Advantages of assaying telomerase activity in ascites for diagnosis of ...

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Feb 24, 2004 - National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei 11217,. Taiwan .... were made by imaging studies (abdominal sonography and/ or computed ..... Orlando C. Rapid, quantitative nonisotopic assay for telomerase.
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World J Gastroenterol 2004;10(17):2468-2471 World Journal of Gastroenterology Copyright © 2004 by The WJG Press ISSN 1007-9327

• LIVER CANCER •

Advantages of assaying telomerase activity in ascites for diagnosis of digestive tract malignancies Chung-Pin Li, Tze-Sing Huang, Yee Chao, Full-Young Chang, Jacquline Whang-Peng, Shou-Dong Lee Chung-Pin Li, Full-Young Chang, Shou-Dong Lee, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei 11217, Taiwan, China Tze-Sing Huang, Jacqueline Whang-Peng, Cancer Research Division, National Health Research Institutes and Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei 11217, Taiwan, China Yee Chao, Cancer Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Central Clinic Hospital, and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei 11217, Taiwan, China Supported by the grant NSC89-2320-B-075-049 from the National Science Council, Taiwan Correspondence to: Chung-Pin Li, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 11217, Taiwan, China. [email protected] Telephone: +886-2-28757308 Fax: +886-2-28739318 Received: 2003-12-11 Accepted: 2004-02-24

Abstract AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic value of assaying telomerase activity in ascites cells for the differential diagnosis of malignant and non-malignant ascites. METHODS: Ascites from 40 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 31 with non-HCC gastrointestinal carcinoma (CA), and 24 with liver cirrhosis (LC) were analyzed for telomerase activity. The telomerase activities in cell pellets from ascites were measured according to the Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP) and quantified with a densitometer. RESULTS: Positive telomerase activity was detected in 16 of 31 (52%) CA patients, 10 of 40 (25%) HCC patients, and 1 of 24 (4%) LC patients (P