Telomerase activity in human renal cell carcinoma

To determine if telomerase activity plays an important role in the progression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Telomerase activity was measured in 53 tissue samples of RCC (52 patients), 11 samples of normal renal tissue and six tissue samples from benign renal disease using a fluorescence-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol. The activity was assessed for associations with clinical and pathological variables of RCC. To examine the influence of telomerase activity on cell immortalization in vitro, primary cultures of RCC cells were produced; the maximum passage number beyond which cell culture could not be continued was compared with the associated telomerase activity.

Among the tissue samples of benign renal disease, one from a patient with a hydronephrotic nonfunctioning kidney had detectable telomerase activity, whereas none of the normal renal tissues had. In 32 of the 53 RCC tissue samples (60%), telomerase activity was detectable, varying from 1.8 to 100.0 TPG units, but was not associated with any clinical or pathological variable such as clinical stage, tumour size, grade or pathological subtype. Telomerase activity also had no association with the maximum passage number of primary cell cultures.

Telomerase activity may not be a prognostic marker for RCC. Alternative mechanism(s) which lengthen telomeres should be considered if maintaining telomere length is considered essential to tumour progression.