Table 1.
Markers used to distinguish cancers based on their telomere maintenance mechanism.
| Biomarkers | Telo-FISH Nuclear Foci | APBs | TIFs | Telomerase Activity | C-circles | tSCE | Telomere Heterogeneity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALT+ | √ | √ | √ | X | √ | √ | √ |
| TEL+ | X | X | X | √ | X | X | X |
| Ever-Shorter Telomeres | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
ALT+: alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT) positive. TEL+: telomerase (TEL) positive. X: negative or relatively low; √: positive or relatively high; No shading: tissue sections; Light shading: tissue homogenate; Dark shading: tissue culture. Telo-FISH: Telomere (Telo) fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH). APBs: ALT-associated acute promyelocytic leukemia bodies. TIFs: telomere dysfunction-induced foci. tSCE: telomere sister chromatid exchange.