Telomerase activity associated with progression of cervical lesions in a group of Colombian patients

Associação da atividade da telomerase com a progressão de lesões cervicais em um grupo de pacientes da Colômbia

Abstract

PURPOSE

To analyze the relation between the cytological findings and telomerase activity (TA).

METHODS

Cervical samples were evaluated and classified according to the Bethesda System. Telomerase activity was measured total product generated values (TPG) using the TRAP assay (telomeric repeat amplification protocol); data were analyzed statistically using the χ² test, with the level of significance set at p<0.05.

RESULTS

The study was conducted on 102 patients. Of these, 3.9% showed normal cytological findings, 8.8% showed cervicitis; 2% showed Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance (ASCUS); 67.6% showed Low Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (LSIL); 11.8% showed High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (H-SIL) and 5.9% showed Squamous Carcinoma. Among telomerase-positive samples, the TPG values were cervicitis<normal<ASCUS<L-SIL<H-SIL<Carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

Results show increased telomerase activity with increasing severity of lesion, supporting the association between TA and type of lesion.

Keywords:
Telomere; Telomerase; Cervix uteri; Preneoplastic conditions; Squamous intraepithelial lesions