Journal article
Low birth weight in MZ twins discordant for birth weight is associated with shorter telomere length and lower IQ, but not anxiety/depression in later life
J Strohmaier, J Van Dongen, G Willemsen, DR Nyholt, G Zhu, V Codd, B Novakovic, N Hansell, MJ Wright, L Rietschel, F Streit, AK Henders, GW Montgomery, NJ Samani, NA Gillespie, IB Hickie, JM Craig, R Saffery, DI Boomsma, M Rietschel Show all
Twin Research and Human Genetics | Published : 2015
DOI: 10.1017/thg.2015.3
Abstract
Shorter telomere length (TL) has found to be associated with lower birth weight and with lower cognitive ability and psychiatric disorders. However, the direction of causation of these associations and the extent to which they are genetically or environmentally mediated are unclear. Within-pair comparisons of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins can throw light on these questions. We investigated correlations of within pair differences in telomere length, IQ, and anxiety/depression in an initial sample from Brisbane (242 MZ pairs, 245 DZ same sex (DZSS) pairs) and in replication samples from Amsterdam (514 MZ pairs, 233 DZSS pairs) and Melbourne (19 pairs selected for extreme high or lo..
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Awarded by Medical Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study: We thank the Brisbane twins and siblings for their participation; Marlene Grace and Ann Eldridge for sample collection; Kerrie McAloney for study coordination; Anthony Conciatore for IT support, and Leanne Wallace and the Molecular Genetics Laboratory for sample preparation. The research was supported by the Australian Research Council (A7960034, A79906588, A79801419, DP0212016, DP0343921) and by the National Health and Medical Research Council (389891, 1049911, 1069141). Measurement of telomere length (by VC in the laboratory of NS) was partially funded by the EU ENGAGE consortium (FP7-HEALTH-F4-2007-201413).Netherlands Twin Register: We would like to thank all twins and family members and the funding agencies for their support; the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO 900-562-137, 904-61-090, 985-10-002, 904-61-193, 56-464-14192, 400-03-330, 480-04004, 400-07-080, 911-09-032, 451-06-004, 451-08-026, 451-10-005), the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW 3100.0038, 940-37-024, 31160008), EMGO + Institute for Health and Care Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, BBMRI -NL (184.021.007: Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure), National Institutes of Health (NIH 5R37DA018673-03, R01 MH059160, 1RC2 MH089951-01, 4R37DA018673-06, 1R01 MH087646-01A1), National Institute of Mental Health (RFAMH08120), Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (2011 NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grant; 18633), FP7 ENGAGE(FP7-HEALTH-F4-2007-201413), European Research Council (230374-GMI, 284167), Rutgers University (3797).Melbourne Peri/postnatal Epigenetics Twin Study: We wish to thank Ruth Morley, John Carlin, Mark Umstad, Euan Wallace, Michael Permezel, Sarah Healy, Tina Vaiano, Nicole Brooks, Jennifer Foord, Sheila Holland, Anne Krastev, Siva Illancheran and Joanne Mockler, Xin Li, Ji Hoon E. Joo, Anna Czajko, Geraldine McIlroy for their contributions to PETS and all mothers and twins who participated in this study. RS is supported by an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship and BN by an NHMRC CJ Martin Early Career Fellowship. JMC is supported by the NHMRC, the Australian Twin Registry and the MCRI. PETS is supported by the Victorian Government Operational Infrastructure support program.DN is supported by the Australian Research Council (FT0991022) and National Health and Medical Research Council (APP0613674). The visit of JS to QIMR was supported by the grant 'Exzellenzinitiative II / Massnahme 7 / Mobilitatsmassnahmen im Rahmen der internationalen Forschungskooperation 2013-2014' from the University of Heidelberg. LR visited QIMR with support from the Psychosis Centre, Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. Support was also received from the NHMRC-EU Project Grant ID-496739.