Correlation between quantitative detection of hTERT mRNA in peripheral blood and invasion,metastasis,prognosis of colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE To investigate the correlation between quantitative detection of hTERT mRNA in peripheral blood and invasion,metastasis and prognosis of colorectal cancer(CRC).METHODES The quantitative expression of hTERT mRNA in pre-and post-operative peripheral blood were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR in CRC(n=95),colorectal adenomatous polyposis(n=30)and normal control(n=30).The postoperative 3years prognosis was followed-up.The relationship between the change of preoperative hTERT mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood in the CRC group and the invasion,metastasis and prognosis were analyzed.RESULTS The peripheral blood hTERT mRNA expression levels in CRC group were significantly higher than those in the colorectal adenomatous polyposis group and normal control group[(5.16±4.53 vs 0.48±0.15),0.45±0.27,P<0.01)].The positive rate of hTERT mRNA in CRC group was significantly higher than that of serum CEA(78.9 % vs 33.7 %,P<0.01),and they showed no correlation(r=0.242,P=0.084).The pre-and post-operative peripheral blood hTERT mRNA expression levels in the recurrence and metastasis group were significantly higher than those in the no postoperative recurrence and metastasis group(P<0.01).The preoperative hTERT mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood in CRC group were positively related with the differentiated degree of tumor,tumor size,lymph node metastasis,distant metastasis(P<0.01),and were negatively related with the postoperative survival(P<0.01).Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that preoperative peripheral blood hTERT mRNA expression levels were independent prognostic factor for CRC.CONCLUSIONS The preoperative high peripheral blood hTERT mRNA expression levels are closely relative with invasion,metastasis and poor prognosis of CRC,and may be a predictor of the postoperative recurrence and metastasis,and be a prognostic indicator of CRC.The elevatory postoperative peripheral blood hTERT mRNA expression levels are closely relative with the postoperative recurrence and metastasis.The peripheral blood hTERT mRNA shows higher sensitivity than serum CEA in diagnosis of transvascular metastasis of CRC cells.