Park T W, Riethdorf S, Riethdorf L, Löning T, Jänicke F
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University, Hamburg, Germany.
Int J Cancer. 1999 Aug 20;84(4):426-31. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19990820)84:4<426::aid-ijc17>3.0.co;2-1.
Telomerase activity has been found in a variety of malignant tumors but only rarely in benign tumors or normal tissues. In this study, we investigated telomerase activation in 37 ovarian tumors, including benign, borderline and malignant neoplasms. Telomerase activity was detected using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) in 13/16 ovarian carcinomas, 9/10 borderline tumors and 3/11 cystadenomas/fibromas. mRNA expression of the putative human telomerase catalytic sub-unit gene (hTERT) was detected by RT-PCR in 14/15 ovarian carcinomas, 8/10 borderline tumors and 4/11 cystadenomas/fibromas. In situ hybridization was performed to evaluate telomerase-RNA (hTR) expression in the corresponding paraffin-embedded tumors. Variable expression levels of hTR were found over neoplastic tumor cells. The highest levels of hTR expression were found predominantly in ovarian carcinomas. Although the amount of telomerase activity varied, significantly high levels of telomerase activity were found predominantly in ovarian carcinomas. hTERT mRNA expression was closely associated with telomerase activity. These findings suggest that up-regulation of hTERT and hTR is important for telomerase activation during malignant-tumor progression. Telomerase activation might therefore be a valuable diagnostic parameter that could help to identify potentially progressive lesions. However, the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of telomerase activation need to be clarified in clinical trials. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:426-431, 1999.
在多种恶性肿瘤中均发现了端粒酶活性，但在良性肿瘤或正常组织中却极为罕见。在本研究中，我们调查了37例卵巢肿瘤中端粒酶的激活情况，这些肿瘤包括良性、交界性和恶性肿瘤。采用端粒重复序列扩增法（TRAP）检测端粒酶活性，结果显示16例卵巢癌中有13例、10例交界性肿瘤中有9例、11例囊腺瘤/纤维瘤中有3例检测到端粒酶活性。通过逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测假定的人类端粒酶催化亚基基因（hTERT）的mRNA表达，结果显示15例卵巢癌中有14例、10例交界性肿瘤中有8例、11例囊腺瘤/纤维瘤中有4例检测到该基因表达。进行原位杂交以评估相应石蜡包埋肿瘤中端粒酶RNA（hTR）的表达。在肿瘤细胞中发现了hTR的不同表达水平。hTR表达水平最高的主要见于卵巢癌。尽管端粒酶活性的量有所不同，但端粒酶活性显著高水平主要见于卵巢癌。hTERT mRNA表达与端粒酶活性密切相关。这些发现表明，hTERT和hTR的上调对于恶性肿瘤进展过程中端粒酶的激活很重要。因此，端粒酶激活可能是一个有价值的诊断参数，有助于识别潜在的进展性病变。然而，端粒酶激活的诊断和治疗意义需要在临床试验中加以阐明。《国际癌症杂志（肿瘤预测）》84:426 - 431，1999年。
