| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥1,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Teromerase is the ribonucleoprotein enzyme associated with the immortalization and oncogenesis of cancer cells. Telomerase activity was examined in 47 RCCs using PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. Among 30 RCCs, 18 samples(60%) displayed the activity, white none of the normal tissues exhibited the activity. Subdivision of the tumors according to telomerase activity did not reveal any obvious difference in distribitution of tumor size, stage, histocytological subtype, or DNA-ploidy. However, statistically significant relationship between the frequency of telomerase-positive activity and serum lAP levels or tumor grade was foumd, respectively (p<0.05). These results indicate that telomerase activity may be an important factor for' evaluating the malignancy potential of RCC, rather than for detecting malignancy of the kidney.
Although TRAP assay is a highly sensitivity method, it has been reported that Taq inhibitor and other factors in method might cause false results during PCR amplification. Recently, three new major components of telomerase genes which are hTR, TLP1/TPI, and hEST2/hTRT has been cloned. In 27 human urinary bladder cancers, expression of hEST2/hTRT and TLP1/TPI was studied by using revel-se transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. In all 27 cancers (100%), hEST2/hTRT expression was detected, while TLP1/TPL was displayed in 25 of 27 speciniens(92%). Five normal bladder tissues showed no expression of hEST2/hTRT, but 3 of 5 tisses (60%) did TLPl/TP1 expression. These results indicated that RT-PCR for detecting expression of hEST2/hTRP gene may be a powerful method for the mass screening or diagnosis of urinary bladder.
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