Telomerase is not activated in human hyperplastic and adenomatous parathyroid tissue.

BACKGROUND

Telomerase is a specific enzyme that appears to have a key role in cellular senescence and the progression of neoplastic tissue. High telomerase activity has been found in several cancers, but not in most normal and benign tissue. Little is known about the influence of telomerase on the abnormal growth associated with hyperparathyroidism.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse telomerase activity in parathyroid tissue obtained from 29 patients undergoing surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism.

DESIGN

Tissue for telomerase activity measurements was collected from six hyperplastic, 20 adenomatous and 22 normal parathyroid glands.

METHODS

The highly sensitive PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol, TRAP, combined with ELISA, was used to detect telomerase activity in tissue extracts containing 3.0 microg protein.

RESULT: Telomerase was not activated in any of the analysed tissue by 3 microg protein. Reassay of 12 samples containing 6.0 microg protein verified these negative TRAP results.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that telomerase is not a part of the mechanism promoting parathyroid proliferation and the underlying conditions remain to be determined.