Elevated telomerase activity in essential thrombocythemia with extreme thrombocytosis.
BACKGROUND
We performed a comparative analysis of telomerase activity (TA) in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The relationships between TA and known prognostic factors were also analyzed.


METHODS
A telomeric repeat amplification protocol was performed with bone marrow hematopoietic cells from 96 normal controls, 44 MPNs, and 40 MDSs.


RESULTS
TA (measured as molecules/reaction) showed no correlation with age in the control group (R(2)=0.0057, p=0.464). MPN showed elevated TA compared with controls (15,537.57 vs. 7775.44, p=0.020). Patients with essential thrombocythemia showed markedly elevated TA (22,688.56, p=0.030), particularly in cases with extreme thrombocytosis versus those without extreme thrombocytosis (34,522.19 vs. 9375.71, p=0.041). MDS patients showed a TA value of 7578.50.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no association between age and TA in bone marrow hematopoietic cells. TA was elevated in MPN but borderline in MDS, probably because of differences in the nature of the diseases. Elevated TA in patients with essential thrombocythemia, especially those with extreme thrombocytosis, suggests that an anti-telomerase strategy could be beneficial in the prevention of thrombotic complications.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, China.
Miyoung
M
Kim
Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Bora
B
Oh
Department of Tumor Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Tae Young
TY
Kim
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sung-Soo
SS
Yoon
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seon Young
SY
Kim
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sang Mee
SM
Hwang
Department of Tumor Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: soonlee@snu.ac.kr.
Dong Soon
DS
Lee
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology; D012307:Risk Factors; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D013920:Thrombocythemia, Essential / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology*; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology*; D055815:Young Adult
D019098:Telomerase
Essential thrombocythemia; Extreme thrombocytosis; Myelodysplastic syndrome; Myeloproliferative neoplasm; Telomerase activity