Erosion of telomeric 3′-overhangs in white blood cells of aged subjects with high frequency of very short telomeres

▶ The telomeric 3′-overhang length of leukocytes is constant throughout human lifespan. ▶ Surprisingly, in some very old subjects the 3′-overhangs are extensively eroded. ▶ The subjects with eroded 3′-overhangs also have the highest frequency of very short telomeres.