The Detection of Increased Telemorase in Oral Exfoliative Cells – a Pilot Study

Signature Grand, Davie, Florida, USA

Objective. This study was conducted to determine if certain markers of increased telemorase activity could be detected in oral brush biopsies of suspicious oral lesions. Background. Cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx is a major contributor to cancer related deaths in the United States. It is estimated that each year 30,000 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed and 8,000 people will die from the disease. Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at the end of linear chromosomes which stabilize and protect DNA from degradation by intracellular enzymes. Telomerase is the enzyme responsible for maintenance of these chromosomal ends. Since with a few exceptions, telomerase activity is not detected in normal somatic cells, it is therefore considered to be a diagnotic marker for detecting malignancy. Methods. Two oral brush biopsies were obtained from 39 oral lesions using the OralCDX system. One specimen was used for cytologic analysis (control) and one underwent analysis for two subunits of telemorase, human telemorase RNA (hTR) and human telemorase reverse transcriptase (hTRT). For telemorase analysis cells were lysed, mRNA extracted, and RT-PCR was performed. PCR products were electrophoresed, and visualized by ethidium bromide for the presence of hTR and hTRT. Results. Of the 13 samples that were suitable for analysis, all 13 were positive hTR while only 1 was positive for hTRT. Oral cytology detected atypical cells in the sample which was positive for hTRT. Conclusion. This pilot study revealed that hTRT may be a useful marker of cellular atypia and warrants further studies.