Strovel J W, Abruzzo L V, Highsmith W E, Stamberg J
Division of Human Genetics, University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore 21201, USA.
Mod Pathol. 1998 Oct;11(10):957-62.
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that uses its internal RNA component as a template for synthesis of telomeric DNA on the ends of chromosomes after each round of cell division. It is expressed in approximately 90% of all human cancers tested to date, as well as in most immortal cell lines. Recently, telomerase activity was detected in normal proliferating lymphoid tissue and in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) by use of the telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay, a qualitative measure of telomerase activity. In this study, we modified the assay to measure quantitatively the telomerase activity in lymph node biopsy specimens obtained from patients with lymphadenopathy. The lymph nodes either contained benign reactive changes, were involved by NHL of B-cell lineage, or were involved by Hodgkin's disease. Telomerase activity was detected in all of our samples, benign as well as malignant. The levels of activity were unaffected by the patient's human immunodeficiency virus-1 status. Although the specimens involved by NHLs showed a range in telomerase activity from low to high, the levels did not correlate strictly with the histologic grade according to the Working Formulation. All of the cases of Hodgkin's disease also expressed telomerase activity, and the levels were similar regardless of histologic subtype. Our results showed that telomerase activity was expressed in both benign and malignant lymphoproliferative processes.
端粒酶是一种核糖核蛋白，在每一轮细胞分裂后，它利用其内部RNA组分作为模板，在染色体末端合成端粒DNA。在迄今检测的所有人类癌症中，约90%以及大多数永生化细胞系中均有端粒酶表达。最近，通过端粒重复序列扩增法检测到正常增殖性淋巴组织和非霍奇金淋巴瘤（NHL）中端粒酶活性，该方法是一种端粒酶活性的定性检测方法。在本研究中，我们对该检测方法进行了改良，以定量测量从淋巴结病患者获取的淋巴结活检标本中的端粒酶活性。这些淋巴结要么有良性反应性改变，要么被B细胞系NHL累及，要么被霍奇金病累及。在我们所有的样本中均检测到了端粒酶活性，包括良性和恶性样本。活性水平不受患者人类免疫缺陷病毒1感染状态的影响。尽管NHL累及的标本中端粒酶活性呈现出从低到高的范围，但根据工作分类法，其水平与组织学分级并无严格相关性。所有霍奇金病病例也均表达端粒酶活性，且无论组织学亚型如何，活性水平均相似。我们的结果表明，端粒酶活性在良性和恶性淋巴增殖过程中均有表达。
