[Expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase in cervix cancer and its significance].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA and protein in cervix cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and normal cervix.


METHODS
Expression of hTERT mRNA and the other two subunits of telomerase, human telomerase RNA component (hTR), human telomerase-associated protein (hTP1) was determined by RT-PCR in 3 cervix cancer cell lines, 2 diploid cell lines, 38 cases of cervix cancer, 16 cases of CIN and 20 cases of normal cervix. Telomerase activity was also examined by telomeric repeat amplification protocol enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (TRAP-ELISA). Expression of hTERT protein was detected in all the cell lines and 101 cases of paraffinized cervix tissue sections.


RESULTS
hTERT mRNA expression was detected in all of the three cervix cancer cell lines, 81.6% of cervix cancer, 37.5% of CIN, 5.0% of normal cervix, while in neither of the two diploid cell lines. The other two subunits of telomerase were prevalently expressed in all of the cell lines and most cervix tissues. There was a strong correlation between hTERT mRNA expression and telomerase activity. Immunostaining also revealed that hTERT protein was expressed in all three cervix cancer cell lines, 65.5% of cervix cancer, 28.0% of CIN and 4.8% of normal cervix.


CONCLUSIONS
Up-regulation of hTERT may play an important role in the development of CIN and cervix cancer, hTERT could be used as an early diagnostic biomarker for cervix cancer.
Xi
Ling
L
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Zhu
Tao
T
Wu
Peng
P
Xu
Qian
Q
Huang
Lei
L
Li
Ke-zhen
KZ
Lu
Yun-ping
YP
Ma
Ding
D
D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C104342:TEP1 protein, human; C422952:telomerase RNA; D012313:RNA; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase