J Korean Surg Soc.
2000 Oct;59(4):500-506.
Relation of Telomerase Activity and Apoptosis in Superficial Gastritis and Gastric Cancer
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of General Surgery, Dankook University Medical College.
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, Dankook University Medical College.
Abstract
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PURPOSE: Telomeres are specialized structures containing unique (TTAGGGG) repeats at the ends of
eukaryotic chromosomes that are thought to be important in the protection and replication of chro
mosomes. Lagging strand DNA synthesis at the end of linear chromosomes cannot be complieted (referred
to as the end-replication problem), and this results in the progressive shortening of telomeric repeats
with each cell division. This shortening of telomeres has been proposed as the mitotic clock, and when
telomeres are sufficiently short, may contribute to replicative cellular senescence in cells. The enzyme
telomerase permits the de novo synthesis of telomeric DNA into chromosomal ends. Apoptosis is
physiologic cell death and prevent cancerous transformation of cell. METHODS: We measured the telome
rase activity with the use of a PCR-based telomerase assay and apoptosis, in 10 superficial gastritis and
13 gastric cancer patients. RESULTS: Telomerase activity was present in 70% of the gastric cancer patient
and in 92.7% of the superficial gastritis patients (P=0.171). Apoptosis was present in 0% of the gastric
cancer patients, and in 80% of the superficial gastritis patients (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Telomerase
activity was detected in and cancer and inflammatory tissue. Although there is progressive cellular
division due to telomerase activity, cancerous transformations are prevented by apoptosis.