title: Telomerase activity in the human breast.
abstract: Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme which appears to play an important role in carcinogenesis. Telomerase reactivation seems to be associated with immortalization and malignancy. Using a PCR-based assay, we examined telomerase activity in 50 breast tissue specimens, prospectively obtained from 37 women undergoing elective breast surgery. The specimens examined included normal breast (n=13), benign breast lesions (n=5), ductal carcinoma in situ (n=8) and infiltrating ductal carcinoma (n=24). All normal breast, benign breast and DCIS specimens lacked telomerase activity. Sixteen (67%) of 24 infiltrating carcinomas. In infiltrating ductal cancer, there was a statistically significant association between telomerase activity and nodal metastasis. The present results indicate that telomerase activity is associated with acquisition of invasive malignancy in the human breast and may have a role in complementing cytopathological diagnosis. Telomerase activity as a prognostic marker should be included in future validation studies. In DCIS, telomerase activity may be a late event associated with invasion of the basement membrane.
authors.affiliation: The Breast Unit, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Smithfield, London, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mokbell
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Parris
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghilchik
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Newbold