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Study of telomere length and different markers of oxidative stress in patients with Parkinson’s disease

  • JNHA: Clinical Neurosciences
  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Background

Many studies have shown that short telomere length (TL) is associated with high oxidative stress and various age-related diseases. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related disease, and although its pathogenic mechanism is uncertain, oxidative stress is believed to be implicated in this pathology. The aim of this case-control study was to assess both TL and the different markers of oxidative stress in elderly patients with PD compared to age control subjects.

Methods

20 PD patients and 15 age-matched controls, >65 years were studied. TL was measured by Southern blotting from DNA samples extracted from white blood cells. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and plasma levels of total glutathione and protein carbonyls were determined.

Results

There was a trend for lower TL in PD patients: 6.06 ± 0.81 kb in PD versus 6.45± 0.73 kb in controls (p = 0.08). No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of oxidative stress markers. In controls, age was the main determinant of telomere shortening (r = −0.547; p = 0.03) whereas, in PD patients, telomere shortening was mainly dependent on plasmatic concentrations of carbonyl proteins (r= −0.544; p=0.044). In PD patients, a negative association was observed between plasma carbonyl protein levels and SOD activity (r= − 0.622, p=0.004).

Conclusions

In PD, TL is shorter in presence of high oxidative stress as measured by carbonyl protein levels. The absence of telomere attrition with age among patients with PD could reflect a telomere regulation by mechanisms other than age.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body Mass Index

CRP:

C-Reactive Protein

CV:

CardioVascular

DNPH:

2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine

DTNB:

5,5′-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic

GSH:

Glutathione

HDL-C:

High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol

kb:

kilobase

LDL-C:

Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol

n.a:

not applicable

PD:

Parkinson’s Disease

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TG:

TriGlycerides

TL:

Telomere Length

TNB:

5-thio-2-nitrobenzoic

TRF:

Terminal Restriction Fragment

WBCs:

White Blood Cells

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatrics, University Hospital of Nancy, Nancy, France

    G. Watfa, C. Alecu & Athanase Benetos

  2. Inserm, U961, Faculty of Medicine, Nancy, France

    G. Watfa, Athanase Benetos & R. Nzietchueng

  3. Nancy University Hospital & Inserm Clinical Investigation Centre, CIC9501, Nancy, France

    G. Watfa

  4. Department of Internal Medicine (Geriatrics), Internal Medicine Clinic II, Clinical Center Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany

    C. Dragonas & C. C. Sieber

  5. Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany

    C. Dragonas, T. Brosche & C. C. Sieber

  6. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erlangen University Hospital University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany

    R. Dittrich

  7. University Hospital of Nancy, 54500 Vandoeuvre lès Nancy, Nancy, France

    Athanase Benetos

Authors
  1. G. Watfa
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  2. C. Dragonas
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  3. T. Brosche
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  5. C. C. Sieber
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  6. C. Alecu
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Correspondence to Athanase Benetos.

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Watfa, G., Dragonas, C., Brosche, T. et al. Study of telomere length and different markers of oxidative stress in patients with Parkinson’s disease. J Nutr Health Aging 15, 277–281 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-010-0275-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-010-0275-7

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