Tumor size-independence of telomere length indicates an aggressive feature of HCC.
Using quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (Q-FISH), the average telomere length of hepatoma cells was assessed by the average telomeric signal intensity of cancer cells relative to that of stromal cells. We demonstrated first the applicability of Q-FISH for tissue sections by comparing Q-FISH and Southern blotting results. Tumors less than 50mm in diameter and with a relative telomeric intensity of less than 0.6 were categorized as group A and the remainder as group B. In group A, the telomere length correlated negatively with tumor size, whereas in group B there was no correlation. Compared with the group A tumors, the group B tumors were of significantly more advanced stage, showed higher telomerase and proliferative activities, and exhibited less differentiated histology. Therefore, we considered that a lack of correlation between telomere length and tumor size, namely, size-independence of telomere length, is associated with unfavorable clinicopathological features of hepatocellular carcinomas.
Nakajima
Tomoki
T
Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Graduate School of Medical Science, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan. tomnaka@silver.ocn.ne.jp
Katagishi
Tatsuo
T
Moriguchi
Michihisa
M
Sekoguchi
Satoru
S
Nishikawa
Taichirou
T
Takashima
Hidetaka
H
Watanabe
Tadashi
T
Kimura
Hiroyuki
H
Minami
Masahito
M
Itoh
Yoshito
Y
Kagawa
Keizo
K
Okanoue
Takeshi
T
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016615:Telomere / Q000648:ultrastructure*