DETECTION OF TELOMERASE ACTIVITY IN PROSTATE NEEDLE-BIOPSY SAMPLES

BACKGROUND. Telomerase in an enzyme ribonucleoprotein responsible for cell immortality and oncogenesis. Telomerase activity has been detecte d in most cancers, including prostate cancer. To verify whether the de tection of telomerase in prostate needle biopsy samples could have dia gnostic value, we blindly assayed telomerase activity in samples from patients who were clinically suspected of having prostate cancer. METH ODS. A total of 183 prostate biopsy samples was obtained from 63 patie nts who were suspected of having prostate cancer. Telomerase activity was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based telomeric repe at amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. An internal telomerase assay s tandard (ITAS) was used in this study to distinguish false negatives. RESULTS. Telomerase activity was detected in 17 of 19 (89.5%) patients with prostate cancer (X-2 test, P < 0.005). In 39 of 52 (92.9%) biops y samples from these 19 prostate cancer patients, confirmed histologic ally as prostate cancer, telomerase activity (X2 test, P < 0.005) was detected. Meanwhile, we also found one false-positive sample. In contr ast, all of 44: normal or benign prostate disease patients (124 biopsy specimens) were telomerase-negative. We also revealed that poorly dif ferentiated prostate cancer often expresses a high level of telomerase activity. The area of cancer tissue in biopsy specimens was not assoc iated with relative telomerase activity. CONCLUSIONS. This study sugge sts that determination of telomerase activity in prostate needle-biops y samples might be a useful tool for detecting prostate cancer. (C) 19 98 Wiley-Liss, Inc.