The prognostic value of telomerase expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of head and neck cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the expression of telomerase in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of head and neck cancer patients and the relationship between the telomerase expression in PBMCs and clinicopathological features with prognosis.


METHODS
Peripheral blood samples were collected from 100 head and neck squamous cell cancer patients and 20 normal control group. The telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was measured by telomerase rapid amplification protocol (TRAP) assay using TRAPeze telomerase detection kit. Pearson chi test was used to analyze the correlation of telomerase expression with clinicopathologic parameters. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used for prognostic analysis.


RESULTS
Regarding the expression of telomerase in PBMCs of patients, 73 out of 100 (73.0%) were found to be positive, and the remaining 27 cases (27.0%) were negative. The difference to the telomerase expression of PBMCs in the normal and cancer patients was significant (P < 0.001). The expression of telomerase in PBMCs of patients was significant correlated with T classification (P = 0.005), N classification (P = 0.002), and AJCC stages (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, N classification (P = 0.007), AJCC stages (P = 0.02), and telomerase expression (P = 0.017) showed independent factors associated with poor survival.


CONCLUSIONS
The detection of telomerase expression in PBMCs of head and neck cancer patients is a simple and very useful molecular marker for the progression and prognosis of head and neck cancer.
Lee
Byung-Joo
BJ
Department of Otolaryngology, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea.
Wang
Soo-Geun
SG
Choi
Jin-Sik
JS
Lee
Jin-Choon
JC
Goh
Eui-Kyung
EK
Kim
Myung-Gu
MG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019098:Telomerase / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019098:Telomerase