Telomerase, hTERT and splice variants in Barrett??s oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Abstract

A major increase in telomerase activity occurs after the Barrett's oesophagus stage in oesophageal carcinogenesis. Levels of hTERT mRNA and hTERT mRNA splicing patterns did not correlate with telomerase activity and do not appear to regulate enzyme activity. In this cancer, an important clinical diagnostic role for the transcripts of the telomerase gene is improbable.