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. PATIENTS AND 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
- MeSH
- kouření genetika metabolismus MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nádorové biomarkery metabolismus MeSH
- nádory hlavy a krku enzymologie genetika MeSH
- prognóza MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- telomerasa metabolismus MeSH
- telomery metabolismus MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
