title: Electrochemical telomerase assay for screening for oral cancer.
abstract: Telomerase has long been known to be a marker for cancer. We have developed a new method of detecting it: the electrochemical telomerase assay (ECTA). We have previously confirmed that the assay is easier to do and more precise than the conventional telomeric repeat amplification protocol, which is currently the most widely used. Here we describe a pilot study made to establish a screening system for oral cancer using ECTA. We evaluated three types of clinical samples obtained from 44 patients with oral cancer and 26 healthy volunteers: exfoliated cells from the whole oral cavity, exfoliated cells from local lesions, and tissue from the lesion itself. The current increase ratio (Δi) obtained by ECTA was significantly higher in the oral cancer group for each type of sampling used. The threshold value for Δi was 19% when calculated by analysis of receiver-operating characteristic curves. Sensitivity and specificity values were 86% and 85% for cells from the oral cavity, 82% and 85% in cells from local lesions, and 95% and 92% in cells from the tumour itself, respectively. There were also no significant differences in sensitivity and specificity associated with age, size of tumour, site of lesion, or degree of malignancy. ECTA therefore seems to be a promising assay for screening for oral cancer.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 803-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Mana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 803-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 804-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0008, Japan.
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomoeda-Mori
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 803-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haraguchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 803-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Habu
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 804-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Science of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental University, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 803-8580, Japan. Electronic address: tominaga@kyu-dent.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tominaga
mesh_terms: D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019098:Telomerase; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D019098:Telomerase
keywords: Electrochemical assay; Oral cancer screening; Telomerase