Telomerase activity and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in human uterine cervical cancers and cervical smears

Telomerase activity and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection were investigated in uterine cervical samples using molecular biology techniques. Thirteen cervical carcinomas and corresponding normal tissue from the same patient, and 102 cervical swabs were examined. Telomerase activity was detected in 12 of 13 cervical cancer tissues (92%). Of the 12 cases that showed telomerase activity, all were HPV positive, and the one case that did not show telomerase activity was HPV negative. A telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay detected telomerase activity in one out of seven normal cervical tissues (14%), and this one case was HPV positive. In cervical smear samples, telomerase activity was detected in two out of 36 normal smears (6%; both HPV positive), in 10 of 32 (31%) CIN1 (cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia) cases (three HPV positive), in four of five (80%) CIN2 cases (two HPV positive), in 15 of 21 (71%) CIN3 cases, (seven HPV positive) and in seven of eight (88%) squamous cell carcinoma cases (six HPV positive). These results suggest that telomerase activity may play some role in cervical carcinogenesis, and telomerase activity is associated with HPV infection in uterine cervical lesions.