Hematopoietic cellular aging is not accelerated during the first 2 years of life in children born preterm.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prematurity in itself and exposure to neonatal intensive care triggers inflammatory processes and oxidative stress, leading to risk for disease later in life. The effects on cellular aging processes are incompletely understood.

Methods

Relative telomere length (RTL) was measured by qPCR in this longitudinal cohort study with blood samples taken at birth and at 2 years of age from 60 children (16 preterm and 44 term). Viral respiratory infections the first year were evaluated. Epigenetic biological DNA methylation (DNAm) age was predicted based on methylation array data in 23 children (11 preterm and 12 term). RTL change/year and DNAm age change/year was compared in preterm and term during the 2 first years of life.

Results

Preterm infants had longer telomer

SUBMITTER: Henckel E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7086539 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature