Relative telomere length of the residents of Lviv oblast

Aim. Telomeres are short, tandem repeats of DNA that cap linear chromosome ends by binding members of the shelterin protein complex to form protective telomere loops. An insufficient number of telomere repeats leads to chromosome uncapping, cell senescence, and death. Aim of this thesis is the analysis of relative telomere length (RTL) in whole blood among residents of Lviv region. Methods. The RTL in the whole blood cells was measured in 86 residents of various age (47 men and 39 women aged 18–72) using quantitative real-time PCR (Cawthon’s method). It is based on the simultaneous amplification of telomeric repeats (T) and a single copy gene (S). Results. There is a tendency to decrease RTL with age. The low correlation between RTL and age can be linked to various factors, including the heterogeneity of telomere length at birth, chronic socioeconomic stress, genetic determinism, sensitivity to exogenous pressures. Women and men did not differ significantly in the rate of RTL shortening. Conclusions. The results indicate the absence of reliable differences relative telomere length in individuals of different sexes. The low correlation between RTL and age can be linked to various factors, including insufficient sample size of people aged over 50 years. So in the future we plan to continue these studies in older people. Keywords: relative telomere length, RT-PCR, age, gender.