Salivary Telomere Length and Lung Function in Adolescents Born Very Preterm: A Prospective Multicenter Study

Preterm birth is associated with abnormal respiratory functions throughout life. The mechanisms underlying these long-term consequences are still unclear. Shortening of telomeres was associated with many conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We aimed to search for an association between telomere length and lung function in adolescents born preterm. Lung function and telomere length were measured in 236 adolescents born preterm and 38 born full-term from the longitudinal EPIPAGE cohort. Associations between telomere length and spirometric indices were tested in univariate and multivariate models accounting for confounding factors in the study population. Airflows were significantly lower in adolescents born preterm than controls; forced expiratory volume in one second was 12% lower in the extremely preterm born group than controls (p早产与终生呼吸系统功能异常密切相关。此类长期不良结局的潜在机制目前仍未明确。端粒（telomere）缩短与多种疾病状态相关，例如慢性阻塞性肺疾病。本研究旨在探讨早产青少年的端粒长度与肺功能之间的关联。本研究从纵向队列EPIPAGE中纳入236名早产青少年与38名足月青少年，对其肺功能及端粒长度进行了检测。本研究通过单变量及多变量模型，在校正研究人群混杂因素后，分析了端粒长度与肺量测定指标间的关联。早产青少年的肺通气量显著低于足月对照组；极早产组的一秒用力呼气容积较对照组低12%（p