Telomere length and telomerase activity in bladder and prostate cancer cell lines.

Background: Specific repeats of oligonucleotides at the ends of chromosomes (telomeres) are shortened by cell division in somatic cells and are thought to be related to aging. Immortal cells such as germ-line cells or cancer cells have demonstrated increased activity of the telomere-elongating enzyme (telomerase). The length of the telomeres of these cells is stable regardless of cell division. We examined the telomere length and telomerase activity in 3 bladder (JTC30, JTC32, and T24) and 2 prostate cancer (LNCaP and DU145) cell lines.

Methods: Telomere lengths were evaluated by Southern blot analysis with a oligonucleotide probe, (TTAGGG)5, and telomerase activities were detected with a polymerase chain reaction-based assay method.

Results: Telomerase activity was detected in all of the cell lines. Each cell line had a specific telomere length. In 2 bladder cancer cell lines (JTC30 and JTC32), the telomere length decreased with increased passage of the cells.

Conclusion: The presence of telomerase may be a biological character of bladder and prostate cancers as well as other malignancies, although it does not always compensate telomere shortening.