Telomerase activity in head and neck cancer.
BACKGROUND
Telomerase activity is associated with many malignancies, including head and neck cancer. The use of telomerase activity as a diagnostic and prognostic marker of head and neck cancer development was examined and compared with standard histological analysis.


METHODS
Telomerase activity was determined using quantitative dual-colour real-time TRAP (telomeric repeat amplification protocol). In each of 58 patients, a sample of tumour tissue, adjacent mucosa and normal muscle was collected.


RESULTS
Telomerase activation was observed in 88% of tumour tissues and 34% of tumour-adjacent mucosa samples. No telomerase activity was detected in normal muscle tissues. Telomerase activity correlated with tumour grade, with an average of 4.6 telomerase units (T.U.) in well-differentiated, 8.3 T.U. in moderately-differentiated and 20 T.U. in poorly differentiated tumours. Relapse occurred in 13 patients and no telomerase activity was detected in 3 recurrent tumours.


CONCLUSIONS
Telomerase activity may be used as an objective parameter inversely related to tumour differentiation. Prognosis in telomerase-negative tumours is worse than that of the telomerase-positive group.
Kunická
Zuzana
Z
Department of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, CZ-62500 Brno, Czech Republic.
Mucha
Igor
I
Fajkus
Jirí
J
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012907:Smoking / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019098:Telomerase