In colon cancer, normal colon tissue and blood cells have altered telomere lengths.

Background: Telomere length (TL) shortened occurs in colorectal carcinogenetic process. Our objective is to determine if it is only a local fact or there are alterations in normal colon cells and in other body cells.

Methods: TL of tumoral and normal mucosa and leukocytes of 40 patients operated of colorectal cancer (CRC) and 40 control patients with normal colonoscopy were measured by Southern-blot.

Telomerase activity is a prognostic factor for recurrence and survival in rectal cancer.

Purpose: This study was designed to determine whether telomerase activity measured in samples of tumoral tissue, transitional mucosa, and normal mucosa from patients with sporadic colorectal cancer is a prognostic factor for recurrence and overall survival.

Methods: Telomerase activity was determined by fluorescence-based telomeric repeat amplification in tissue samples from 108 patients with sporadic colorectal cancer. A telomerase index was determined by using the formula log (telomerase activity of cancer tissue - telomerase activity of normal mucosa).

[Early virologic response value as predictive factor of sustained virologic response to treatment with interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients with or without HIV coinfection].

Background And Objective: The most effective currently available therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus infection is the combination of interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin both, in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection and in patients without coinfection. In an attempt to avoid morbidity and health costs we searched for an indicator of early virologic response (EVR). We evaluated the EVR efficiency at 4 and 12-weeks after the initiation of antiviral combination therapy.