Telomerase activity analysis of esophageal carcinoma using microdissection-TRAP assay.
- Author:
Chun LI
1
;
Yingrui LIANG
;
Mingyao WU
;
Liyan XU
;
Weijia CAI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Adult; Aged; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; enzymology; pathology; Cell Differentiation; Dissection; Esophageal Neoplasms; enzymology; pathology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Precancerous Conditions; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Telomerase; genetics; metabolism; Telomere
- From: Chinese Medical Journal 2002;115(9):1405-1408
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVESTo investigate telomerase activity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and its preneoplasia lesions, and to study the relationships between telomerase activity and cancer differentiation, cancer invasiveness, and lymphatic metastasis.
METHODSTelomerase activity in esophageal SCC tissues, adjacent dysplasia tissues and normal epithelia from the surgical edge were assessed by microdissection-TRAP (telomeric repeat amplification protocol)-silver staining assay.
RESULTSTelomerase activity was detected in 37 (82.2%) of 45 esophageal tumors, 23 (79.3%) of 29 dysplasias, and 2 (5%) of 40 normal epithelia. There was a significant difference in activity between dysplasia and normal epithelium, as well as between tumor and normal epithelium. Twenty-six (92.9%) of 28 tumors with lymphatic metastasis had detectable telomerase activity compared to 11 (64.7%) of 17 non-lymphatic metastasis tumors. These relationships were statistically significant (P < 0.05), but the one between telomerase activity and tumor grade was not.
CONCLUSIONTelomerase activity was high both in esophageal SCC and their preneoplasia lesions. The telomerase activity in SCC tissue was related to lymphatic metastasis, but not to cancer differentiation.
