OBJECTIVE: Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that protects chromosomes from degradation and end-to-end fusions by maintaining telomere length. Studies have shown that telomerase is present in 95% of gynecologic @entity5 and in 88% of @entity43 but undetectable in benign tissue. The aim of this investigation was to determine whether telomerase is present in sex @entity4097 and whether telomerase activity is indicative of @entity1 outcomes. METHODS: Forty-five consecutive sex cord-stromal @entity43 were analyzed by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for expression of @entity1 telomerase, @entity1 telomerase reverse transcriptase, and telomerase activity. RESULTS: Of the 29 @entity1 with malignant cell types (granulosa cell, Sertoli-Leydig cell, and steroid cell @entity5 ), 21 of the 28 @entity1 (75%) available for follow-up had recurrence, with a mean follow-up of 86 months (95% CI, 36-157 months). The telomerase repeat amplification protocol assay had a sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 94% for @entity5 . @entity1 with @entity5 had a mean disease-free interval of 66.5 months; for those with telomerase-negative @entity5 the interval was 90 months. In addition, @entity1 with @entity5 were more likely to be dead from disease or alive with disease than those without telomerase activity, and they showed trends toward requiring a larger number of surgical procedures for the treatment of their disease. However, these trends were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Although activation of telomerase is clearly an important step in @entity105 , it is unlikely to be helpful in the clinical management of sex @entity4097 of the ovary.

Telomerase activity in sex XXXX of the ovary.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'human', 'patients', 'patient'] @entity43 :: ('MESH:D010051', 'Disease') :: ['ovarian tumors', 'epithelial ovarian carcinomas'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumors', 'telomerase-positive tumors', 'malignancy', 'malignancies'] @entity4097 :: ('MESH:D013120', 'Disease') :: ['cord-stromal tumors'] @entity105 :: ('MESH:D063646', 'Disease') :: ['carcinogenesis']
@entity4097 :: (MESH:D013120,Disease) :: ['cord-stromal tumors']
