Leukocyte Telomere Length gene explained
Since the discovery of the human genome and its role in health, scientists have been telling us about different disease risks. But how exactly do your genes alter these risks? New research into telomere length and chronic disease risks in a Singapore Chinese study population provides some insight into these relationships.
Throughout life, your cells must divide repeatedly to maintain health and normal bodily functions. When DNA is being replicated for cell division, certain enzymes called polymerases must attach to the DNA strand to carry out the necessary processes. Due to the shapes and sizes of these enzymes, they cannot always reach the end of the strand, and some of the bases are cut off each time it is copied. Fortunately, our DNA has telomeres, which are sequences of repeated bases that exist at the ends of each chromosome. Telomeres shorten over time and this shortening has been associated with aging and chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory disorders.
Understanding the role that leukocyte telomere length plays in our health is important for anticipating, treating, and controlling the progress of these diseaes of aging. A DNA analysis that reveals a short leukocyte telomere length may be a predictor of chronic diseases. If it’s believed that a patient is suffering from a chronic disease but the diagnosis is unclear, knowing that the leukocyte telomere length is short can help inform the diagnosis. Since the connection between leukocyte telomere length and health conditions has been recognized, research into these connections has been ongoing.
In this publication, researchers evaluated the genetic profiles of over 25,000 Singapore Chinese study participants in comparison to the proportions of chronic diseases. They also evaluated the telomere lengths of leukocytes, or blood cells, to identify whether certain genes are related to leukocyte telomere length and chronic diseases. Despite looking at several genes, they found that among their study population, the only significant association discovered existed between having the rs7253490 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and an increased risk of death due to respiratory disease. This SNP is located on chromosome 19 where it is responsible for encoding various zinc finger (ZNF) genes important in telomere length and DNA replication processes.
In other words, these results provide additional evidence of the complexity of disease risk and the genetic factors that underlie these risks. Knowing that a short leukocyte telomere length can make an individual more susceptible to respiratory disease is a key element in staying healthy. If you know that your leukocyte telomere length is short, you’ll know that you need to take a respiratory pandemic like Covid 19 or even the seasonal flu seriously. You may choose to avoid large gatherings or wear a mask in public to protect yourself. Taking such simple precautions can extend the life of a person with short leukocyte telomere length.
If you would like to learn more about this research and the other genes evaluated, you can read the entire publication here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31171785
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Photo by Daniil Kuželev on Unsplash
