Clinical significance of telomerase activity in primary lung cancer

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of telemerase activity in primary lung cancer. Methods The activity of telomerase was investigated by PCR-based telomeric repeat amplication protocal-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (TRAP-ELISA)in tumors and corresponding adjacent normal tissues obtained from resected specimens of 32 patients with primary lung cancer and 7 specimens of lung benign lesion were examined simultaneously. Results Telomerase activity was detected in 27(84.3%) of the 32 tumors and only 3(9.4%) of the 32 adjacent noncancerous lung tissue samples but in none of the 7 specimens of lung benign lesions. Correlation with pathological parameters showed that the expression of telomerase activity was associated with lymph nodes metastasis ( P 0.05) but not with histological type, location and differentiated grade of tumor. Conclusion These data suggested that high telomerase expression indeed correlate with the carcinogenesis and aggressiveness of primary lung cancer. Telomerase activity might be one of the important diagnostic and prognostic factors in patients with primary lung cancer.