Circulating hTERT mRNA as a tumor marker in cholangiocarcinoma patients.

AIM

To investigate human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA in the serum of cholangiocarcinoma patients.

METHODS

The serum of thirty three cholangiocarcinoma patients, forty one benign biliary tract disease patients and ten healthy volunteers were collected and analyzed for the expression of hTERT mRNA by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We then examined the correlation between values of serum hTERT mRNA and the pathological staging of cholangiocarcinoma.

RESULTS

hTERT mRNA was detected in 28 of 33 (84.85%) of serum obtained from cholangiocarcinoma patients and 9 of 41 (21.9%) of serum obtained from benign biliary tract disease patients. hTERT mRNA was not detected in any serum obtained from healthy volunteers. on the other hand the common tumor marker, CA19-9 was detected in 20 of 33 (60.6%) of serum obtained from cholangiocarcinoma patients and 8 of 41 (19.5%) of serum obtained from benign biliary tract disease patients. However, no correlation was found between the present of serum hTERT mRNA and tumor staging.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that the detection of circulating hTERT mRNA was identified in almost all cholangiocarcinoma patients. It offers a novel tumor marker, which can be used as a complementary study for diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma.