[Telomerase activity in lung cancer and adjacent peritumoral tissues determined by TRAP-SYBR green assay].
OBJECTIVE
To develop methods for the qualitative analysis of telomerase activity by TRAP-SYBR Green assay and study telomerase activity in lung cancer and adjacent peritumoral tissues, and to explore the possible association with expression of P53.


METHODS
Thirty six lung cancer tissues and 36 adjacent peritumoral tissues, 8 lung benign lesion tissues and A549 lung adenoma cell line, were examined for telomerase activity by TRAP-SYBR Green assay. The 36 lung cancer tissue samples were also examined for P53 protein expression by immunohistochemical staining.


RESULTS
Telomerase activity in 5 cells of A549 lung cancer cell line was detected by TRAP-SYBR Green assay. Thirty of 36 (83.3%) lung cancer specimens, seven of 36 (19.4%) adjacent peritumoral tissues, three of 8 (37.5%) lung benign lesion tissues were positive for telomerase activity. Telomerase activity of lung cancer did not correlate with pathologic type, tumor size and clinical stage. P53 was over-expressed in 24 of the 30 (80%) lung cancer samples with telomerase activity. A significant correlation was found between telomerase activity and accumulation of P53 proteins (r = 00.60, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
TRAP-SYBR Green assay may be a sensitive, fast and convenient method for qualitative analysis of telomerase activity, which is useful in diagnosis lung neoplasms. The relationship between telomerase activity and P53 accumulation needs further study.
He
M
M
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan 430030, China.
Xu
S
S
Wang
X
X
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D019098:Telomerase / Q000032:analysis*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; C098798:SYBR Green II; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019098:Telomerase