DETECTION OF TELOMERASE ACTIVITY IN ORAL RINSES FROM HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA PATIENTS

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that maintains telomere length and w hose activity is associated with escape from cellular senescence, Telo merase activity has been found in germline, immortalized, and malignan t tumor cells, Using a modified PCR-based assay for telomerase activit y, 26 of 35 (80%) primary, fresh, head and neck squamous cell cancer s pecimens and 3 of 6 head and neck squamous dysplastic lesions possesse d telomerase activity. In addition, 14 of 34 (32%) oral rinses from a separate group of head and neck squamous cell cancer patients containe d detectable telomerase activity, whereas 1 of 22 (5%) oral rinses fro m normal control patients exhibited telomerase activity, Telomerase ac tivity in oral rinses was compared with corresponding activity in pair ed primary tumor samples for 19 cases: 7 of 19 demonstrated activity i n both tumor and oral rinse, 2 of 19 lacked activity in both tumor and oral rinse, 10 of 19 tumors demonstrated activity that could not be d etected in corresponding oral rinses, and there were no examples of po sitive oral rinses with corresponding negative tumors. Although curren tly limited in its sensitivity, analysis of telomerase activity in ora l rinses represents a novel method to detect the presence of cancer ce lls shed in the upper aerodigestive tract.