Zheng P S, Iwasaka T, Yamasaki F, Ouchida M, Yokoyama M, Nakao Y, Fukuda K, Matsuyama T, Sugimori H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saga Medical School, Japan.
Gynecol Oncol. 1997 Jan;64(1):171-5. doi: 10.1006/gyno.1996.4523.
The standard telomeric repeat assay protocol (TRAP) was used to examine telomerase activity in 16 ovarian tumors, 16 cervical carcinomas, 4 uterine tumors, and 3 vaginal tumors. Telomerase activity was detected in 95% of these tumors, 88% of ovarian malignancies, and 100% of cervical, endometrial, and vaginal malignancies. In contrast, telomerase activity was not evident in normal tissues or in benign proliferative lesions, such as leiomyomas, condyloma acuminata, and simple endometrial hyperplasia. These results suggest that telomerase activation is associated with immortalization or malignant transformation of gynecologic tumors.
