title: Gradual telomere shortening and increasing chromosomal instability among PanIN grades and normal ductal epithelia with and without cancer in the pancreas.
abstract: A large body of evidence supports a key role for telomere dysfunction in carcinogenesis due to the induction of chromosomal instability. To study telomere shortening in precancerous pancreatic lesions, we measured telomere lengths using quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization in the normal pancreatic duct epithelium, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias (PanINs), and cancers. The materials employed included surgically resected pancreatic specimens without cancer (n = 33) and with invasive ductal carcinoma (n = 36), as well as control autopsy cases (n = 150). In comparison with normal ducts, telomere length was decreased in PanIN-1, -2 and -3 and cancer. Furthermore, telomeres were shorter in cancer than in PanIN-1 and -2. Telomere length in cancer was not associated with histological type, lesion location, or cancer stage. PanINs with or without cancer showed similar telomere lengths. The incidences of atypical mitosis and anaphase bridges, which are morphological characteristics of chromosomal instability, were negatively correlated with telomere length. The telomeres in normal duct epithelium became shorter with aging, and those in PanINs or cancers were shorter than in age-matched controls, suggesting that telomere shortening occurs even when histological changes are absent. Our data strongly suggest that telomere shortening occurs in the early stages of pancreatic carcinogenesis and progresses with precancerous development. Telomere shortening and chromosomal instability in the duct epithelium might be associated with carcinogenesis of the pancreas. Determination of telomere length in pancreatic ductal lesions may be valuable for accurate detection and risk assessment of pancreatic cancer.
authors: Department of Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Matsuda
authors: Department of Integrated Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan.
authors: Toshiyuki
authors: T
authors: Ishiwata
authors: Research Team for Geriatric Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
authors: Naotaka
authors: N
authors: Izumiyama-Shimomura
authors: Department of Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
authors: Hideki
authors: H
authors: Hamayasu
authors: Department of Pathology, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, 4-1-22 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-8935, Japan.
authors: Mutsunori
authors: M
authors: Fujiwara
authors: Department of Pathology, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, 4-1-22 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-8935, Japan.
authors: Ken-Ichiro
authors: K
authors: Tomita
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hadano Red Cross Hospital, Hadano, Kanagawa, 257-0017, Japan.
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Hiraishi
authors: Research Team for Geriatric Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
authors: Ken-Ichi
authors: K
authors: Nakamura
authors: Research Team for Geriatric Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
authors: Naoshi
authors: N
authors: Ishikawa
authors: Research Team for Geriatric Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
authors: Junko
authors: J
authors: Aida
authors: Research Team for Geriatric Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
authors: Kaiyo
authors: K
authors: Takubo
authors: Department of Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan.
authors: Tomio
authors: T
authors: Arai
mesh_terms: D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D043171:Chromosomal Instability / Q000235:genetics*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D059506:Telomere Shortening