Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences located at the ends of linear chromosomes that preserve the integrity and stability of the genome. Telomere dysfunctions due to short telomeres or altered telomere structures can ultimately lead to replicative cellular senescence and chromosomal instability, both mechanisms being hallmarks of ageing. Chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and finally telomere length (TL) dynamics have been shown to be involved in various age-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), including affections such as inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis and uveitis belong to this group of age-related NCDs. Although in recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of studies in the literature linking these IMIDs to TL dynamics, the causality between these diseases and telomere attrition is still unclear and controversial. In this review, we provide an overview of available studies on telomere dynamics and discuss the utility of TL measurements in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

端粒是位于线性染色体末端的重复 DNA 序列，可保持基因组的完整性和稳定性。由于端粒短或端粒结构改变导致的端粒功能障碍最终会导致复制性细胞衰老和染色体不稳定，这两种机制都是衰老的标志。慢性炎症、氧化应激和最终的端粒长度 (TL) 动力学已被证明与各种与年龄相关的非传染性疾病 (NCD) 相关。免疫介导的炎症性疾病 (IMID)，包括炎症性肠病、银屑病、类风湿性关节炎、脊柱关节炎和葡萄膜炎等疾病属于这一组与年龄相关的非传染性疾病。尽管近年来，我们见证了将这些 IMID 与 TL 动力学联系起来的文献研究的出现，这些疾病与端粒损耗之间的因果关系仍不清楚且存在争议。在这篇综述中，我们概述了有关端粒动力学的现有研究，并讨论了 TL 测量在免疫介导的炎症性疾病中的效用。