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Chromosomes in old age: A six year longitudinal study

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Summary

This first longitudinal study on aged subjects confirms previous cross-sectional observations of increasing aneuploidy with advancing age in women but not in men. In this study of 17 aged twins (mean age 89.7 years), 11 women and 6 men, spanning an interval of approximately 6 years between examinations, only women showed a significant increase in hypodiploidy (also hyperdiploidy and monosomy C). This increase in hypodiploidy was not due to a high frequency of chromosome loss in a few subjects but rather was exhibited by most of the subjects. While men showed a loss in G-group chromosomes during this 6-year interval, that loss was not statistically significant. These findings confirm for the first time by means of longitudinal follow-up that women and not men, even in the ninth decade of life, show a significant increase in hypodiploidy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychogenetics Unit, Veterans Administration Hospital (Brentwood), Los Angeles, California

    Lissy F. Jarvik, Fu-Sun Yen, Tsu-Ker Fu & Steven S. Matsuyama

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

    Lissy F. Jarvik, Fu-Sun Yen, Tsu-Ker Fu & Steven S. Matsuyama

Authors
  1. Lissy F. Jarvik
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  2. Fu-Sun Yen
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  3. Tsu-Ker Fu
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  4. Steven S. Matsuyama
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Supported in part by PHS grants HD01615 and MH23989.

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Jarvik, L.F., Yen, FS., Fu, TK. et al. Chromosomes in old age: A six year longitudinal study. Hum Genet 33, 17–22 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447282

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447282

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