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Telomere length and telomerase expression in pituitary tumors

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Abstract

Purpose

Telomere dysfunction and telomerase activation underlie cancer transformation. This study aims to investigate the contribution of telomere biology to pituitary tumor behavior.

Subjects and methods

Samples from 50 patients with pituitary tumors (11 ACTH-secreting, 18 GH-secreting, and 21 non-secreting tumors) and 7 subjects without pituitary lesions were collected. The expressions of telomerase essential components TERT and TERC and tumor telomere content were measured by quantitative PCR techniques.

Results

Telomerase (TERT) expression was detected in 36 % of tumors. No correlation was observed between TERT and TERC expression level and tumor size in any tumor type. There was no association between gene expression and clinical findings. Telomere content (T/S ratio) was similar between pituitary adenomas (0.39 ± 0.16) and normal pituitaries (0.47 ± 0.12; p = 0.24) and also was between the different adenoma types: ACTH-secreting (0.43 ± 0.08), GH-secreting (0.31 ± 0.12), and non-secreting (0.42 ± 0.20; p = 0.10) tumors.

Conclusions

The telomere content and expression of telomerase components are comparable between normal pituitary glands and tumor tissues, suggesting that telomere biology does not play an important role in pituitary tumor development.

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Fig. 1

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Deise Lucia Chesca for technical support and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) for financial support: Grants No. 2007/58365-3 and No. 2012/02234-6.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University Hospital of the Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (Process No 11071/2013).

Informed consent

This research involves tissue obtained from human participants and according to the Declaration of Helsinki requirements, written informed consent was obtained from all subjects.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Av Bandeirantes, 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil

    C. S. Martins, B. A. Santana-Lemos, A. C. Moreira, R. T. Calado & M. de Castro

  2. Department of Pathology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil

    F. P. Saggioro & L. Neder

  3. Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil

    H. R. Machado

  4. Center for Cell-based Therapy, São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil

    B. A. Santana-Lemos & R. T. Calado

Authors
  1. C. S. Martins
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  2. B. A. Santana-Lemos
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  3. F. P. Saggioro
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  4. L. Neder
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  5. H. R. Machado
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  6. A. C. Moreira
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  7. R. T. Calado
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  8. M. de Castro
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to C. S. Martins or M. de Castro.

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Martins, C.S., Santana-Lemos, B.A., Saggioro, F.P. et al. Telomere length and telomerase expression in pituitary tumors. J Endocrinol Invest 38, 1243–1246 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-015-0298-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-015-0298-3

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