[The experimental study on telomerase activity and expression of p53 and c-myc genes in tongue cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To study telomerase activity and expression of oncogenes c-myc and p53 in tongue cancer, analyse the interaction among them, and assess their possible correlations with tongue cancer clinicopathological features.


METHODS
To detective the telomerase activity by TRAP and examine the positive expression of c-myc and p53 in tongue cancer by hybridization in situ.


RESULTS
A high telomerase activity existed in lower differentiated tongue cancer (P < 0.05); the positive expression of c-myc increased significantly in lower grade tongue cancer (P < 0.05) and the positive expression of p53 decreased increasingly in tongue cancer accompanied with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Telomerase may play a key role in the tumorigenesis of tongue cancer. Meantime, c-myc and p53 exerts important effect on telomerase activation during the course of tongue cancer generation and development.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019098:Telomerase