Telomerase expression in intracranial tumours: prognostic potential for malignant gliomas and meningiomas.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the diagnostic value of telomerase expression in intracranial tumours.


METHODS
98 surgical specimens from different neoplasms were analysed by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) and the presence of telomerase compared with the histological diagnosis and the proliferation index.


RESULTS
A high degree of positivity for telomerase activity was found in glioblastomas and atypical/anaplastic meningiomas. Telomerase activity was poorly detected in anaplastic astrocytomas.


CONCLUSIONS
The TRAP assay seems to be a valuable index for identifying meningeal tumours with aggressive behaviour.
Falchetti
M L
ML
Istituto di Medicina Sperimentale, CNR, Rome, Italy.
Pallini
R
R
Larocca
L M
LM
Verna
R
R
D'Ambrosio
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D005910:Glioma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008579:Meningioma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019098:Telomerase / Q000032:analysis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019098:Telomerase