with decreased MTL across multiple cohorts, suggesting a potential role in lung disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Genetics
- Aging Research
Background:
- Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) share clinical and radiological similarities with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
- The relationship between ILA and mean telomere length (MTL) has not been previously established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) and mean telomere length (MTL).
- To determine if MTL is a potential biomarker for ILA.
Main Methods:
- Telomere length was quantified using qPCR in the COPDGene and AGES-Reykjavik cohorts and Southern blot in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS).
- Logistic and linear regression models assessed the ILA-MTL association; Cox proportional hazards models evaluated MTL and mortality risk.
Main Results:
- Across all three cohorts, ILA was significantly associated with decreased MTL.
- Individuals in the shortest MTL quartile exhibited a >2-fold increased odds of ILA in COPDGene and AGES-Reykjavik.
- The association between ILA and MTL was stronger than that observed between MTL and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Conclusions:
- Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) are associated with shorter mean telomere length (MTL).
- MTL may serve as a potential biomarker for ILA, warranting further investigation into its role in lung disease pathogenesis.
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