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Mild cognitive impairment identified in older individuals with down syndrome by reduced telomere signal numbers and shorter telomeres measured in microns
Author(s) -
Jenkins Edmund C.,
Ye Lingling,
Velinov Milen,
KrinskyMcHale Sharon J.,
Zigman Warren B.,
Schupf Nicole,
Silverman Wayne P.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
american journal of medical genetics part b: neuropsychiatric genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.393
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1552-485X
pISSN - 1552-4841
DOI - 10.1002/ajmg.b.32066
Subject(s) - telomere , chromosome , dementia , biomarker , peptide nucleic acid , population , biology , medicine , genetics , dna , disease , gene , environmental health
Previously, we established that short‐term T lymphocyte cultures from people with Down syndrome (DS) and dementia (Alzheimer's disease) had shorter telomeres than did those from age‐ and sex‐matched people with DS only, quantified as significantly reduced numbers of signals of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) telomere probes in whole metaphases [Jenkins et al. (2008); Neurosci Lett 440:340–343] as well as reduced telomere probe light intensity values in interphases [Jenkins et al. (2010); Neurobiol Aging 31:765–771]. We now describe shorter telomere length in adults with DS and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to age‐ and sex‐matched individuals with DS without MCI. Telomere length is quantified by reduced telomere signal numbers and shorter chromosome 1 telomeres measured in micrometers (microns). These findings were in agreement with quantitative light intensity measurements of chromosome 1 and chromosome 21 PNA telomere probes with and without the use of a “normalizing ratio” involving the fluorescence exhibited by a PNA probe for centromere 2, and with the use of light intensity measurements of interphase preparations. Most importantly, the distributions of chromosome 1 telomere lengths (in microns) were completely non‐overlapping for adults with and without MCI, indicating that this measure has great promise as a biomarker for MCI as well as dementia in this population. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.