The Value Of Measurements Telomerase Activity In Diagnostic Benign And Malignant Pleural Effusion

Objective To study telomerase activity in pleural effusion for the sake of finding diagnostic means in distinguishing malignant one from nonmalignant pleural effusion. Methods Using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay, telomerase activity was examined in the pleural fluid cells obtained from 20 malignant patients and 19 benign patients which were proved by cytology combined with other diagnostic means. Fisher's exact test was used to analyse the telomerase activity difference between malignant and benign patients, moreover, between lung cancer and tuberculous patients. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result⑴The presence of telomerase activity was observed in nine out of twenty malignant cases(45%) and four out of nineteen in benign group(21.1%). Two telomerase-positive pleural effusion in benign group were obtained from patients with tuberculosis and the other two cases were found from parapneumonia patients. There was no significant difference between malignant and benign group.⑵In our study, seventeen lung cancer patients and twelve tuberculosis patients from malignant and benign groups were analysed continuously , the positive expression of telomerase activity were more common in 47%(8/17) lung cancer group than tuberculous group16.7%(2/12), but their difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion⑴Our results indicate that the detection of telomerase activity is only a marker of proliferation condition, but not a marker of malignant tumor.⑵Until now determination of telomerase activity can not be used as a adjunct means in diagnosis of malignant effusion.