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Background: As a consequence of the high cell division rate, telomeric repeat reduction in human tumor cells, giving rise to genetic instability, has recently been described. The aim of this study was to analyze by Southern blot telomeric length alterations in a retrospective group of patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma., Patients and Methods: Tumor and corresponding normal DNA were isolated from paraffin-embedded tissue of 16 patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma. Telomeric Restriction Fragments (TRF) were studied by Southern blot and densitometric analysis., Results: No telomere alterations were detected in 37.5% of patients (6/16). Of the remaining ten, 5 were found to have telomere reduction and five telomere elongation. No significant correlation was found between clinicopathological variables, response to chemotherapy, survival rate or time to progression, and telomere length alterations., Conclusions: In ovarian epithelial carcinoma telomere elongation may be a marker of the presence of immortal cells within the tumor, but telomere or the absence of telomeric alterations do not rule out the presence of these cells. Although TRF analysis can be performed in paraffin-embedded tissues, it is not the best indicator of telomerase activity and thus of tumor aggressiveness in early stages of this carcinoma.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is associated to malignant neoplasia in up to one third of the cases. Not considering breast neoplasia, ovarian cancer is the malignancy most frequently associated with DM in women. This study shows the evolution and outcome of a case of this association managed in our unit. The principal features of similar cases reported in the literature are summarized.