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Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the length of telomeres in patients with bladder cancer using a quantitative flow cytometry (flow-FISH) technique. Methods: Bladder washing samples from 51 patients with bladder cancer were obtained immediately before transurethral resection. The average length of telomere repeats was measured by flow-FISH, as previously reported. Results were expressed in molecular equivalents of soluble fluorochrome (MESF) units. Results: Bladder washing specimens provided adequate cell numbers for flow-FISH in 49 cases. The TEL means were 1014.71, 2343.36, 5567 and 18267.57 for Ta, T1, T2 and T3/4 tumors, respectively. Regarding grade it was obtained a mean MESF value of 1379.46, 3391.29 and 15925.11 for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. ANOVA demonstrated statistically significant differences in stage ( p : 0.014) and tumor grades ( p : 0.012). In relation to ploidy, we found a mean MESF value of 2701.37 and 16085.44 MESF units for diploid and aneuploid cells, respectively. Significant difference ( p : 0.003) was observed between both groups. Conclusion: To date, this is the first report wherein telomere length was measured using flow-FISH method in exfoliated cells in urine from patients with bladder cancer. Further investigations are required to demonstrate whether flow-FISH technique might be considered as a tumor marker of bladder cancer. |
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