Similar telomere attrition rates in androgen-treated and untreated patients with dyskeratosis congenita.

Similar telomere attrition rates in androgen-treated and untreated patients with dyskeratosis congenita. Blood Adv. 2018 Jun 12;2(11):1243-1249 Authors: Khincha PP, Bertuch AA, Gadalla SM, Giri N, Alter BP, Savage SA Abstract Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome and the prototypic telomere biology disorder (TBD). Leukocyte telomere length (TL) less than the first percentile for age, measured by flow cytometry with in situ hybridization (flow FISH), is diagnostic of DC. Androgens are a therapeutic option for DC/TBD-associated bone marrow failure (BMF). One report has shown an apparent increase in TL in patients while on treatment with the attenuated androgen danazol. The aim of this study was to compare TL over time in 10 androgen-treated and 16 untreated patients with DC. All subjects were enrolled in institutional review board-approved longitudinal cohort studies of inherited BMF. TL in 6-panel leukocyte subsets was measured by flow FISH. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) methodology was used to compare TL changes over time between groups. Unadjusted analyses showed annual median total lymphocyte TL attrition of -62 base pairs/year (bp/y) in androgen-treated patients with DC compared with -76 bp/y in untreated DC patients (P = .71). Longitudinal analysis using a GEE model, adjusted for age at sample collection, showed no statistically significant difference in TL change over time between trea...
Source: Adv Data - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Tags: Blood Adv Source Type: research