Eur Respir J 2006; 27:525-528
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2006
Telomere shortening in smokers with and without COPD
M. Morlá1,
X. Busquets1,
J. Pons2,
J. Sauleda3,
W. MacNee4 and
A. G. N. Agustí1,3
1 Unitat d'Investigació, 2 Serveis de Inmunologia, and 3 Pneumologia, Hospital Universitari Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. 4 ELEGI Laboratories, Royal Infirmary, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
CORRESPONDENCE: X. Busquets, IUNICS-Hospital Universitari Son Dureta Andrea Doria 55, 07014- Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Fax: 34 971175228. E-mail: busquets{at}hsd.es
Keywords: Ageing, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, inflammation, repair, tobacco
Received: July 25, 2005
Accepted November 18, 2005
Telomeres are complex DNAprotein structures located at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomere length shortens with age in all replicating somatic cells. It has been shown that tobacco smoking enhances telomere shortening in circulating lymphocytes. The present study investigated whether this effect was further amplified in smokers who develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Telomere length was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridisation in circulating lymphocytes harvested from 26 never-smokers, 24 smokers with normal lung function and 26 smokers with moderate-to-severe airflow obstruction (forced expiratory flow in one second 48±4% predicted).
In contrast to never-smokers, telomere length significantly decreased with age in smokers. There was also a doseeffect relationship between the cumulative long-life exposure to tobacco smoking (pack-yrs) and telomere length. The presence and/or severity of chronic airflow obstruction did not modify this relationship.
The results of the current study confirm that smoking exposure enhances telomere shortening in circulating lymphocytes. It also demonstrates a doseeffect relationship between exposure to tobacco smoking and telomere length, but failed to show that this effect is amplified in smokers who develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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Copyright © 2006 by the European Respiratory Society.
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