Shorter peripheral blood telomeres are a potential biomarker for patients with advanced colorectal adenomas.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) can be prevented by the early detection and removal of advanced adenomas (AAs) by colonoscopy. Our aim was to evaluate peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) telomere length as a potential biomarker for the presence of AAs.

Methods

PBL telomere length was measured in patients with AAs (n=35), in a control group of similarly aged patients who had a normal colonoscopy (n=145) and in a separate population group with no history of cancer, again similarly aged (n=495). Telomere measurements were performed using a quantitative PCR assay and reported as ratios of telomere and single copy gene measurements.

Results

Telomere lengths tended to be lower in patients with AAs than in patients in the normal colonoscopy group (p<0.001) as well as those i

SUBMITTER: Riegert-Johnson DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3841073 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature