端粒酶在食管癌组织中的表达及临床意义

Expression and clinical significance of telomerase activity in esophageal carcinoma

目的 :研究食管癌组织中端粒酶活性检测的临床意义 ,探讨其作为食管癌诊断和预后评价指标的可行性。方法 :采用端粒重复序列扩增 (telomericrepeatamplicationpro tocal,TRAP) PCR ELLISA方法检测 42例食管癌手术切除组织及相应的癌旁组织中端粒酶的活性 ,并以 16例食管良性病变作为对照。结果 :42例食管癌组织中端粒酶阳性率为85 7% ( 3 6/4 2 ) ,癌旁组织为 11 9% ( 5 /4 2 ) ,16例食管良性病变组织中未检出端粒酶阳性。食管癌组织端粒酶水平明显高于癌旁组织(P <0 0 1)及良性病变组织 (P <0 0 1)。端粒酶活性随细胞分化程度、临床分期有升高趋势 ,但差异无统计学意义 ,伴淋巴结转移食管癌组织中端粒酶阳性率明显高于不伴淋巴结转移组 ,P <0 0 1。结论 :端粒酶的激活与食管癌的发生发展密切相关。端粒酶可作为食管癌辅助诊断、预后判断的标志物之一 。

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the expression and clinical significance of telomerase activity in esophageal carcinoma and to investigate telomerase as a useful cancer marker for esophageal carcinoma.METHODS:The activity of telomerase was investigated by TRAP-PCR-ELLISA in tumors and corresponding adjacent nomal tissues obtained from resected specimens of 42 patients with esophageal carcinoma,and 16 specimens of esophageal benign lesion were examined simultaneously.RESULTS:Telomerase activity was detected in 36 (85.7%) of the 42 tumors and only 5(11.9%) of the 42 adjacent noncancerous esophageal tissue samples,P<0.01,but in none of 16 specimens of esophageal benign lesions,P<0.01. Correlation with pathological parameters showed that the expression of telomerase activity was associated with lymph nodes metastasis,P<0.01,but not with differenciated grade of tumor. CONCLUSIONS:These data suggested that high telomerase expression is indeed correlate with the carcinogenesis and aggressiveness of esophageal carcinoma. Telomerase might be one of the important diagnostic and prognostic factors in patients with esophageal carcinoma.