Telomere Science Library

Publications, Presentations, and Videos
about the Nobel-Prize Winning Science of Telomere Biology

Peripheral blood telomere content is greater in patients with endometriosis than in controls.

genetics

stem cell

Authors: Roberta C RC. Dracxler, C C. Oh, K K. Kalmbach, F F. Wang, L L. Liu, E G EG. Kallas, M T M MT. Giret, M L ML. Seth-Smith, D D. Antunes, D L DL. Keefe, M S MS. Abrao
Published: 03/27/2014, Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)

Unlabelled

The etiology of endometriosis remains poorly understood but circulating stem cells may contribute. Telomeres shorten with cell divisions and age. Stem cells attempt to compensate for telomere attrition through the action of telomerase. Since circulating stem cells may contribute to endometriosis, we compared telomere content in lymphocytes of patients with and without endometriosis.

Methods

Observational study comparing peripheral lymphocytes telomere content, measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, in patients with (n = 86) and without endometriosis (n = 21).

Findings

Patients with endometriosis had longer telomeres than that of matched, endometriosis-free controls (telomere to single copy gene ratio [T/S ratio] of 1.62 vs 1.34, respectively, P = .00002). Patients with endometriosis were 8.1-fold more likely to have long telomeres. (odds ratio = 8.1, 95% confidence interval: 1.28-51.57, P = .0264).

Interpretation

Longer telomeres could be consistent with a stem cell origin of endometriosis.

© The Author(s) 2014.
PubMed Full Text