Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How can telomerase enzyme activity help tell if my pet's fluid
By Spangler, E A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2000·Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Telomerase enzyme activity as a diagnostic tool to distinguish effusions of malignant and benign origin.
Plain-English summary
This study looked at a test that measures telomerase enzyme activity to see if it could help tell whether fluid buildup in the body of dogs and cats is due to cancer or not. Telomerase is usually found in cells that are rapidly dividing, and its presence can indicate cancer. The researchers found that while the telomerase test could be helpful, it wasn't any better than looking at the cells under a microscope (cytology) for identifying cancer. In fact, the telomerase test was less reliable overall. So, while it might be a useful extra test in some cases, it shouldn't be the only test used to diagnose cancer in pets with fluid buildup.
Abstract
Telomerase enzyme activity is high in populations of cells that are dividing, and is low or undetectable in quiescent cell populations. Activation of telomerase in tissues that normally lack the capacity for self-renewal is strongly correlated with neoplasia. Telomerase activity can be detected in samples containing very small numbers of cells and studies of human patients suggest that measurement of telomerase activity may be useful for the evaluation of samples that can be obtained in a minimally invasive manner. This study compares the presence or absence of telomerase activity with cytologic evaluation of body cavity effusions, to determine if neoplasia is the underlying cause for the effusion in dogs and cats. Detection of telomerase in effusions was no more sensitive than cytologic evaluation for the identification of underlying neoplasia, and was less specific (telomerase assay: sensitivity = 50%, specificity = 83%; cytology: sensitivity = 50%, specificity = 100%). We conclude that although the telomerase assay may constitute a useful adjunctive test for the diagnosis of neoplasia in some dogs and cats with body cavity effusions, the results of this assay are not sufficiently reliable to be used as a sole diagnostic test.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10772485/