title: Telomerase activity as a marker of invasive ductal breast carcinomas on FNABs and relationship to other prognostic variables.
abstract: To study the activity of telomerase and the relationship between telomerase and other prognostic variables in cases of invasive ductal breast carcinomas, fifty fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) obtained from the same number of female patients, diagnosed cytologically and confirmed histologically after surgery, were examined. The same cases were studied immunocytochemically using monoclonal antibodies to telomerase, estradiol receptors (ER) and HER-2 (CB11) and a standard alkaline phosphatase (APAAP) method. Telomerase activity was found in 72% of the carcinomas studied. An association was found between telomerase activity, ER receptors and HER-2 expression (p <0.005). A relationship between telomerase activity, histological grade and lymph node status (LNS) was found as well (p<0.005). The above results seem to be significant prognostic factors and should be taken into consideration in the follow-up of patients after appropriate treatment for breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Medical Faculty, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalogeraki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kafousi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ieromonachou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giannikaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vrekoussis
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zoras
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsiftsis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stathopoulos
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011959:Receptors, Estradiol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011959:Receptors, Estradiol; D019098:Telomerase