[Expression of telomerase subunits and its relationship with telomerase activity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma]

Abstract

Objective: To study the expression of telomerase subunits and its relationship with telomerase activity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods: The expression of telomerase subunits and the telomerase activity were examined in the same sample from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) as well as from chronic inflammation of nasopharyngeal epithelium (CINE) with RT-PCR and PCR-ELISA respectively.

Results: (1) hTERT mRNA was expressed in 38 of 43 cases of NPC (88%), and in none of the 16 cases of CINE (0%) (P < 0.05). (2) hTR was expressed in 39 of the 43 cases of NPC (90.7%),and in 14 of the 16 cases of CINE (87.5%) (P < 0.05). TP1 mRNA was expressed in 38 of the 43 cases of NPC (88%), and in 14 of the 16 cases of CINE (87.5%). There was no statistically significant difference between the expression of hTR and TP1 mRNA in NPC and their expression in CINE (P > 0.05). (3) Telomerase activity was detected in 37 of the 43 cases of NPC (86%) and in none of the 16 cases of CINE (0%) (P < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the expression of hTERT mRNA in NPC and CINE (P < 0.05). No correlation was observed between telomerase activity and the expression of hTR and TP1 mRNA (P > 0.05). (5) No correlation was observed between the clinicopathological features of NPC and CINE (such as clinical stage and lymph node metastasis) and the expression of any of the telomerase subunits (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: The expression of hTERT may play a critical role in regulation of telomerase activity, and detection of hTERT mRNA might be useful for clinical diagnosis of NPC.