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Telomerase activity in central nervous system malignant lymphoma
Author(s) -
Harada Kunyu,
Kurisu Kaoru,
Arita Kazunori,
Sadatomo Takashi,
Tahara Hidetoshi,
Tahara Eiji,
Ide Toshinori,
Tahara Eiichi,
Uozumi Tohru
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19990915)86:6<1050::aid-cncr22>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - telomerase , medicine , telomere , etoposide , vincristine , telomerase reverse transcriptase , lymphoma , primary central nervous system lymphoma , cancer research , reverse transcriptase , chemotherapy , oncology , rna , biology , cyclophosphamide , dna , biochemistry , genetics , gene
BACKGROUND Primary central nervous system malignant lymphoma (PCNSL) has been regarded as a rare neoplasm. Recently, however, its incidence has been rapidly increasing. Despite active clinical trials, its clinical and biologic features remain unknown and there has been no effective treatment or prognostic factor. The current study attempted to elucidate telomerase activity and expression of the telomere‐related RNA of PCNSL as novel prognostic factors. METHODS The subjects were 12 patients with histologically diagnosed PCNSL. All patients were treated with chemoradiotherapy consisting of whole‐brain radiation, vincristine, etoposide, and prednisolone. Telomerase activity in the resected tumor was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively using the TRAP (telomeric amplification assay protocol)/TRAP‐HPA (hybridization protection assay) method. The expression of telomere‐related RNA (hTERT, hTERC, and TEP1) was analyzed by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Telomerase activity was detected in 10 of 12 patients with PCNSL, with an average activity of 148.9 relative light units. The average telomere length was 5.55 kb. The expression of hTERT correlated with telomerase activity, and there was a statistically significant correlation between telomerase activity and both the duration of survival and the interval to tumor progression. CONCLUSIONS Telomerase activity and the expression of hTERT may be novel prognostic factors in patients with PCNSL. Cancer 1999;86:1050–5. © 1999 American Cancer Society.