ABSTRACT
Telomerase activity has been detected in many human immortal cell lines and tumor tissues. We studied telomerase activity in a series of human musculoskeletal tumors. Twenty-eleven tumors from 27 patients were studied using a sensitive PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based technique, the TRAP(telomeric repeat amplication protocol) assay. Telomerase activity was present in seven tumors(25.9%). Telomerase activity was present in six of 18 malignant tumors(33.3%), while telomerase was active in one of 9 benign tumors(11.1%). Telomerase was active in 40% for osteosarcomas, 25% for soft tissue sarcomas, 16.7% for giant cell tumors of bone, and none for benign tumors. These results are a remarkablely low positive rate of telomerase activity in comparing with other types of carcinoma. In conclusion, it suggests that the musculoskeletal tumors, arisen from mesenchymal cells, follow different pathways of neoplastic progression or it is due to tile specific characteristics stick of sarcomas-abundant extracellular matrix and lack of tumor cells-differed tumor those of carcinomas.