Clinical significance of telomerase activity in basal cell carcinomas and in tumour-free surgical margins

  • Authors:
    • Eva-Maria Fabricius
    • Aleksej Bezeluk
    • Ute Kruse-Boitschenko
    • Gustav-Paul Wildner
    • Martin Klein
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: November 1, 2003     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.23.5.1389
  • Pages: 1389-1399
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Abstract

To distinguish the infiltrative from the non-infiltrative basal cell carcinoma (BCC), cell cycle markers are being used to supplement histopathological assessment, and proliferation markers are proving particularly useful. A successful radical therapeutic intervention depends on a clear histopathological diagnosis, especially for the tumour margins. For this purpose we investigated whether proof of telomerase activation is a suitable adjunctive molecular marker. We were also interested in the telomerase activity (TA) of BCC-free margin tissues as a prognostic parameter of relapse. Using PCR-ELISA kits, we found TA in 26/30 (87%) BCC tissues and in 8/25 (32%) of the tumour-free surgical margin tissues. Telomerase levels and the incidence of telomerase-positive tumour tissues are not always associated with positive p53 immunoreactive scores in BCC tissues. But telomerase levels correlate significantly with p53 expression levels. In the Kaplan-Meier curve, patients with telomerase-positive tumour-free surgical margin tissues showed significantly shorter relapse-free periods than patients with telomerase-negative tumour-free margin tissues.

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November 2003
Volume 23 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

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Spandidos Publications style
Fabricius E, Bezeluk A, Kruse-Boitschenko U, Wildner G and Klein M: Clinical significance of telomerase activity in basal cell carcinomas and in tumour-free surgical margins. Int J Oncol 23: 1389-1399, 2003.
APA
Fabricius, E., Bezeluk, A., Kruse-Boitschenko, U., Wildner, G., & Klein, M. (2003). Clinical significance of telomerase activity in basal cell carcinomas and in tumour-free surgical margins. International Journal of Oncology, 23, 1389-1399. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.23.5.1389
MLA
Fabricius, E., Bezeluk, A., Kruse-Boitschenko, U., Wildner, G., Klein, M."Clinical significance of telomerase activity in basal cell carcinomas and in tumour-free surgical margins". International Journal of Oncology 23.5 (2003): 1389-1399.
Chicago
Fabricius, E., Bezeluk, A., Kruse-Boitschenko, U., Wildner, G., Klein, M."Clinical significance of telomerase activity in basal cell carcinomas and in tumour-free surgical margins". International Journal of Oncology 23, no. 5 (2003): 1389-1399. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.23.5.1389