TERT promoter mutation, telomere length, and TERT expression in gastric cancer

Abstract

Objective: The mutation in the promoter region of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) has been focused in various cancers. In present study, the frequency and clinical characteristics of TERT promoter mutation, telomere length, and TERT expression in gastric cancers were studied. Materials and Methods: We sequenced TERT promoter region in 104 gastric cancers. And telomere length and TERT expression was analyzed by using realtime PCR. Results: TERT promoter mutation was found in 10.6% (11/104) of gastric cancers and associated with advanced cancers (P = 0.02). The incidence of telomere shortening and TERT expression was 60.6% and 16.3%, respectively. Diffuse type of gastric cancer tended to show higher expression of TERT (P = 0.07) and telomere-length maintenance (P = 0.09). However, these telomere markers did not have prognostic value. Conclusion: These data demonstrated that telomere status contribute to gastric carcinogenesis, however, it may be not a potential molecular marker for predicting the prognosis.