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Cancer Cell International
Published in: Cancer Cell International 1/2003

Open Access 01-12-2003 | Primary research

Is telomerase reactivation associated with the down-regulation of TGF β receptor-II expression in human breast cancer?

Authors: Abd E Elkak, Robert F Newbold, Valene Thomas, Kefah Mokbel

Published in: Cancer Cell International | Issue 1/2003

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Abstract

Background

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that synthesizes telomeres and plays an important role in chromosomal stability and cellular immortalisation. Telomerase activity is detectable in most human cancers but not in normal somatic cells. TGF beta (transforming growth factor beta) is a member of a family of cytokines that are essential for cell survival and seems to be down-regulated in human cancer. Recent in vitro work using human breast cancer cell lines has suggested that TGF beta down-regulates the expression of hTERT (human telomerase reverse transcriptase) : the catalytic subunit of telomerase. We have therefore hypothesised that telomerase reactivation is associated with reduced immunohisto-chemical expression of TGF beta type II receptor (RII) in human breast cancer.

Methods

TGF beta RII immunohistochemical expression was determined in 24 infiltrating breast carcinomas with known telomerase activity (17 telomerase-positive and 7 telomerase-negative). Immunohistochemical expression of TGF beta RII was determined by a breast pathologist who was blinded to telomerase data.

Results

TGF beta RII was detected in all lesions. The percentage of stained cells ranged from 1–100%. The difference in TGF beta RII expression between telomerase positive and negative tumours was not statistically significant (p = 1.0).

Conclusion

The results of this pilot study suggest that there is no significant association between telomerase reactivation and TGF-beta RII down-regulation in human breast cancer.
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Metadata
Title
Is telomerase reactivation associated with the down-regulation of TGF β receptor-II expression in human breast cancer?
Authors
Abd E Elkak
Robert F Newbold
Valene Thomas
Kefah Mokbel
Publication date
01-12-2003
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Cancer Cell International / Issue 1/2003
Electronic ISSN: 1475-2867
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2867-3-9

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