Prospective association between leukocyte telomere length and mortality: findings from the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study.

David H Chae; Connor D Martz; Amani M Nuru-Jeter; Tiffany Yip; Jue Lin; Eloisa Bonf&#xe1;; Elissa S Epel; Kenneth Saag; Cristina M Lanata; Sofia Nadgauda; Jesus Ramirez-Valles; Jinoos Yazdany

doi:10.1093/cei/uxag052

PubMed · 42657649

Prospective association between leukocyte telomere length and mortality: findings from the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study.

David H Chae·Connor D Martz·Amani M Nuru-Jeter·Tiffany Yip·Jue Lin·Eloisa Bonfá·Elissa S Epel·Kenneth Saag·Cristina M Lanata·Sofia Nadgauda·Jesus Ramirez-Valles·Jinoos Yazdany

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a biomarker of replicative history of cells and has been posited to be an indicator of biological aging. LTL may yield insight into immunomodulatory disorders, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an immune-mediated inflammatory disease that disproportionately affects Black/African American women. This study examined the association between LTL and mortality among 422 Black/African American women in the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study. Participants were recruited from metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, between April 2015 and May 2017 and followed for a mean of 1.98 years (SD = 0.38). LTL was measured as the telomere-to-single copy gene ratio (T/S). Mortality was assessed prospectively. Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusting for sociodemographic, health, and disease characteristics were specified. A total of 19 participants died during the follow-up period. Adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related covariates, longer LTL was associated with lower risk of mortality (hazard ratio = 0.13, 95% confidence interval = 0.02, 0.83, P = 0.03). This study is the first to report an association between LTL and subsequent mortality among Black/African American women with SLE. Findings may be particularly relevant for this population, which has been shown to experience severe disease consequences. Future research may further explore LTL in mechanistic studies of SLE and assess the utility of LTL for monitoring disease progression and outcomes.

Explore related subjects

Humans Female Leukocytes Black or African American Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic Adult Prospective Studies Telomere Middle Aged Georgia Black/African American women leukocyte telomere length survival analysis systemic lupus erythematosus Journal Article

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

David H Chae, Connor D Martz, Amani M Nuru-Jeter, Tiffany Yip, Jue Lin, Eloisa Bonfá, Elissa S Epel, Kenneth Saag, Cristina M Lanata, Sofia Nadgauda, Jesus Ramirez-Valles, Jinoos Yazdany. 2026-01-06. Prospective association between leukocyte telomere length and mortality: findings from the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study.. https://doi.org/10.1093/cei%2Fuxag052

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2027

Global Genomic Surveillance.

Global genomic surveillance has emerged as a foundational pillar of public health in the twenty-first century, enabling real-time tracking of pathogen evolution and informing outbreak response. This chapter examines the strategic architecture of global genomic surveillance, focusing on its application to arboviruses such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV). It explores the integration of genomic data with epidemiological, clinical, and environmental information within a One Health framework, while addressing critical challenges in governance, equity, and interoperability. The discussion covers the entire genomic surveillance workflow, from sample collection and sequencing to bioinformatic analysis and phylogenetic inference, and highlights the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in predictive surveillance. By analyzing global initiatives, operational barriers, and emerging technologies, this chapter underscores the necessity of sustainable, equitable, and interoperable genomic systems to proactively address current and future infectious disease threats.

Humans↗

PubMed2027

Systematic Dissection of Key Driver Perturbation Signatures in Single Cells via ECCITE-seq.

CRISPR screens, such as expanded CRISPR-compatible cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing (ECCITE-seq), enable the simultaneous measurement of transcriptomes, gRNA identity, and cell-surface protein expression at single-cell resolution to systematically interrogate gene function. This platform provides a powerful and scalable experimental approach for validating disease-associated regulators identified by large-scale association studies and other computational methods, including network-based analyses of multi-omics data. Here, as an example application, we describe an ECCITE-seq framework to characterize the transcriptomic consequences of perturbing multiple neuronal key driver genes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons. More broadly, by integrating customized pooled gRNA libraries with different CRISPR effectors across multiple cell types, this approach allows for the assessment of the regulatory impact of candidate genes implicated in development and disease processes.

Humans↗

PubMed2027

Identification of Genome-Wide Chromatin Structural Aberration in Cancer by Hi-C Analysis.

Aberrant three-dimensional genome organization is a hallmark of cancer, often driving oncogene activation through mechanisms such as enhancer hijacking. High-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) maps these interactions on a genome-wide scale. Unlike earlier dilution-based methods, in situ Hi-C performs proximity ligation within intact nuclei, minimizing random ligation noise and enabling fine-scale structure detection. This chapter describes an optimized in situ Hi-C protocol tailored for cancer cell lines using MboI digestion and biotin-mediated pull-down to generate high-complexity libraries. We further outline a computational workflow that extends beyond standard topological mapping of compartments and topologically associating domains to identify cancer-specific aberrations. Specifically, we focus on detecting chromosomal rearrangements (structural variants) and characterizing the distinct circular topology of extrachromosomal DNA. This integrated experimental and analytical framework provides the necessary tools to dissect the spatial dysregulation underlying tumor evolution.

Humans↗