[Changes of telomere length in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
Using Southern hybridization, we analysed the telomere length from thirty patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and demonstrated telomere reduction in these individuals when compared with their age-matched controls. Of the 30 samples, 16.67% had telomere elongation, 76.67% had telomere reduction and 6.67% exhibited equal lengths as compared with the controls. Analysis of leukocytes from 30 controls indicated that the telomere length decreased (average 39 base Pairs Per year) with aging and a statistically significant correlation between the length and age was noted (r = -0.3913, P < 0.05). These results suggest that the consequences of telomere shortening in nasopharyngeal carcinoma may lead to chromosome instability.
Xiao
L
L
Cancer Center, Cancer Research Institute, First Affiliated Hospital, WCUMS, Chengdu, 610041.
Zhou
H
H
Yan
J
J
Liu
Y
Y
Song
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*