TY - JOUR TI - Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Promoter Mutations in Bladder Cancer: High Frequency Across Stages, Detection in Urine, and Lack of Association with Outcome AU - Allory, Yves AU - Beukers, Willemien AU - Sagrera, Ana AU - Flandez, Marta AU - and Marques, Miriam AU - Marquez, Mirari AU - van der Keur, Kirstin A. and AU - Dyrskjot, Lars AU - Lurkin, Irene AU - Vermeij, Marcel AU - Carrato, AU - Alfredo AU - Lloreta, Josep AU - Lorente, Jose A. AU - Pau, Enrique AU - Carrillo-de Santa AU - Masius, Roy G. AU - Kogevinas, Manolis and AU - Steyerberg, Ewout W. AU - van Tilborg, Angela A. G. AU - Abas, Cheno and AU - Orntoft, Torben F. AU - Zuiverloon, Tahlita C. M. AU - Malats, Nuria and AU - Zwarthoff, Ellen C. AU - Real, Francisco X. JO - European urology oncology PY - 2014 VL - 65 TODO - 2 SP - 360-366 PB - Elsevier SN - null TODO - 10.1016/j.eururo.2013.08.052 TODO - Bladder cancer; TERT gene; Somatic mutations; Clinical end point; Urine-based diagnosis TODO - Background: Hotspot mutations in the promoter of the gene coding for telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) have been described and proposed to activate gene expression. Objectives: To investigate TERT mutation frequency, spectrum, association with expression and clinical outcome, and potential for detection of recurrences in urine in patients with urothelial bladder cancer (UBC). Design, setting, and participants: A set of 111 UBCs of different stages was used to assess TERT promoter mutations by Sanger sequencing and TERT messenger RNA (mRNA) expression by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The two most frequent mutations were investigated, using a SNaPshot assay, in an independent set of 184 non-muscle-invasive and 173 muscle-invasive UBC (median follow-up: 53 mo and 21 mo, respectively). Voided urine from patients with suspicion of incident UBC (n = 174), or under surveillance after diagnosis of non-muscle-invasive UBC (n = 194), was tested using a SNaPshot assay. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Association of mutation status with age, sex, tobacco, stage, grade, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) mutation, progression-free survival, disease-specific survival, and overall survival. Results and limitations: In the two series, 78 of 111 (70%) and 283 of 357 (79%) tumors harbored TERT mutations, C228T being the most frequent substitution (83% for both series). TERT mutations were not associated with clinical or pathologic parameters, but were more frequent among FGFR3 mutant tumors (p = 0.0002). There was no association between TERT mutations and mRNA expression (p = 0.3). Mutations were not associated with clinical outcome. In urine, TERT mutations had 90% specificity in subjects with hematuria but no bladder tumor, and 73% in recurrence-free UBC patients. The sensitivity was 62% in incident and 42% in recurrent UBC. A limitation of the study is its retrospective nature. Conclusions: Somatic TERT promoter mutations are an early, highly prevalent genetic event in UBC and are not associated with TERT mRNA levels or disease outcomes. A SNaPshot assay in urine may help to detect UBC recurrences. (C) 2013 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved. ER -