Ohyashiki K, Yahata N, Ohyashiki J H, Iwama H, Hayashi S, Ando K, Aizawa T, Ito T, Miki M, Ebihara Y
First Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical College, Japan.
Cancer. 1998 Dec 15;83(12):2554-60. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19981215)83:12<2554::aid-cncr22>3.0.co;2-c.
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that synthesizes telomeres. It is detected in more than 85% of samples obtained from cancer tissues, including urologic neoplasia. The authors determined telomerase activity semiquantatively and in-cell telomerase activity in exfoliated urothelial cells obtained from urologic neoplasia specimens. The goal of this study was to provide additional information regarding a noninvasive approach to the detection of urologic neoplasia.
The authors used voided urine from 23 patients with urologic neoplasia, 2 patients with nonmalignant urologic disorders, and 10 normal individuals. Semiquantative determination of telomerase activity was performed using a fluorescence-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP), and telomerase activity at the cellular level was determined by an in situ TRAP assay.
The fluorescence-based TRAP assay detected urinary telomerase activity in samples from 10 of 13 patients with urologic neoplasia before treatment, whereas urinary cells obtained from 3 of 10 patients (including 1 patient with relapse) during or after treatment had detectable telomerase activity. In contrast, the in situ TRAP assay detected telomerase positive cells in samples from 11 of 13 patients before treatment and 6 of 10 patients during or after treatment. Of note was a dissociation of the results of the fluorescence-based TRAP assay and those of the in situ TRAP assay for some patients. Some patients for whom telomerase activity was not detected with the fluorescence-based TRAP assay had a low frequency of telomerase positive cells in their urine.
A combination of semiquantative analysis and an in situ TRAP assay to detect telomerase positive cells might be a useful tool in the identification and monitoring of patients with urothelial neoplasia.
端粒酶是一种合成端粒的核糖核蛋白。在包括泌尿系统肿瘤在内的超过85%的癌症组织样本中可检测到它。作者对从泌尿系统肿瘤标本中获取的脱落尿路上皮细胞进行了端粒酶活性的半定量检测以及细胞内端粒酶活性检测。本研究的目的是提供关于泌尿系统肿瘤检测的非侵入性方法的更多信息。
作者使用了23例泌尿系统肿瘤患者、2例非恶性泌尿系统疾病患者以及10名正常个体的晨尿。使用基于荧光的端粒重复序列扩增协议（TRAP）进行端粒酶活性的半定量测定，并通过原位TRAP测定法确定细胞水平的端粒酶活性。
基于荧光的TRAP测定法在13例治疗前泌尿系统肿瘤患者中的10例样本中检测到尿端粒酶活性，而在治疗期间或治疗后10例患者中的3例（包括1例复发患者）的尿细胞中检测到可检测的端粒酶活性。相比之下，原位TRAP测定法在13例治疗前患者中的11例样本以及10例治疗期间或治疗后患者中的6例样本中检测到端粒酶阳性细胞。值得注意的是，一些患者的基于荧光的TRAP测定结果与原位TRAP测定结果不一致。一些基于荧光的TRAP测定法未检测到端粒酶活性的患者，其尿液中端粒酶阳性细胞的频率较低。
结合半定量分析和原位TRAP测定法来检测端粒酶阳性细胞可能是识别和监测尿路上皮肿瘤患者的有用工具。
