Telomerase activity in human gastric and colorectal cancer]

To study telomerase activity in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer.Telomerase activity in tumor samples, including 9 colonic, 20 rectal and 11 gastric carcinomas, was examined by telomeric repeat amplification protocol(TRAP) assay. Thirty-nine samples from tumor-adjacent tissues were also assayed.Ninety per cent(36 out of 40 tumor samples) exhibited telomerase activity regardless of tumor stage or differentiation. However, telomerase activity in the tumor-adjacent tissues could be detected only in 1 of 39 specimens.Telomerase may be a good diagnostic biomarker for tumor detection.