Anti-inflammatory heat shock protein 70 genes are positively associated with human survival.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective longitudinal cohort study assessing genetic variants and survival.
PubMed 20388090 · doi:10.2174/138161210790883499
What was done
Authors examined associations between three single nucleotide polymorphisms in HSP70 genes—HSPA1A (-110A>C), HSPA1B (1267A>G), and HSPA1L (2437T>C)—and survival in a longitudinal cohort of Danish nonagenarians born in 1905. Using DNA collected in 1998, they performed sex-stratified survival analysis calculating genotype relative risk (RR) and haplotype relative risk (HRR).
What was found
In female subjects, the HSPA1A-AA genotype (RR = 3.864; p = 0.016) and HSPA1B-AA genotype (RR = 2.764; p = 0.039) were significantly associated with poorer survival. Female carriers of the G-C-T haplotype had significantly better survival than non-carriers (HRR = 0.550; p = 0.015), living an average of about one year longer. No specific survival statistics or associations were reported for males in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study links genetic variation in anti-inflammatory heat shock proteins to human lifespan in nonagenarians, supporting model-organism evidence that cellular stress response pathways influence longevity.
Limits
The abstract does not state the total sample size (n), confidence intervals, or numerical findings for male participants. The cohort is restricted to individuals of Danish descent who had already survived to nonagenarian status (born in 1905), limiting generalizability to other age groups and ancestries.
Cited by
- partial Carrying one copy of a more active Hsp70 gene variant increases life expectancy by one year, while carrying two copies is associated with a two-year increase in life expectancy in humans.