TELOMERASE ACTIVITY IN HUMAN BENIGN PROSTATE TISSUE AND PROSTATIC ADENOCARCINOMAS

Telomerase adds a hexanucleotide telomeric sequence to the chromosomal ends during replication and is postulated to play a role in cellular senescence and immortalization. Thirty-four human prostate tissues (18 malignant; 16 benign) were analyzed for telomerase activity by a sens itive nonradioactive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method usin g the TRAP-eze(TM) telomerase detection kit (Oncor, Inc., Gaithersburg , MD). Telomerase activity in the homogenized tissue extracts was corr elated with tumor grade, pathologic stage, and DNA ploidy, Specimens t hat exhibited the 36 bp internal control band and a ladder of products with B-base increments starting with 50 nucleotides were considered p ositive. Fourteen (78%) of 18 prostatic adenocarcinomas (PACs) and onl y 2 (13%) of 16 benign prostate tissues exhibited telomerase activity. Our results indicate that, in contrast to most benign prostate tissue s, telomerase activity can be detected in the majority of PACs and app ears to be independent of tumor grade, stage, or DNA ploidy. Telomeras e expression is occasionally detected in benign prostatic tissues bord ering PACs and may result from either the presence of undetected tumor foci in these stored specimens or the proliferative response of the b enign elements to adjacent cancer.