title: Telomerase activity in malignant and benign bladder conditions.
abstract: This study investigated whether the enzyme telomerase is active in bladder tumours, whether there is any correlation between activity and grade, and whether the enzyme is expressed in non-malignant conditions. Fifty-two patients undergoing cystoscopy or TURBT at a district general hospital were included, 25 with current bladder tumours, 13 with previous but no current tumours, and 14 with non-malignant pathology. Specimens were analysed by the telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP assay), a highly-sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay, and a commercially-available ELISA kit. Telomerase activity was detected in 80% of bladder tumours, more frequently in moderate- or poorly-differentiated (93%) than well-differentiated (56%) tumours. Activity was not uniform across individual tumours. Telomerase was also frequently (61%) detected in inflammatory lesions found in patients being followed up for previous bladder tumours, and in two (14%) patients with benign pathologies. In conclusion, telomerase was frequently but not uniformly detected in bladder tumours; its presence was not specific to malignancy. There is a possible correlation between tumour grade and telomerase activity.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Oncology Unit, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, UK.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mayfield
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Flannigan
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hamilton Stewart
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bibby
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000201:enzymology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000201:enzymology; D001745:Urinary Bladder Diseases / Q000201:enzymology; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019098:Telomerase