title: Clinical implications of telomerase activity in resected hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: This study investigated the relationship of telomerase activity to its clinical implications in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Telomerase activity was quantatively examined by a non-radioisotope quantitative system based on a TRAP-eze (ONCOR) in 42 HCC nodules and 40 non-cancerous liver tissue adjacent to the HCC nodules, obtained by surgical resection. Telomerase activity was confirmed in 37 HCC nodules (88.1%), being more statistically intense in de-differentiated tumors (p<0.01). Telomerase activity was positive in 9 cases (22.5%) of non-cancerous liver tissue and its activation was closely associated with the biologically malignant potential of the tumor itself such as the histological grade, portal vascular invasion, and intrahepatic metastasis (p<0. 05). The disease-free survival rate with its activity was also statistically lower than that without its activity of the non-cancerous tissue (p<0.01). These results indicate that telomerase may be a useful marker of biological characteristics in HCC and may lead to more effective surgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kobe Rosai Hospital, Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0053, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanamaru
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hisatomi
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D015996:Survival Rate; D019098:Telomerase / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D019098:Telomerase