ArticleHaematologica2017
Shorter leukocyte telomere length is associated with higher risk of infections: a prospective study of 75,309 individuals from the general population.
Article in Haematologica, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 84 citations in OpenAlex.
- Loci for human leukocyte telomere length in the Singaporean Chinese population and trans-ethnic genetic studies.Nature communications · 2019Pooled it
- Trial
- Osteoarthritis and analgesic consumption in haemochromatosis HFE C282Y homozygotes with normal or low iron parameters.Nature communications · 2026Article
- The Role of Immunosenescence and Inflammaging in the Susceptibility of Older Adults to SARS-CoV-2 Infection.Current pharmaceutical biotechnology · 2026Review
- Telomere Length and COVID-19 Severity: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study Across the Clinical Spectrum.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Telomere Length, Oxidative Stress Markers, and Related miRNAs in Non-Invasive Samples of Mild COVID-19 Cases.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Association between monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and telomere length: based on NHANES 1999-2002.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2024Article
- Causal relationship between telomere length and sepsis: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Observational
- Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Telomere Length: An Analysis of Data from the Randomised Controlled D-Health Trial.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2023Article
- Association of weight range with telomere length: A retrospective cohort study.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2023Article
- Article
- Understanding the role of telomere attrition and epigenetic signatures in COVID-19 severity.Gene · 2022Review
- Article
- Stress and telomere shortening: Insights from cellular mechanisms.Ageing research reviews · 2022Review
- Genetic, Environmental and Lifestyle Determinants of Accelerated Telomere Attrition as Contributors to Risk and Severity of Multiple Sclerosis.Biomolecules · 2021Review
- Shorter leukocyte telomere length is associated with severity of COVID-19 infection.Biochemistry and biophysics reports · 2021Article
- Short Leukocyte Telomeres, But Not Telomere Attrition Rates, Predict Memory Decline in the 20-Year Longitudinal Betula Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2021Article
- Telomere length and outcome of treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis in a gold mining community.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Leukocyte Telomere Length Is Not Reduced in Children and Adults with Cystic Fibrosis but Associates with Clinical Characteristics-A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
In the general population, older age is associated with short leukocyte telomere length and with high risk of infections. In a recent study of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for severe aplastic anemia, long donor leukocyte telomere length was associated with improved survival in the recipients. These findings suggest that leukocyte telomere length could possibly be a marker of immune competence. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that shorter leukocyte telomere length is associated with higher risk of infectious disease hospitalization and infection-related death. Relative peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 75,309 individuals from the general population and the individuals were followed for up to 23 years. During follow up, 9228 individuals were hospitalized with infections and infection-related death occurred in 1508 individuals. Shorter telomere length was associated with higher risk of any infection (hazard ratio 1.05 per standard deviation shorter leukocyte telomere length; 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.07) and pneumonia (1.07; 1.03-1.10) after adjustment for conventional infectious disease risk factors. Corresponding hazard ratios for infection-related death were 1.10 (1.04-1.16) for any infection and 1.11 (1.04-1.19) for pneumonia. Telomere length was not associated with risk of skin infection, urinary tract infection, sepsis, diarrheal disease, endocarditis, meningitis or other infections. In conclusion, our findings indicate that leukocyte telomere length may be a marker of immune competence. Further studies are needed to determine whether risk of infections in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients can be reduced by considering donor leukocyte telomere length when selecting donors.
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Registered trials
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