Telomerase gene expression in intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors (IPMT): preliminary findings.
OBJECTIVE
The surgical management of IPMT is based upon a preoperative suspicion of malignancy, that is difficult to obtain from the available diagnostic tools.


METHODS
Telomerase gene expression was investigated by means of hTERT/RT-PCR on total RNA from peripheral blood, tumour and non-tumour pancreatic samples of 2 patients with IPMT.


RESULTS
Histological diagnosis was mild-grade dysplasia in the first case and invasive carcinoma in the second. Telomerase expression was undetectable in all the samples derived from the first case. Blood and tumour samples from the second patient were positive for telomerase mRNA expression, while the pancreatic non-tumour specimen was not.


CONCLUSIONS
The following suggestions are made: 1) the telomerase gene expression seems to be implicated in the malignant evolution of IMPT; 2) the malignant transformation may be limited to a single area of the gland; 3) the presence of invasive carcinoma may be preoperatively suspected by peripheral venous blood sample collection. A possible clinical employment of telomerase gene expression determination in the management of IPMT is thus hypothesized.
Nodari
Franco
F
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Surgical Clinic, University of Brescia, Italy.
Baiocchi
Gian Luca
GL
Salvi
Alessandro
A
De Petro
Giuseppina
G
Coniglio
Arianna
A
Ferrari Bravo
Andrea
A
Baronchelli
Carla
C
Barlati
Sergio
S
Giulini
Stefano Maria
SM
D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000201:enzymology*; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000201:enzymology*; D018291:Cystadenoma, Mucinous / Q000201:enzymology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019098:Telomerase