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Cited by 3Telomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceBirth, Development, and HealthEpigenetics and DNA Methylation

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Correlation of telomere length between full and preterm neonates and their mothers

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Vakonaki, Elena, Vitiadou, Maria, Paraskevopoulou, Nefeli, Tzatzarakis, Manolis, Baliou, Stella, Ioannou, Petros, Alegakis, Athanasios, Lamprakis, Thomas, Fragkiadaki, Persefoni, Mylonaki, Eleftheria, Volonaki, Zoi, Anagnostatou, Nicolina, Makrygiannakis, Fanourios, Makrigiannakis, Antonios, Spandidos, Demetrios, Tsatsakis, Aristides, Hatzidaki, Eleftheria·2025·Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine
DOI 10.3892/etm.2025.12937PMC PMC12360152
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Abstract

Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes that serve as protective caps from the DNA damage response at the ends of chromosomes. During aging, telomeres gradually shorten, and genomic instability arises through the induction of senescence. The present study aimed to elucidate the association between maternal characteristics, their medical history and pregnancy details with the telomere length (TL) of neonates. Blood samples were collected from 54 mothers and their neonates, and DNA extraction and measurement of TL was performed by quantitavive PCR. The results showed that maternal TL was negatively correlated with body mass index before pregnancy. A weak to moderate significant correlation was observed between maternal and neonatal TL. Non-significant differences were found between the maternal TL and their smoking habits, as well as medical and gestation history.

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  • Maternal-neonatal correlations in telomere length support an intrauterine and inherited component, but none of these measures is a clinical outcome or a validated individual predictor of adult cardiometabolic disease.

    “Maternal–neonatal correlations in telomere length support an intrauterine and inherited component, but none of these measures is a clinical outcome or a validated individual predictor of adult cardiometabolic disease [121].”

    From Placental Pathophysiology and Developmental Programming of Adult Cardiometabolic Risk: A Narrative Review of Pregnancy Exposures (2026) · cites this paper as [121]

    The Discussion (page not provided) reports a weak-to-moderate, statistically significant correlation between maternal and neonatal telomere length; the Introduction describes telomere length as partly inherited and potentially influenced by intrauterine conditions. The study measured telomere length rather than adult clinical outcomes, but it does not assess whether these measures are validated individual predictors of adult cardiometabolic disease. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Metadata

Authors
Vakonaki, E., Vitiadou, M., Paraskevopoulou, N., Tzatzarakis, M., Baliou, S., Ioannou, P., Alegakis, A., Lamprakis, T., Fragkiadaki, P., Mylonaki, E., Volonaki, Z., Anagnostatou, N., Makrygiannakis, F., Makrigiannakis, A., Spandidos, D., Tsatsakis, A., & Hatzidaki, E.
Affiliations
  • University of Crete (GR)
  • Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Greece
  • University Hospital of Heraklion (GR)
  • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71500 Heraklion, Greece
  • Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
ORCID
Venue
Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine
Publisher
Spandidos Publications
Published
2025-08-05
Volume
30
Issue
4
Pages
1-9
ISSN
  • 1792-0981 (ISSN-L)
  • 1792-1015
DOI
10.3892/etm.2025.12937
PMC
PMC12360152
OpenAlex
W4412994169
Cited by
3
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 3
FWCI
1.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc-nd
Locations
  • Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
Keywords
telomere length, preterm infants, term infants, maternal body mass index, maternal smoking, genomic instability, aging

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