Korean J Hematol.  2001 Aug;36(3):189-196.

Pattern of Telomerase Activities in Acute Leukemias and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

• Kim MY
• Lee JN

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Telomerase has a leading role as a potential enzyme responsible for tumorigenesis and longevity. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that synthesizes a specific repeating nucleotide sequence onto the ends of telomeres. This enzyme is normally present in immortalized cell lines, germ-line tissues, and tumor tissues. We intended to compare the telomerase activity among various types of leukemia to determine the association of telomerase activity and patients status and responsiveness of chemotherapy.
METHODS
Specimens were collected from Jan. 1999 to Oct. 1999 and included the leukemic bone marrow (ALL, AML and CML) and the peripheral blood or bone marrow of normal persons or patients with iron deficiency anemia and immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Telomerase activity was measured by TRAP assay using Telomerase PCR ELISA kit.
RESULTS
Telomerase activities were increased in acute leukemias and relapsed acute leukemia cases, whereas in the cases of complete remission state of acute leukemia, the activity was decreased. Telomerase activity was increased in leukemias which had high percentage of immature cells, especially more than 70% of blast. Also the activity was decreased in post-chemotherapeutic group, whereas increased in untreated group. There was no significant difference between prognosis of chromosomal abnormalities and telomerase activity.
CONCLUSION
These results showed that telomerase activity was increased in acute phase of leukemia, high percentage of immature cells, and chemoresistant group of leukemia.

Keyword

Acute leukemia; Chronic myeloid leukemia; Telomerase activity; TRAP assay

MeSH Terms

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency
Base Sequence
Bone Marrow
Carcinogenesis
Cell Line
Chromosome Aberrations
Drug Therapy
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Humans
Leukemia*
Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive*
Longevity
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Prognosis
Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic
Ribonucleoproteins
Telomerase*
Telomere
Ribonucleoproteins
Telomerase