Telomerase activity in cutaneous and anogenital warts: a preliminary study

Abstract number: 1135_239

Kilic D., Kocak M., Bozdogan O., Agalar C., Birol A., Kaygusuz S., Alpay Y.

Objective:  

To evaluate telomerase activitiy in cutaneus and anogenital warts.

Methods:  

Normal skin, genital and cutaneous lesion specimens were collected from 6, 9 and 14 patients, respectively. Telomerase activity was detected by classical immunohistochemstry by using telomerase catalytic unit (hTERT) antibody. Specimens were stained with monoclonal antibody (Novocastra).

Results:  

Staining pattern was located in basal and suprabasal location in normal skin specimens. However, telomerase activity in basal, supra basal and spinose layers was detected in all anogenital wart specimens but this staining pattern was detected only 7of 14 cutaneous specimens. Mean telomerase activity of the specimens was 66.9%, 61.7%, 27.6% in anogenital wart, cutaneus wart and normal skin specimens, respectively. No association in telomerase activity was determined between anogenital and cutaneus warts. The telomerase activity was significantly higher in HPV infection groups (cutaneus and anogenital) than in normal skin.

Conclusion:  

The increase in the activation of telomerase by HPV found in this study is consistent with all other proliferative lesions.