[Human telomerase RNA (hTR) expression in lung cancer in the Gejiu and Xuanwei regions of Yunnan].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the correlation between the expression of hTR in and the pathogenesis of lung cancer in Gejiu and Xuanwei regions of Yunnan province.


METHODS
By use of in situ hybridization, the expression of hTR gene was observed in 81 cases of lung cancer tissues including 24 cases of Gejiu Tin miners (GTM), 36 cases of Xuanwei farmers (XF) and 21 cases of other regions.


RESULTS
hTR was detected in 65.4% (53/81) of the lung cancer cases. The positive rate of hTR in GTM, XF and other regions was 66.7% (16/24), 58.3% (21/36) and 76.2% (16/21) respectively. Positive hTR expression was not found in normal bronchial and alveolar epithelia, but was found in highly proliferating type II alveolar epithelial cells adjacent to the carcinoma (12.3%, 10/81). No significant difference was observed with regard to the positive rate of hTR expression among three different regions. There was no statistically significant correlation between the expression of hTR, the patients' sex, age and the differentiation degree of the tumor, but the expression of hTR was correlated with histological type and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of hTR is a prevailing event in lung cancer and therefore can be used as an indicator of lung malignancy.
Jin
K
K
Department of Pathology, Kunming Medical College, Kunming 650031, China.
Gao
J
J
Gao
Q
Q
Chen
L
L
Li
B
B
Yang
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019098:Telomerase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019098:Telomerase