Telomerase activity analysis of esophageal carcinoma using microdissection-TRAP assay / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To 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.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Telomerase 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.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Telomerase 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.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Telomerase 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.</p>