Telomere length and signal joint T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circles as biomarkers for chronological age estimation

Abstract

Background

Chronological age estimation is a challenging marker in the field of forensic medicine. The current study aimed to investigate the accuracy of signal joint T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (sjTRECs) quantification and telomere length measurement as methods for estimating chronological age.

Methods

Telomere length was estimated in the DNA derived from the buccal cells through estimating the telomeric restriction fragment (TRF) length using TeloTTAGGG Telomere Length Assay while the sjTRECs quantification was carried out on DNA isolated from the blood samples using qPCR.

Results

The TRF length was shortened with increased age (r = −0.722, p < 0.001). The sjTRECs were also decreased with increased age (r = −0.831, p < 0.001). Stronger coefficient and lower standard error of the estimate was obtained when multiple regression analysis for age prediction based on the values of both methods was applied (r = −0.876, p < 0.001).

Keywords:

• Chronological age
• telomere length
• sjTRECs
• quantitative real-time PCR
• southern blotting

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF) for supporting Elmadawy MA. The authors are grateful to Dr. Seham El-Kasas, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Animal Wealth Development, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt, for her help in the statistical analysis of the data.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Benha University Research Ethics Committee & Ethical Committee, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University. The study adhered to the tenants of the declaration of Helsinki. The samples used in this assay were obtained from Egyptian volunteers after written consents were obtained from them, or their legally authorized representative.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The authors confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by any other journal. All authors have approved the manuscript.

Data availability statement

All relevant raw data will be freely available to any scientist wishing to use them for non-commercial purposes without breaching participant confidentiality.

Additional information

Funding

This study is partially financially supported by The Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF) [grant no. 25431].