Telomerase Activity in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.
- Author:
Jhin Gook KIM
1
;
Kwhan Mien KIM
;
Young Mog SHIM
;
Kay Hyun PARK
;
Tae Gook JUN
;
Pyo Won PARK
;
Hurn CHAE
;
Myung Soon KIM
;
Yeon Soo SEO
;
Sook Hyun LEE
;
Chung Whan PAIK
;
Joung Ho HAN
Author Information
1. Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Carcinoma, non-small cell, lung;
Neoplasm marker
- MeSH:
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung*;
Cell Line;
Lung Neoplasms;
Sensitivity and Specificity;
Telomerase*;
Telomere
- From:The Korean Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
1997;30(7):701-708
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Although many reseraches have been persued to detect the molecular tumor marker to define the cancer, ideal tumor marker which speak for the characteristics of malignancy and has high sensitivity and specificity is not known. One of the characteristics of the malignant cells is indefinite proliferative potential, in other word, immortality. The expression of telomerase and stabilization of telomeres are concomitant with the attainment of immortality in tumor cells; thus the measurement of telomerase activity in clinically obtained tumor samples may provide important information which would be useful as a diagnostic marker to detect immortal cancer cells. Telomerase activity was analyzed in 12 non-small cell lung cancer cell lines and 41 primary non-small cell lung cancers with the use of a PCR-based assay. All the cell lines and the majority of tumors displayed telomerase activity, but telomerase was not detectable in most of the corresponding pathologically-normal tissues. Telomere length was not correlated with telomerase activity. The present study indicate that measurement of telomerase activity may be useful as a molecular tumor marker in non-small cell lung cancer.
