Malaria endemicity linked to shorter telomeres in leukocytes.

Leukocyte telomere length is a highly polygenic trait that has been associated with a complex range of lifestyle factors and disease risk. McQuillan et al.'s results comparing telomere length to malaria incidence rates suggest that infections may be another important factor, possibly through permanent shortening of telomeres in hematopoietic progenitor cells.
Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests.
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