Telomerase activity and telomere length in the colorectal polyp-carcinoma sequence

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2009Author
Valls i Bautista, Cristina
Buenestado Garcia, Juan
Suggested citation
Valls i Bautista, Cristina;
Piñol Felis, Carme;
Reñé Espinet, Josep Maria;
Buenestado Garcia, Juan;
Viñas Salas, Joan;
.
(2009)
.
Telomerase activity and telomere length in the colorectal polyp-carcinoma sequence.
Revista Española de Enfermedades Digestivas, 2009, vol. 101, núm. 3.
http://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/49259.
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Show full item recordAbstract
Objective: the role of telomerase activity and telomere length in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence of colon carcinogenesis has
not been well established. The objective of this study was to determine
telomerase activity and telomere length patterns in patients
with adenomatous polyps either associated or not with colorectal
cancer, as well as the role of telomeric instability in the adenomacarcinoma
sequence.
Patients and methods: we included in the study 14 patients
who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer and/or polyps. In 6
of these patients fresh samples of tumor tissue, polyps, and normal
mucosa were obtained; in the 8 remaining cases, we collected
only polyps and normal mucosa. We used the fluorescent-telomeric
repeat amplification protocol assay (TRAP-F) to determine
telomerase activity and telomere length using Southern-blot testing.
Results: telomerase activity was detected in 86% of polyps
and 50% of associated normal mucosa. Mean telomerase activity
in polyp tissue was 5.85; in the normal mucosa it was 0.58 TPG.
Mean telomere length was 6.78 Kbp and 7.78, respectively.
Polyps in patients without synchronous cancer had a telomerase
activity that was significantly higher (9.4) than in those with cancer
(1.1).
Conclusions: telomerase activity increases in the colorectal
adenoma-carcinoma sequence, concurrently with a decrease in
telomere length. The presence of synchronous cancer modifies
telomerase activity in polyps.