title: [Telomerase activity and determination of cancer in urological neoplasias using exfoliated urinary cells: in situ TRAP assay and its application].
abstract: We determined telomerase activity semiquantitatively and in-cell telomerase activity in exfoliated urinary cells obtained from urological neoplasias. Semiquantitative determination of telomerase activity was performed using a fluorescent-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) and telomerase activity at the cellular level was determined by an in situ TRAP assay. Fluorescent-based TRAP assay detected urinary telomerase activity in about 80% patients with urological neoplasia before treatment, whereas urinary cells obtained from 30% patients after/during treatment with either chemotherapy or operation (class II-V) had detectable telomerase activity. In contrast, the in situ TRAP assay detected telomerase-positive cells in 85% patients before treatment and 60% patients after/during treatment. Of note is a dissociation of the results between fluorescent-based TRAP assay and that of in situ TRAP assay in some patients. Some patients without detectable telomerase activity using the fluorescent-based TRAP assay showed a low frequency of telomerase-positive cells in the urine. A combination of semiquantitative analysis and an in situ TRAP assay to detect telomerase-positive cells might be a useful tool in the detection and monitoring of patients with urological neoplasias.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical College.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohyashiki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yahata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miki
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D019098:Telomerase / Q000032:analysis*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D014556:Urine / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D019098:Telomerase