[Detection of telomerase activity in the blood of patients with lung cancer].
BACKGROUND
To study the telomerase activity in blood cancer cells by TRAP for monitoring tumor metastasis in blood.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients with lung cancer surgically treated and 35 patients before chemotherapy were determined for telomerase activity of cancer cells in the blood by TRAP, and 30 patients with non-tumor diseases as control.


RESULTS
In the operative group,13 patients(52%) showed telomerase activity in pulmonary artery blood during operation, which was much higher than that of peripheral blood before operation (24%,P<0.05). Telomerase positive rate was significantly higher in stage III to IV (64%) than that in stage I to II (30%,P<0.05).In the peripheral blood of patients with non-tumor diseases, telomerase was negative.


CONCLUSIONS
Telomerase activity may be an indicator for detecting lung cancer cells in peripheral blood as well as tumor metastasis and relapse.
Shanghai Institute of Thoracic Tumors, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai 200030, P.R.China.
J
J
Feng
G
G
Bao
H
H
Sha
Q
Q
Dong
C
C
Li