Decreased serum creatinine concentration is associated with short telomeres of adipose tissue cells

Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 Jul;19(7):1511-4. doi: 10.1038/oby.2011.31. Epub 2011 Feb 24.

Abstract

Decreased serum creatinine concentration has been recently described to constitute a new risk factor of type 2 diabetes. Increased free radicals have been consistently associated with decreased serum creatinine and with cellular senescence. Telomere length is considered as a biological marker for senescence. We aimed to study the association of telomere length with serum creatinine. Telomere length of subcutaneous adipose tissue cells was measured in a sample of obese and nonobese subjects (n = 49). Telomere length of subcutaneous adipose tissue cells was positively associated with serum creatinine (r = 0.40, P = 0.004), i.e., the lower the telomere length, the lower the serum creatinine, but not with glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In addition, telomere length was negatively associated with BMI (r = -0.45, P = 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (r = -0.41, P = 0.003). In a multiple linear regression analysis, BMI (P = 0.005), systolic blood pressure (P = 0.01) and telomere length (P = 0.03) independently contributed to 37% of serum creatinine variance after controlling for sex and age. In conclusion, the association of serum creatinine with a marker of cellular senescence suggests an underlying mechanism influencing both decreased serum creatinine and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipocytes / ultrastructure*
  • Adult
  • Biomarkers
  • Body Mass Index
  • Cellular Senescence
  • Creatinine / blood*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Glomerular Filtration Rate
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / etiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / blood*
  • Obesity / pathology*
  • Obesity / physiopathology
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Risk Factors
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal / pathology
  • Telomere / ultrastructure*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Creatinine