title: In-situ hybridization-based quantification of hTR: a possible biomarker in malignant melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Telomerase is reactivated in most cancers and there is accumulating evidence that this is a driver event in malignant melanoma (MM). Thus, our aim was to evaluate if in-situ hybridization (ISH)-based quantification of telomerase RNA (hTR) could be used to distinguish MM from naevi, and if there was a correlation with the Breslow thickness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We created a tissue microarray (TMA) from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 17 MM and 23 naevi, performed ISH targeting hTR, and quantified the signals. We found a more than eightfold greater number of hTR signals per nucleus in the MM samples compared to the naevi, and a positive correlation (P = 0.0381) between the number of hTR signals per nucleus and the Breslow thickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quantification of hTR ISH signals clearly distinguish MM from naevi (P < 0.0001) and the number of signals per nucleus correlates with the Breslow thickness, suggesting that hTR might be a valuable biomarker in MM. Furthermore, as ISH-based detection requires the presence of both hTR and telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), it might be an indicator of active telomerase and thus have future relevance as a predictive biomarker for anti-telomerase treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Aarhus University Hospital, Noerrebrogade 44, Building 18B, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vagner
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Steiniche
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stougaard
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D009506:Nevus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C422952:telomerase RNA; D012313:RNA; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: biomarker; hTERC; hTERT; hTR; in-situ hybridization; melanoma; rolling circle amplification; telomerase