Abstract: Objective To investigate the role of telomerase in the pathogenesis of the keloid. Methods Expression of telomerase in 17 specimens from keloidal lesions, 10 specimens from normal skin adjacent to keloids and 9 skin specimens from normal controls were detected by immunohistochemistry tech-niques. Results It was shown that 50.5% of fibroblasts were positive (with telomerase activity) in keloids, 21.1% of fibroblasts positive in the normal skin adjacent to keloids, and only 7.9% of fibroblasts positive in the skin of normal controls, and expressing less degree of staining in the positive fibroblasts than that in keloids and its adjacent normal skins. Consequently, the expression of telomerase was significantly higher in both keloid and its adjacent normal skins than that in normal controls. Conclusion High level of telomerase expression may be related to the pathogenesis of the keloid.

Key words: Keloid, Telomerase