Nagao K, Tomimatsu M, Endo H, Hisatomi H, Hikiji K
Center for Molecular Biology and Cytogenetics, SRL, Inc., Tokyo, Japan.
J Gastroenterol. 1999 Feb;34(1):83-7. doi: 10.1007/s005350050220.
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) has been identified as the catalytic subunit of human telomerase. To clarify the clinical significance of hTERT mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we investigated the relationship between telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA in human HCC and non-HCC tissues. The hTERT mRNA was detected in 17 (89.47%) of 19 livers with HCC and in 4 (21.05%) of 19 noncancerous tissues from these livers. Telomerase activity was detected in 17 of the 19 tumor tissues (89.47%) and in 4 of the 19 nontumor tissues (21.05%). The hTERT mRNA was detected in all tissues that were telomerase-positive and it was undetected in all tissues that were telomerase-negative. The correlation between the expression of hTERT mRNA and human telomerase activity in this study indicates that hTERT mRNA could be useful to diagnose cancer. Also, as telomerase production may be under the control of hTERT mRNA, the possibility is great that noncancerous liver tissue with chronic liver diseases acquires HCC when the hTERT mRNA is positive.
人端粒酶逆转录酶（hTERT）已被确定为人端粒酶的催化亚基。为阐明hTERT mRNA在肝细胞癌（HCC）中的临床意义，我们研究了人HCC组织和非HCC组织中端粒酶活性与hTERT mRNA之间的关系。在19例HCC肝脏组织中的17例（89.47%）检测到hTERT mRNA，在这些肝脏的19例非癌组织中的4例（21.05%）检测到hTERT mRNA。在19例肿瘤组织中的17例（89.47%）检测到端粒酶活性，在19例非肿瘤组织中的4例（21.05%）检测到端粒酶活性。在所有端粒酶阳性的组织中均检测到hTERT mRNA，而在所有端粒酶阴性的组织中均未检测到hTERT mRNA。本研究中hTERT mRNA表达与人端粒酶活性之间的相关性表明，hTERT mRNA可能有助于癌症诊断。此外，由于端粒酶的产生可能受hTERT mRNA的控制，当hTERT mRNA呈阳性时，患有慢性肝病的非癌性肝组织发生HCC的可能性很大。
