title: Correlation between loss of PTEN expression and PKB/AKT phosphorylation in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: The clinical significance of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) protein expression and the correlation between the expression of PTEN and phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB/AKT) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were investigated. The expression of PTEN and phospho-AKT was detected by SP immunohistochemical technique and Western blotting in 35 cases of HCC, 15 cases of liver cirrhosis and 8 cases of normal tissues. The correlation between the expression of PTEN and PKB/AKT in HCC was analyzed. The results showed that the positive expression of PTEN in HCC (62.9%, 0.085 +/- 0.021) was significantly lower than that in liver cirrhosis and normal tissues (P < 0. 01). The expression level of PTEN was related to the differentiation degree of HCC and the status of metastasis (P < 0.05). Western blotting revealed a significant inverse correlation between PTEN and phospho-AKT (r = -0.818, P < 0.01). These results demonstrated that down-regulation or loss of PTEN, which may not be able to effectively inhibit the hyper-phosphorylation of PKB/AKT, might play an important role in tumorigenesis and progression of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
authors.forename: Zhifang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jilin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Xingrui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Long
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human