Telomere length analysis in Cushing's syndrome
Aulinas, Anna (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Ramírez de Haro, Ma. José (María José) (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras)
Barahona, María-José (Hospital Universitari MútuaTerrassa (Terrassa, Catalunya))
Valassi, Elena (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Resmini, Eugenia (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Mato, Eugenia (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Santos, Alicia (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Crespo, Iris (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Bell, Olga (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Surrallés i Calonge, Jordi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia)
Webb, S. M 1952- (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2014
Abstract:	Introduction: Hypercortisolism in Cushing's syndrome (CS) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Hypercortisolism also occurs in chronic depressive disorders and stress, where telomere length (TL) is shorter than in controls. We hypothesized that shortening of telomere might occur in CS and contribute to premature aging and morbidity. - Aim: To investigate TL in CS patients compared with controls. - Methods: Seventy-seven CS patients (14 males, 59 pituitary, 17 adrenal, and one ectopic; 21 with active disease) were compared with 77 gender-, age-, and smoking-matched controls. Fifteen CS were evaluated longitudinally, during active disease and after remission of hypercortisolism. Leukocyte TL was measured by telomere restriction fragment-Southern technique. Clinical markers were included in a multiple linear regression analysis to investigate potential predictors of TL. - Results : Mean TL in CS patients and controls was similar (7667 vs 7483 bp, NS). After adjustment for age, in the longitudinal evaluation, TL was shorter in active disease than after remission (7273 vs 7870, P<0. 05). Age and dyslipidemia were negative predictors (P<0. 05), and total leukocyte count was a positive predictor for TL (P<0. 05). As expected, a negative correlation was found between TL and age (CS, R=−0. 400 and controls, R=−0. 292; P<0. 05). No correlation was found between circulating cortisol, duration of exposure to hypercortisolism or biochemical cure and TL. - Conclusion : Even though in the cross-sectional comparison of CS and controls no difference in TL was found, in the longitudinal evaluation, patients with active CS had shorter TL than after biochemical cure of hypercortisolism. These preliminary results suggest that hypercortisolism might negatively impact telomere maintenance. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Grants:	Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2009/SGR-0489 Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI11/00001 Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI08/0302
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Telomeres ; Telòmers ; Cushing's syndrome ; Síndrome de Cushning
Published in:	European journal of endocrinology, No. 171 (Jul. 2014) , p. 21-29, ISSN 1479-683X

DOI: 10.1530/EJE-14-0098

Post-print 24 p, 287.4 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles