Telomere elongation followed by telomere length reduction, in leukocytes from divers exposed to intense oxidative stress - Implications for tissue and organismal aging

► Telomere elongation in granulocytes and naïve T cells in divers exposed to oxidative stress. ► No telomere elongation in memory T and B cells in divers exposed to oxidative stress. ► Telomere elongation in naïve T cells may be attributed to telomerase activation. ► Oxidative stress may lead to repopulation of the peripheral hematopoietic compartment.