Objective: To investigate the activity of telomerase in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the correlation of telomerase activity with the cancer development.
Methods: Totally 48 cases of NSCLC tissues were studied accompanied with 7 cases of normal lung tissues and 12 samples of lung tissues adjacent to the tumor. The telomerase activity was detected using Telomerase PCR ELISA kit. Statistics study included chi(2)-test and the exact probabilities. The significance level chosen was P value less than 0.05 (P < 0.05), and all tests were two-sided.
Results: 75% (36/48) of NSCLC tissues possessed the expression of telomerase activity and only 8.33% (1/12) of tissues adjacent to tumor and none of the normal lung tissue enabled to express telomerase activity. The statistical difference was significant (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found between different histological types of NSCLC, however, the frequency of telomerase expression differed significantly between tumors of well/mordeately differentiated and poorly differentiated; stage I and stage II/III.
Conclusion: Telomerase activity might be a good marker in estimating the occurrence, development and diagnosis of NSCLC.