It is known that age-related changes impacting multiple organ systems occur earlier in people with Down syndrome (Ds), but the biological basis underlying this trisomy 21-associated propensity for premature aging is poorly understood. Given that the trisomic/normal cells from people with mosaic Ds (mDs) are identical with regards to environmental exposures and genes (except for chromosome 21 copy number), comparisons of these isogenic trisomic/disomic cells allow one to “unmask” the cellular consequences of trisomy 21 by removing extraneous factors. The primary aim of this study was to determine if trisomy 21 results in an increase in the acquisition of age-related somatic chromosomal changes. To meet this aim, chromosome-specific telomere lengths, senescence-associated distension of satellites (SADS), and chromosomal instability frequencies were compared between the isogenic trisomic/disomic cells of people with mDs ranging from 1 to 44 years of age. Chromosome-specific telomere lengths were quantified using a Q-FISH (pantelomeric probe) method. The average trisomic cell telomere length (3.609 mean, +/- 0.082 SE) was significantly less than the average disomic cell telomere length (3.888 +/- 0.083) (n=28; p
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:vcu.edu/oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-5893 |
| Date | 01 January 2017 |
| Creators | Rafferty, Kelly A |
| Publisher | VCU Scholars Compass |
| Source Sets | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | © The Author |
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