title: 3q26 (hTERC) gain studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization as a persistence-progression indicator in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion cases.
abstract: Gains of 3q26 chromosome region, where the human telomerase RNA gene (hTERC) is located, have been previously documented in cervical carcinomas and preneoplastic lesions. The aim of our study was to define the value of 3q26 gains related to persistence-progression in cervical specimens with cytologic diagnosis for low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, using liquid-based cytology (ThinPrep; Hologic, Marlborough, MA) and fluorescence in situ hybridization. For these purposes, 55 patients were included in the study: 25 cases with a negative cytologic diagnosis for squamous intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (20 premenopausal and 5 postmenopausal women, used as control negative cases) and 30 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion cases. The follow-up was performed using cytology at 6, 12, and 24 months after the low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion diagnosis. When the cytology result showed a high-grade lesion, colposcopy and biopsy were performed. Fluorescence in situ hybridization technique with a 3q26 2-color commercial probe was performed to determine the number of hTERC copies. There were no differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal normal cases. Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion cases with regression in the follow-up at 6, 12, and 24 months showed a percentage of cells with 3q26 gains similar to the control cases and lower than low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion cases with persistence or progression (P < .05). Fluorescence in situ hybridization results were similar in preserved and frozen samples. However, in frozen samples, the number of cells suitable to be evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization was lower than in preserved (nonfrozen) cases. In conclusion, the determination by fluorescence in situ hybridization of 3q26 gains in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion cases could be useful to predict the persistence-progression of such cervical lesions using both preserved and frozen cervical material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory of Molecular Cytogenetics, Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica (IMIM)-Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. 86780@imas.imim.es
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alameda
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Espinet
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corzo
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bellosillo
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lloveras
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pijuan
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gimeno
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salido
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Solé
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serrano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C422952:telomerase RNA; D012313:RNA; D019098:Telomerase