title: Correlating telomerase activity levels with human neuroblastoma outcomes.
abstract: Telomerase activity was analysed in 100 neuroblastoma cases. Although telomerase activity was not detected in normal adrenal tissues or benign ganglioneuromas, almost all neuroblastomas (94%) did express it, suggesting an important role for telomerase in neuroblastoma development. Neuroblastomas with high telomerase activity had other genetic changes (for example, N-myc amplification) and an unfavourable prognosis, whereas tumours with low telomerase activity were devoid of such genetic alterations and were associated with a favourable prognosis. Three neuroblastomas lacking telomerase activity regressed (stage IVS). Thus telomerase expression may be required as a critical step in the multigenetic process of tumorigenesis, and two different pathways may exist for the development of neuroblastoma.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience 75235-9039, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hiyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Piatyszek
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shay
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005729:Ganglioneuroma / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011379:Prognosis; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D019098:Telomerase