논문검색
Author Jinyoung Yoo, M.D., Ph.D., Seok Jin Kang, M.D., Ph.D. and Chang Suk Kang, M.D., Ph.D.
Place of duty Department of Pathology, St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea
Title Telomerase Activity in Gastric Adenocarcinomas: Frozen Tissues Versus Methacarn-fixed Paraffin-embedded Tissues
Publicationinfo Cancer Research and Treatment 2003 Dec; 035(06): 478-482.
Key_word Telomerase, Methacarn-fixation, Stomach neoplasm
Full-Text
Abstract Purpose: Telomerase is an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase that synthesizes TTAGGG telomeric DNA onto chromosome ends to compensate for sequence loss during DNA replication. It has been detected in 85∼90% of all primary human cancers, implicating that its apparent reactivation in tumors may play a role in the tumorigenic process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate telomerase activity in stomach cancer, and to determine whether methacarn-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues can replace frozen tissue sections for the telomerase (TRAP) assay.

Materials and Methods: Frozen and corresponding methacarn-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples were obtained from 51 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and analyzed for telomerase activity by using a TRAPeze ELISA kit.

Results: Telomerase activity was detected in 37 (73%) frozen samples, and in 13 (25%) methacarn-fixed paraffin blocks. Telomerase activity was well correlated with depth of invasion (p=.037) and tumor differentiation (p=.022).

Conclusion: These data suggest that reactivated telomerase may play a significant role in the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer and may reflect the malignant potential of the tumor. It is noteworthy that methacarn- fixed tissue cannot as yet substitute for the frozen tissue in the TRAP assay. (Cancer Research and Treatment 2003;35:478⁣482)