유방암 진행에 따른 Telomerase Activity 발현 증가

Abstract

PURPOSE: We studied the telomerase activity in normal and cancer tissues of the breast and then compared it to the clinical parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 36 paired normal and cancerous breast tissues were assayed for telomerase activity by PCR-based TRAP assay (telomeric repeat amplification protocol). In 17 cancer tissues, flow cytometric analysis for S-phase fraction was done. RESULTS: None of the normal breast tissue expressed telomerase activity while 23 out of 26 breast cancer tissue expressed telomerase activity (92%). Clinical parameters such as T-factor, tumor grade, hormone receptor expression, mitosis, S-phase fraction did not correlate with telomerase expression. However, telomerase acitvity increased with cancer progression such as; in a state of lymph node metastasis and in an advanced pathological stage. CONCLUSION: Telomerase activity was expressed only from cancer tissues. And this expression increased with cancer progression suggesting a possible therapeutic target in breast cancer.