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Telomerase activity in human renal cell carcinoma
Author(s) -
Fujioka Tomoaki,
Hasegawa Michihiko,
Suzuki Yasushi,
Suzuki Tohru,
Sugimura Jun,
Tanji Susumu,
Koike Hiroyuki
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
international journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.172
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1442-2042
pISSN - 0919-8172
DOI - 10.1046/j.1442-2042.2000.00130.x
Subject(s) - telomerase , medicine , renal cell carcinoma , kidney , polymerase chain reaction , carcinoma , stage (stratigraphy) , pathology , cancer research , biology , gene , genetics , paleontology
Purpose: Telomerase activity has been detected in a wide variety of human tumors. The present study evaluated telomerase activity in association with the acquisition of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).Methods: Telomerase activity was examined in 30 RCC and the adjacent normal kidney tissue, obtained as surgical specimens. The activity was assayed by polymerase chain reaction‐based telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay.Results: Among the 30 RCC, 18 (60%) displayed telomerase activity, whereas none of the normal tissue samples exhibited it. Subdivision of the tumors according to telomerase activity did not reveal any obvious difference in distribution with regard to tumor size, stage, histocytological subtype, or DNA‐ploidy. However, a statistically significant relationship was found between the frequency of telomerase‐positive activity and both serum immunosuppressive acidic protein level in the patient and tumor grade ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the recurrent‐free survival and the disease‐specific survival between patients with positive telomerase activity and patients with negative activity.Conclusion: The present results indicate that telomerase activity might be related to the progression of RCC and thus a marker of malignant potential.