Telomerase activity and genetic alterations in primary breast carcinomas

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2003

Authors

Papadopoulou, A (Author) Other; Trangas, T (Author) Other; Manuel R Teixeira (Author) ICBAS; Heim, S (Author) Other; Dimitriadis, E (Author) Other; Tsarouha, H (Author) Other; Andersen, JA (Author) Other; Evangelou, E (Author) Other; Ioannidis, P (Author) Other; Agnantis, NJ (Author) Other; Pandis, N (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Neoplasia

Vol. 5

Pages: 170-178

ISSN: 1522-8002

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 8 Citations

Scopus - 8 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-HMS

DOI: 10.1016/s1476-5586(03)80009-x

Abstract (EN): It has been proposed that the structural and numerical chromosome abnormalities recorded in breast cancer could be the result of telomere dysfunction and that telomerase is activated de novo to provide a survival mechanism curtailing further chromosomal aberrations. However, recent in vivo and in vitro data show that the ectopic expression of telomerase promotes tumorigenesis via a telomere length-independent mechanism. In this study, the relation between telomerase expression and the extent of chromosomal aberrations was investigated in 62 primary breast carcinomas. Telomerase activity was measured using a polymerase chain reaction-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay and 92% of the tumors were found to express telomerase with a relative activity ranging from 0 to 3839.6. Genetic alterations were determined by G-banding and comparative genomic hybridization analysis and 97% of the tumors exhibited chromosomal aberrations ranging from 0 to 44 (average: 10.98). In the overall series, the relationship between telomerase activity levels and genetic changes could be best described by a quadratic model, whereas in tumors with below-average genetic alteration numbers, a significant positive association was recorded between the two variables (coefficient=0.374, P=.017). The relationship between telomerase activity levels and the extent of genetic alteration may reflect the complex effect of telomerase activation upon tumor progression in breast carcinomas.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9