Determination of telomerase activity and its clinical significance in gastric cancer and premalignant lesions

In order to explore the role of telomerase activity (TA) in the development and progression of gastric cancer (GC) and if TA can be used as an indicator for the early diagnosis of GC, TA in 176 specimens of gastric mucosa of 57 cases of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), 18 intestinal metaplasia (IM), 8 dysplasia (Dys), 65 GC obtained through operation or endoscopy was determined with PCR-based TRAP assay. Meanwhile, operative specimens of GC were analyzed with serial dilution. It was found that TA was detected in 24. 6% of CGA, 38. 9% of IM, 37.5% of Dys and 92.3% of GC, but not detected in 28 cases of normal tissues. TA detection was not related to patients’ sex, tumor location, size, depth of invasion, differentiation, lymph node metastasis and clinicalstage. Telomerase activity in premalignant lesions indicates that it plays a crucial role in the development and progression of GC. Thus the determination of telomerase activity is helpful to predict the progress of premalignant changes and to diagnose early GC.