Telomerase Activity in Laryngeal Papilloma

Kim, Chun Dong; Sung, Myung Whun; Hong, Soon Kwan; Kim, Kwang Hyun

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Telomere is derived from Greek words, telos(end) and mere(part). While being located at the end of the chromosome, it contributes to its stability and not only prevents DNA rebonding but also participates in DNA replication. During cell mitosis, because 50 to 200 of the nucleotides disappear, the telomere length shortens. In cells where telomerase activity is preserved, the telomere does not shorten and cell mitosis is active. But in cells where there is no telomerase activity, the telomere length is shortened. Because cell mitosis does not occur in this cell, the cell ages and eventually dies.
OBJECTIVES
Recently there has been much research on the relationship between telomerase and cancer and it has been reported that in cancer cells due to many complicated genes, tumor suppresor gene, and cancer gene mutation, telomerase activity is high and telomerase is not active in normal cells except germinal cell and lymphocytes. It shows that there is a close connection between telomerase activity and the infinite growth of cancer cells. But in recent studies, telomerase activity has also been reported in precancerous lesions and in some papilloma viruses and so more research is needed in this area. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Authors used telomeric repeat amplication protocol assay(TRAP) in eight cases of laryngeal papilloma, which has the highest incidence in benign lesions of the larynx and in some cases are said to be related to the cause of squamous cell cancer.
RESULTS
Among the eight cases, telomerase activity was positive in seven of the patients and negative in one but the telomerase activity was found lesser than that in squamous cell cancer.
CONCLUSION
This shows that not the presence of telomerase activity but the quantity is important and that even though the cell is not an infinitely growing one, if active reproduction of cells exists, telomerase activity can be present.