title: [Telomerase activity in rat tongue carcinogenesis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the telomerase activity in rat tongue cancer and precancerous lesions and to investigate the possibility of telomerase as oral cancer biological marker.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 69 rat tongue carcinogenesis specimens induced by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) were examined for telomerase activity by PCR-telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) silver staining and ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sequential increase in telomerase activity in tongue carcinogenesis was found. The positive rate of telomerase in normal, HP, mmDP, sDP, ISC and SCC was 0.0%, 12.5%, 25.0%, 66.7%, 72.7% and 93.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telomerase may be a tumor specific gene marker, and may play an important role in early diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Suzhou Stomatological Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangshu 215005, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D015112:4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015363:Quinolones; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: C120195:4-nitroquinolone-1-oxide; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015363:Quinolones; D015112:4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide; D019098:Telomerase