Immunohistochemical expression of h-telomerase reverse transcriptase in canine and feline meningiomas

Telomere length maintenance is regarded as a fundamental step in tumorigenesis, as most human brain tumors, including meningiomas, stabilize the ends of their chromosomes using telomerase. This investigation represents an introduction to telomerase expression in canine and feline meningiomas. Twenty-five archived cases (14 dogs and 11 cats) were immunohistochemically tested for human-telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), scored, and quantified; furthermore, mitoses were counted on sections stained with a modified toluidine blue.