Telomere length changes in patients with aplastic anaemia

To investigate telomere changes in patients with aplastic anaemia (AA) and clinical factors influencing the telomere dynamics, telomere length (TL) wa s measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using Southern blot analys is of 42 patients with AA and 39 healthy normal controls. Nineteen patients received supportive treatment only while the remaining 23 patients receive d immunosuppressive therapy with anti-thymocyte globulin or antilymphocyte globulin +/-cyclosporin A. In AA patients, TL was on average 1.41 kb shorte r than that of age-matched normal controls (P < 0.001). In patients treated with immunosuppression, the mean TL of non-responders was significantly sh orter than that of age-matched normal controls (P < 0.001), while no differ ence in TL was detected in responders compared with controls. Positive corr elation was observed between the extent of telomere shortening, the severit y of neutropenia (P = 0.05) and the degree of mean corpuscular volume eleva tion (P = 0.005) at the time of the study. However, there was no correlatio n with time elapsed since diagnosis (P = 0.214). These findings suggest tha t haematopoietic stern cells in patients with AA rapidly lose TL at the ons et of the disease. The TL shortening may reflect the severity of impairment of haematopoiesis.