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[Telomerase activity in breast carcinoma]
1Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Cancer Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200032.
Objective:
To investigate the significance of telomerase activity in breast carcinoma with respect to axillary lymph node status.
Methods:
Telomerase activity was analyzed in 88 breast carcinomas specimens and 16 benign breast lesions, using PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay.
Results:
Telomerase activity was detected in 75 (85.2%) of 88 breast carcinomas (including three breast carcinomas in situ which were all positive for telomerase activity), whereas in benign breast lesions analyzed only 2 (12.5%) of 16 cases were positive (P < 0.001). Besides, telomerase activity was significantly higher in node-positive breast carcinomas (93.2%) than in node-negative ones (77.3%, P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
The results suggest that telomerase activation plays an important role during breast carcinoma progression. It may serve as an early marker of breast carcinoma.