title: Detection of telomerase activity in saliva from oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
abstract: Tumor markers have been detected in saliva from patients with oral cancers. In order to investigate the expression of telomerase in saliva and its clinical significance. Sixty-two saliva specimens were collected from 32 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and 30 normal persons, the telomerase activity was assayed by telomerase PCR-ELISA method. It was detected positively in 75.0% (24/32) of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma, while it was positive in 6.67% (2/30) of normal persons, the statistical difference was significant with P < 0.001. But the difference of expression of telomerase activity between the patients in clinical early and late stage was not significant with P > 0.05, the same to that between the patients with and without lymph nodes metastasis with P > 0.05. The results suggest that the telomerase in saliva could be used as an assistant marker for oral squamous cell carcinoma, however, a larger study is encouraged to confirm the value of judgement on clinical stage and lymph nodes metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou 310009, China. zhonglp@hotmail.com
authors.forename: L-P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: G-F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Z-F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: F-Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.forename: S-F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019098:Telomerase