Blood telomerase activity and DNA dielectric properties in human hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease

ABSTRACT

Telomerase activity which restores the length of telomere repeat array is frequently detectable in various malignancies including hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of the present work is to determine the diagnostic usefulness of the measurement of the telomerase activity and DNA electrical properties in peripheral blood from hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] and chronic liver disease. In 10 patients with HCC, 13 with chronic hepatitis C, and 7 healthy individuals, we measured peripheral blood telomerase activity by using the telomerase PCR ELISA assay. We examined its sensitivity and specificity in HCC, chronic HCV and its significance in comparison with other tumor markers. Telomerase activity was detected in peripheral blood of 80% in hepatoccllular carcinoma, 15% of chronic hepatitis C patients and absent in control group. A clear correlation between the incident of increased telomerase activity and that of elevated AFP was evident. The dielectric results indicated that the studied DNA has a dielectric dispersion in the frequency range used. The increase in the electrical conductivity and relaxation time for HCC and chronic disease is attributed to the increase of the surface charge density of the DNA macromolecule. It was concluded that detection of telomerase activity in peripheral blood in combination with measurement of dielectric dispersion of DNA could increase the accuracy in diagnosis of HCC and improve the judgment on its prognosis