Telomerase activity in the human breast

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme which appears to play an important role in carcinogenesis. Telomerase reactivation seems to be associated wit h immortalization and malignancy. Using a PCR-based assay, we examined telo merase activity in 50 breast tissue specimens, prospectively obtained from 37 women undergoing elective breast surgery. The specimens examined include d normal breast (n=13), benign breast lesions (n=5), ductal carcinoma in si tu (n=8) and infiltrating ductal carcinoma (n=24). All normal breast, benign breast and DCIS specimens lacked telomerase activ ity. Sixteen (67%) of 24 infiltrating carcinomas. In infiltrating ductal ca ncer, there was a statistically significant association between telomerase activity and nodal metastasis. The present results indicate that telomerase activity is associated with acquisition of invasive malignancy in the huma n breast and may have a role in complementing cytopathological diagnosis. T elomerase activity as a prognostic marker should be included in future vali dation studies. In DCIS, telomerase activity may be a late event associated with invasion of the basement membrane. (C) 1999 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.