1. J Surg Res. 2006 Apr;131(2):252-5. Epub 2006 Jan 19.

Detection of telomerase activity in gastric lavage fluid: a novel method to
detect gastric cancer.

Wong SC, Yu H, So JB.

National University Medical Institute, Faculty of Medicine, National University
of Singapore, Singapore.

BACKGROUND: Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein polymerase that is essential for
cell immortality. Recent studies have demonstrated that a high percentage of
gastric cancer tissue expressed telomerase. This study describes the presence of 
telomerase activity in gastric lavage fluid in patients with gastric cancer.
METHODS: Gastric lavage fluid was collected during esophageogastroduodenoscopy in
70 patients: 25 with gastric cancer, 25 with peptic ulcer disease, and 20 with
normal stomach. The fluid and biopsy samples were analyzed for telomerase
activity by a polymerase chain reaction-based telomerase repeat amplification
protocol. The findings were related to the histological results. RESULTS:
Telomerase activity was present in 24 of the 25 (96%) gastric cancer tissue and
in 7 of the 25 tissue specimens from peptic ulcer or gastritis. In the gastric
lavage fluid, telomerase was detected in 20 patients (80%) with gastric cancer, 7
patients (28%) with peptic ulcer, and none in normal subjects (P < 0.001). The
sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive
value of gastric fluid telomerase expression in gastric cancer patients was 80%, 
84%, 74%, and 88%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of telomerase activity
is present in gastric lavage fluid of patients with gastric cancer as compared to
those without, may represent a novel method for diagnosis of gastric cancer.

PMID: 16427084 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]