title: Quantification of telomerase activity, porphobilinogen deaminase and human telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA in testicular tissue - new parameters for a molecular diagnostic classification of spermatogenesis disorders.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the quantitative detection of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA and telomerase activity as new molecular diagnostic parameters for a subclassification of spermatogenesis disorders. Telomerase activity was detected by a quantitative telomerase PCR ELISA, and hTERT mRNA expression was quantified by fluorescence real-time RT-PCR in a LightCycler in cryopreserved testicular tissue specimens. This was paralleled by a histological workup. The discriminant analysis showed that detection of normalized hTERT expression was able to correctly classify 89.0% of the investigated tissue specimens into the subgroups of full spermatogenesis, maturation arrest or Sertoli-cell-only syndrome. In contrast, discriminant analysis revealed an only 58% accuracy of telomerase activity for the investigated tissue specimens. This study shows that the quantification of hTERT expression in testicular tissue by real-time fluorescence RT-PCR is well suited for correctly classifying spermatogenesis disorders and proved to be markedly superior to the determination of telomerase activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Universitätsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. schrader@medizin.fu-berlin.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schrader
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heicappell
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Straub
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D011163:Hydroxymethylbilane Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D011163:Hydroxymethylbilane Synthase; D019098:Telomerase