Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), the catalytic subunit of telomerase, is very closely associated with telomerase activity. Telomerase has been implicated in cellular immortalization and carcinogenesis. in situ detection of hTERT will aid in determining the localization of telomerase-positive cells. The aim of this study was to detect expression of hTERT mRNA, hTERT protein, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in paraffin-embedded breast tissue samples and to investigate the relationship between hTERT expression and various clinicopathological parameters in breast tumorigenesis. We used in situ hybridization (ISH) to examine hTERT gene expression, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to examine expression of hTERT protein, ER and PR, in breast tissues including 64 adenocarcinomas, 2 phyllode tumors and their adjacent normal breast tissues. hTERT gene expression was detected by ISH in 56 (88%) carcinomas, but in neither of the 2 phyllode tumors. hTERT protein expression was detected by IHC in 52 (81%) carcinomas, but in neither of the 2 phyllode tumors. Moreover, ER and PR were expressed in 42 (66%) and 42 (66%) carcinomas, respectively, and in neither of the 2 phyllode tumors. In 4 cases of breast carcinoma that strongly expressed hTERT gene and protein before treatment, neo-adjuvant chemotherapy led to disappearance of gene and protein expression in all cases. There was a strong correlation between detection of hTERT gene expression by ISH and of hTERT protein by ICH in tissue specimens from breast tumors. These results suggest that detection of hTERT protein by ICH can be used to distinguish breast cancers as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic marker.

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