[Expression of telomerase genes hTRTmRNA in oral squamous cell carcinomas]

To investigate the expression of telomerase genes in oral squamous cell carcinomas(OSCC).

Telomerase genes hTRTmRNA in 65 cases of OSCC, 25 cases of epidermal cells with abnormal hyperplasia and 20 cases of normal oral mucosa were detected by in situ hybridization. The digoxin-labelled probe was targeted to reverse transcription domain. Routine hybirdization was carried out, oral squamous cancer was used as positive control and the negative control without probe. Data was statistically analyzed by SPSS software package for chi-square test,group t test and kendall correlation analysis.

The expression of hTRT mRNA was weak in epithelium immediately adjacent to carcinomas and normal oral mucosa (4/20,20.0%), weaker in epidermal cells with abnormal hyperplasia (11/25,44.0%), while very strong expression (54/65,83.1%)in cases of OSCC. The hTRT mRNA expression levels between OSCC and other groups were significantly different P<0.01).The difference between normal oral mucosa, epithelium immediately adjacent to carcinomas and epidermis cells with abnormal hyperplasia was not significant (P>0.05) and the difference between epidermal cells with abnormal hyperplasia and pre-cancer alteration was not significant (P>0.05).

The expression of telomerase genes (hTRT mRNA) in OSCC is closely related to the malignant transformation of oral mucosa cell. The reactivated telomerase genes (hTRT mRNA) may play a crucial role in the development of OSCC.