Comparison of NCL-hTERT Antibody Reactivity and Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol in Situ in Effusions

• Published in: Acta cytologica Vol. 51; no. 6; pp. 886 - 892
• Main Authors: Zendehrokh, Nooreldin, Rehnberg, Johanna, Dejmek, Annika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Science Printers and Publishers 01-11-2007
• Subjects: Ascitic Fluid - enzymology; Ascitic Fluid - pathology; Basic Medicine; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Cancer and Oncology; Cancer och onkologi; Cell and Molecular Biology; Cell Nucleus - enzymology; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Cell- och molekylärbiologi; Clinical Medicine; DNA, Neoplasm - analysis; effusion; Female; hTERT; Humans; immunohistochemistry; Immunohistochemistry - methods; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Klinisk medicin; malignancy; Medical and Health Sciences; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper; mesothelial cells; Molecular Techniques; Neoplasms, Mesothelial - diagnosis; Neoplasms, Mesothelial - enzymology; Nucleolin; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Phosphoproteins - immunology; Phosphoproteins - metabolism; Pleural Effusion - enzymology; Pleural Effusion - pathology; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid - genetics; Reproducibility of Results; RNA-Binding Proteins - immunology; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Sensitivity and Specificity; telomerase; Telomerase - genetics; Telomerase - immunology; Telomerase - metabolism; Telomere - enzymology; Telomere - genetics; telomere repeat amplification protocol; Immunohistochemistry; Catalytic subunit; Effusion; Enzyme; Antibody; In situ; Malignancy; Malignant tumor; Mesothelial cell; mesothelial cells; Telomere; Nucleolin; Amplification; Anatomic pathology; Reactivity; telomere repeat amplification protocol; hTERT; Telomerase; Comparative study; Cancer
• ISSN: 0001-5547; 1938-2650
• DOI: 10.1159/000325865

To compare the performances of 2 methods, telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) in situ and antibodies to the hTERT protein, in assessing telomerase activity.
TRAP in situ and immunohistochemistry with a commercial antibody (NCL-hTERT) was performed on 54 body cavity effusions. The results were compared and correlated to diagnosis.
Thirty-four effusions from patients with verified malignant disease contained cytologically malignant cells. Both methods were positive in 33 of the cases, whereas only hTERT was positive in 1 case. Twenty effusions, all containing mesothelial cells, came from patients with benign conditions. In 2 fluids atypical, hyperplastic mesothelial cells were both TRAP in situ and hTERT positive. All remaining 18 fluids were TRAP in situ negative, whereas 12 of 18 were hTERT positive. Thus the results of TRAP in situ and hTERT immunohistochemistry disagreed in 1 of 34 (3%) malignant and 12 of 20 (60%) benign cases.
The sensitivities for malignancy were similar for TRAP in situ and hTERT immunohistochemistry. The specificity of the applied hTERT antibody was significantly lower, due to hTERT reactivity in mesothelial cells.