Diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma by detection of human telomerase reverse transcriptase messenger RNA in pancreatic juice with sample qualification
K. Seki et al., Diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma by detection of human telomerase reverse transcriptase messenger RNA in pancreatic juice with sample qualification, CLIN CANC R, 7(7), 2001, pp. 1976-1981
Purpose: We evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of detection of human telomer
ase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) message, a catalytic domain of human telo
merase, in endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP)-derived pancreatic j
uice.
Experimental Design: Both hTERT and CD25 expression were detected by revers
e transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) in 17 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma
(PC), 12 patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), and 7 patients with no ER
P abnormality (N). In the same patients, beta -actin message was semiquanti
fied by competitive RT-PCR, K-ras codon 12 mutations were concomitantly ana
lyzed by enriched PCR-SSCP in 11 and 7 PC and CP cases, respectively.
Results: Expression of hTERT was detected in 88% of PC cases and 17% of CP
cases but not in the normal control (N). Alterations in K-ras were detected
in 73% of PC cases and 57% of CP cases, respectively, beta -Actin mRNA was
expressed in >3.0 x 10(1) copies/mul in all but two PC cases in which hTER
T mRNA was not detected. CD25-positive and -negative peripheral lymphocytes
were isolated from a normal volunteer using a fluorescent activating cell
sorter. The hTERT message was detected in CD25-positive peripheral lymphocy
tes and in 18, 25, and 0% of the pancreatic juice samples from PC, CP, and
N cases, respectively. All CP cases expressing hTERT message were also CD25
positive.
Conclusions: These results suggest that detection of hTERT mRNA in pancreat
ic juice is a powerful tool to discriminate PC from CP, particularly when t
he samples are qualified against beta -actin mRNA levels and contaminating
CD25-positive lymphocytes.