乳腺癌组织中端粒酶活性的研究

目的细胞中端粒(telomere)的长度与细胞寿命的调控密切相关,端粒长度的维持需要端粒酶(telomerase)的激活,近年来的研究发现,端粒酶的激活与肿瘤的发生,发展关系密切.本文研究乳腺癌组织,癌旁组织,良性乳腺病变,正常乳腺组织中的端粒酶活性,探讨其作为乳腺癌肿瘤标志物的可能性.方法采用端粒重复序列扩增法(telomeraic repeat amplification protocol,TRAP)来检测36例乳腺癌及其相应癌旁组织,12例良性乳腺病变,6例正常乳腺组织中的端粒酶活性.结果 36例乳腺癌组织中,有33例端粒酶表达阳性,其阳性率为91.7%,而且与肿瘤的大小,淋巴结的状态,临床分期有相关性.36例癌旁组织中,有2例端粒酶表达阳性,阳性率为5.6%.12例良性乳腺病变中,仅有1例端粒酶表达阳性,阳性率为8.3%.6例正常乳腺组织端粒酶表达均为阴性.结论乳腺癌组织中普遍存在端粒酶活性表达,端粒酶有可能成为诊断乳腺癌的肿瘤标志物.

The activity of telomerase in breast cancer

Objective To investigate the telomerase activity in human breast cancer and tumor-adjacent tissue and the possibility of te-lomerase as tumor biological marker. Methods Telomerase activity in 36 breast cancer and tumor-adjacent tissues, 12 benign lesions and 6 normal breast tissues was examined by telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. Results 33 of 36 breast cancer tissues and 2 of 36 adjacent tiusses specimens were positive for telomerase activity with a positive rate of 91.7% and 5.6%, respectively. There was correlation between the tumor size and their telomerase activity, so did lymphatic metastasis and clinicopathologic stage. In benign lesions only 1 of 12 cases was positive with a positive rate of 8.3%. Telomerase activity was negative in 6 breast tissues. Conclusion Positive telomerase activity occurs in the majority of breast cancer. It can be used as a tumor marker in the diagnosis of breast cancer.