Abstract
Objective: Telomere length is now discussed as an important factor for target organ damage and cardiovascular complications. The impairment of perinatal nutrition could promote the telomere length shortening which contributes to cardiac changes in the adult life. Contradictive results have also been reported concerning impact of starvation period: intrauterine or early infant. The aim of our study was to assess the structural cardiac and vascular changes in subjects who were exposed to Leningrad Siege in different age periods during Second World War (1941-1944). Design and methods: 105 survivors of Leningrad Siege were invited and signed informed consent. The patients were divided in 3 groups: born from 1930 to 1940 (26 subjects), survived the Siege in early infant age (born 1941 – 59 subjects) and born during the Leningrad Siege (20 subjects). All participants were interviewed by special questionnaire regarding lifestyle and risk factors. Blood pressure (BP) was measured on right arm in the sitting position. Anthropometry was performed according to standard procedures. Echocardiography (Vivid 7, GE) was performed. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was diagnosed in case of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) >96 in females and >115 g/m2 in males according to ASE criteria (2005). Arterial stiffness was assessed by SphygmoCor device with indirect measurement of carotid-femoral distance. Relative telomere lengths were measured by quantitative PCR and the ratio of telomere repeat copy number to single gene copy number (T/S) was calculated for each DNA sample. Results: No differences in BP and anthropometry between the group were detected.Only females with LVH had shorter telomere length (0,81 ± 0,04) comparing with females without LVH (0,73 ± 0,05), p = 0,002. Conclusions: The patients who were undergone the intrauterine starvation showed the shortest telomere length without any differences in LVMI values. Siege survivors in the early infant period were predisposed to increased arterial stiffness.
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