TELOMERASE ACTIVITY SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATES WITH CELL-DIFFERENTIATION, PROLIFERATION AND LYMPH-NODE METASTASIS IN COLORECTAL CARCINOMAS

Telomerase activity was examined by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay, in a total of 37 colorectal adenocarcinomas, includin g stages A, B and C according to the Astler and Collier classification , and correlated with clinicopathological features. Of 17 stage C lesi ons, 13 were positive (76.5%; P<0.01), demonstrating a significant cor relation with lymph node metastasis. In contrast, only 6 of 20 stage A and B carcinomas were positive (30.0%), this being significantly lowe r (P<0.05). Moderately or poorly differentiated subtypes were more pre dominant in the telomerase-positive than in the telomerase-negative gr oups (P<0.05) with greater elevation of mitotic and Ki-67 labeling ind ices (P < 0.0001). No significant relation was found between telomeras e activity and p53 protein accumulation or Bcl-2 protein expression. T he good correlation with tumor staging, lymph node metastasis, differe ntiation, and mitotic and Ki-67 labeling indices suggests that this pa rameter might have potential application in estimation of prognosis.