[Relationship among telomerase activity, telomerase RNA and telomerase catalytic subunit gene expression and their significance in non small-cell lung cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To study telomerase activity (TA), telomerase RNA (hTR) and telomerase catalystic subunit (hTRT/hEST2) code gene expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), their relationship and significance.


METHODS
Telomerase repeat amplification protocol PCR (TRAP-PCR) for TA, RT-PCR for hTR and in situ hybridization for hTRT/hEST2 mRNA expression were performed.


RESULTS
Positive rates of TA, hTR and hTRT/hEST2 were 68.4%(26/38), 51.7%(32/58) and 74.2%(43/58) in NSCLC. But, the adjacent and benign lung tissues were negative for expression of TA, hTR and hTRT/hEST2. A statistically significant positive correlation between TA and hTRT/hEST2 was observed(r = 0.84, P = 0.01), though there was no statistically significant positive association between TA and hTR (r = 0.16, P = 0.23). The median survivals of TA and hTRT/hEST2 positive groups (10.4 months, 7.5 months) were shorter than the negative ones (13.5 months, 14.7 months). However, only the hTRT/hEST2 group was found to show statistical significance to be an independent prognostic factor by multivariate Cox regression analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Telomerase activity, hTR expression and hTRT/hEST2 are frequently detected at higher levels in NSCLC than the pericancerous normal tissues. There is a positive correlation between TA and hTRT/hEST2, both of which are markers of poor magnificent phenotype of NSCLC. The hTRT/hEST2 has an independent prognostic significance.
Wang
J
J
Beijing University School of Clinical Oncology, Second Department of Internal Medicine, Cancer Hospital, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing 100036, China.
Liu
X
X
Jiang
W
W
D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C422952:telomerase RNA; D012313:RNA; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase