Influence of In Utero Maternal and Neonate Factors on Cord Blood Leukocyte Telomere Length: Clues to the Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer?

Background. Modifiable factors in adulthood that explain the racial disparity in prostate cancer have not been identified. Because racial differences in utero that may account for this disparity are understudied, we investigated the association of maternal and neonate factors with cord blood telomer...

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Main Authors: Kari A. Weber, Christopher M. Heaphy, Sabine Rohrmann, Beverly Gonzalez, Jessica L. Bienstock, Tanya Agurs-Collins, Elizabeth A. Platz, Alan K. Meeker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Prostate Cancer
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/3691650
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author Kari A. Weber
Christopher M. Heaphy
Sabine Rohrmann
Beverly Gonzalez
Jessica L. Bienstock
Tanya Agurs-Collins
Elizabeth A. Platz
Alan K. Meeker
author_facet Kari A. Weber
Christopher M. Heaphy
Sabine Rohrmann
Beverly Gonzalez
Jessica L. Bienstock
Tanya Agurs-Collins
Elizabeth A. Platz
Alan K. Meeker
author_sort Kari A. Weber
collection DOAJ
description Background. Modifiable factors in adulthood that explain the racial disparity in prostate cancer have not been identified. Because racial differences in utero that may account for this disparity are understudied, we investigated the association of maternal and neonate factors with cord blood telomere length, as a cumulative marker of cell proliferation and oxidative damage, by race. Further, we evaluated whether cord blood telomere length differs by race. Methods. We measured venous umbilical cord blood leukocyte relative telomere length by qPCR in 38 black and 38 white full-term male neonates. Using linear regression, we estimated geometric mean relative telomere length and tested for differences by race. Results. Black mothers were younger and had higher parity and black neonates had lower birth and placental weights. These factors were not associated with relative telomere length, even after adjusting for or stratifying by race. Relative telomere length in black (2.72) and white (2.73) neonates did not differ, even after adjusting for maternal or neonate factors (all p>0.9). Conclusions. Maternal and neonate factors were not associated with cord blood telomere length, and telomere length did not differ by race. These findings suggest that telomere length at birth does not explain the prostate cancer racial disparity.
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spelling doaj-art-3c30dd85a41a4876a41ca2bd2e5e873c2025-08-20T02:08:18ZengWileyProstate Cancer2090-31112090-312X2016-01-01201610.1155/2016/36916503691650Influence of In Utero Maternal and Neonate Factors on Cord Blood Leukocyte Telomere Length: Clues to the Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer?Kari A. Weber0Christopher M. Heaphy1Sabine Rohrmann2Beverly Gonzalez3Jessica L. Bienstock4Tanya Agurs-Collins5Elizabeth A. Platz6Alan K. Meeker7Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USADepartment of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001 Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USADivision of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USABackground. Modifiable factors in adulthood that explain the racial disparity in prostate cancer have not been identified. Because racial differences in utero that may account for this disparity are understudied, we investigated the association of maternal and neonate factors with cord blood telomere length, as a cumulative marker of cell proliferation and oxidative damage, by race. Further, we evaluated whether cord blood telomere length differs by race. Methods. We measured venous umbilical cord blood leukocyte relative telomere length by qPCR in 38 black and 38 white full-term male neonates. Using linear regression, we estimated geometric mean relative telomere length and tested for differences by race. Results. Black mothers were younger and had higher parity and black neonates had lower birth and placental weights. These factors were not associated with relative telomere length, even after adjusting for or stratifying by race. Relative telomere length in black (2.72) and white (2.73) neonates did not differ, even after adjusting for maternal or neonate factors (all p>0.9). Conclusions. Maternal and neonate factors were not associated with cord blood telomere length, and telomere length did not differ by race. These findings suggest that telomere length at birth does not explain the prostate cancer racial disparity.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/3691650
spellingShingle Kari A. Weber
Christopher M. Heaphy
Sabine Rohrmann
Beverly Gonzalez
Jessica L. Bienstock
Tanya Agurs-Collins
Elizabeth A. Platz
Alan K. Meeker
Influence of In Utero Maternal and Neonate Factors on Cord Blood Leukocyte Telomere Length: Clues to the Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer?
Prostate Cancer
title Influence of In Utero Maternal and Neonate Factors on Cord Blood Leukocyte Telomere Length: Clues to the Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer?
title_full Influence of In Utero Maternal and Neonate Factors on Cord Blood Leukocyte Telomere Length: Clues to the Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer?
title_fullStr Influence of In Utero Maternal and Neonate Factors on Cord Blood Leukocyte Telomere Length: Clues to the Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer?
title_full_unstemmed Influence of In Utero Maternal and Neonate Factors on Cord Blood Leukocyte Telomere Length: Clues to the Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer?
title_short Influence of In Utero Maternal and Neonate Factors on Cord Blood Leukocyte Telomere Length: Clues to the Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer?
title_sort influence of in utero maternal and neonate factors on cord blood leukocyte telomere length clues to the racial disparity in prostate cancer
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/3691650
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