title: Human telomerase gene amplification and high-risk human papillomavirus infection in women with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate whether a correlation exists between amplification of the human telomerase gene (human telomerase RNA component [TERC]) and high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection in 101 women with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN). Eight patients (7.9%) had CIN 1, 24 (23.8%) had CIN 2 and 69 (68.3%) had CIN 3. TERC was amplified in 31.7% of all CIN patients. The difference in frequency of TERC amplification between patients with low-grade CIN (CIN 1) and those with high-grade CIN (CIN 2 and CIN 3) was not significant. HR-HPV infection was detected in 88.1% of all CIN cases and was significantly more frequent in patients with CIN 2 and CIN 3 than in patients with CIN 1. There was no significant difference in the frequency of HR-HPV infection between groups of patients with and without TERC amplification. In conclusion, this study found no correlation between TERC amplification and HR-HPV infection in patients with CIN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecological and Breast Oncology, Maribor University Hospital, Maribor, Slovenia. iztok.takac@ukc-mb.si
authors.forename: Iztok
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takac
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arko
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodric
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zagorac
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erjavec-Skerget
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kokalj-Vokac
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase