title: Missing association between telomerase activity and clinicopathological features in patients with early stage carcinoma of the cervix.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to evaluate the association between the telomerase activity in the tumor and clinicopathological findings in patients with stage IB-IIA (FIGO) carcinoma of the cervix.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight patients with carcinoma of the cervix submitted to radical hysterectomy were prospectively from January 1998 to November 2001. Samples from the tumor were taken and analyzed by the telomerase PCR-TRAP-ELISA kit. Clinicopathological characteristics such as age, stage, tumor size, grade of differentiation, lymphatic vascular space invasion (LVSI), parametrial involvement and status of pelvic lymph nodes were also recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient's mean age was 49.3+/-1.99 years (29-76 years). The clinical stage (FIGO) was IB in 35 patients (92.1%) and IIA in 3 patients (7.9%). The histological classification identified squamous cell carcinoma in 33 patients (86.8%) and adenocarcinoma in 5 patients (13.2%). There was no association between age, clinical stage, histological classification, tumor size, grade of differentiation and presence of LVSI with tumoral telomerase activity. The telomerase activity was not associated with the presence of vaginal involvement (P=0.349), parametrium involvement (P=0.916), pelvic lymph node metastasis (P=0.988) or tumoral recurrence (P=0.328) in patients with carcinoma of the cervix.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telomerase activity in the tumor is not associated with clinicopathological findings or tumor recurrence in patients with early stage cervical carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenida Professor Alfredo Balena 190, Santa Efigênia, 30130100 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Admário S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Santos-Filho
authors.forename: Sérgio Augusto
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Triginelli
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Traiman
authors.forename: José Renan
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cunha-Melo
authors.forename: Agnaldo L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Silva-Filho
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019098:Telomerase