Telomerase activity in long-standing ulcerative colitis

Telomerase activity is frequently associated with neoplasia. It is a ribonu cleoprotein capable of replacing telomeric DNA sequences that are lost at e ach cell division. Neoplastic progression in chronic ulcerative colitis is characterized by the development of epithelial dysplasia which is accompani ed by genetic alterations. Therefore we tested telomerase activity in 128 b iopsy samples of four colectomy specimens with long-standing ulcerative pan colitis by using the Telomerase PCR ELISA System. In three patients with mu ltiple dysplastic or carcinomatous lesions, telomerase activity was detecte d in 22 samples with a regional association to dysplastic or carcinomatous areas. 15 of the samples with telomerase activity (68%) were found in dyspl astic/carcinomatous samples or in the direct vicinity of dysplastic areas, 4 (18%), 2 positions (about 4 cm) and the remaining three (14%) not more th an 3 positions away from such areas. In the fourth patient, resected becaus e of clinical deterioration despite medical treatment and who had no dyspla stic lesions, no telomerase activity was detected. These results show that telomerase activity might be used as a complementary marker to histology fo r the identification of patients with ulcerative colitis who are at an incr eased risk for neoplastic progression.