Shorter leukocyte telomeres in young relapsing-remitting MS patients than in matched controls
In a cross-sectional abstract, young adults with relapsing-remitting MS had shorter leukocyte telomeres than age- and sex-matched healthy controls; shelterin gene variants showed no association with telomere length. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
In this cross-sectional study, relative leukocyte telomere length was measured in 40 patients with relapsing-remitting MS aged 40 or younger and 39 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. [1]
Leukocyte telomere length was significantly shorter in the RRMS group than in controls (p = 0.005), with modest group discrimination (area under the curve 0.698). [1]
Across all inheritance models, the TERF1 and TERF2 variants showed no significant association with telomere length. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Cross-sectional study (abstract)
- Population / context
- Adults aged 40 or younger with relapsing-remitting MS (n = 40) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 39).
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- October 6, 2026
Young RRMS cohort compared with matched healthy controls
The abstract describes a cross-sectional study. Relative leukocyte telomere length was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 40 patients with relapsing-remitting MS aged 40 or younger and in 39 healthy controls matched for age and sex. Key shelterin complex variants were also genotyped: TERF1 (rs10107605, rs1545827) and TERF2 (rs251796). Genetic association testing covered several inheritance models and was combined with correlations to clinical and imaging features.
Supporting source [1]
Shorter telomeres in RRMS; no link to shelterin variants
Telomere length was significantly shorter in the RRMS group than in controls (p = 0.005), which the authors describe as evidence of accelerated biological aging even in this relatively young cohort. Discrimination between groups was modest: area under the curve 0.698 (95% confidence interval 0.60–0.79). Across all inheritance models, the TERF1 and TERF2 variants showed no significant association with telomere length. Subgroup analyses reported that telomere shortening was independent of chronological age, sex, smoking status and disease duration.
Supporting source [1]
Abstract-only scope of a cross-sectional telomere study
These findings come from the abstract; the full text was not reviewed. The design is cross-sectional, so it shows an association at one time point, not that MS causes telomere shortening. The authors interpret the pattern as consistent with disease-driven immunosenescence and call telomere length a promising biomarker, but the abstract reports no longitudinal or outcome data. The proposed future longitudinal multi-omics work is a suggestion, not a completed result.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causation or temporal order, and the abstract reports no longitudinal or clinical outcome data.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Karacan I, Susgun S, Savasci D, Yigit B, Yozlu D, Korkmaz ND, Duzenli OF, Yabaci A, Yucesan E, Gursoy AEB. · europepmc.org · October 6, 2026