PTEN-positive and phosphorylated-Akt-negative expression is a predictor of survival for patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma.
PTEN and the PI3K/Akt pathway are involved in the development and/or progression of endometrial carcinoma. To clarify the impact of the pathway-related molecules on prognosis, we analyzed PTEN, phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), and Ki-67 expression by immunohistochemistry in 99 patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma. PTEN-negative or PTEN-mixed staining was found in 66% of tumors. Positive staining of p-Akt was found in 40% of tumors. Loss of PTEN expression (negative or mixed) was significantly associated with positive p-Akt expression. The patients with PTEN-positive and p-Akt-negative expression clearly showed a higher survival rate than patients in the other groups. Subsequent multivariate analysis revealed that the combination of PTEN/Akt expression was an independent prognostic factor. Examining the relationship between p-Akt expression and Ki-67 labeling index (LI), we found that negative p-Akt was related to a decrease in Ki-67 LI. Additionally, the patients with low Ki-67 LI, as determined by p-Akt-expression status, had a better prognosis. In the present study, we demonstrated that PTEN-positive and p-Akt-negative expression was a predictor of survival for patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma. This study suggests the clinical significance of PTEN and p-Akt expression analysis in treatment decisions for patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma.
Uegaki
Kazunori
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishimachi, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
Kanamori
Yasunobu
Y
Kigawa
Junzo
J
Kawaguchi
Wakae
W
Kaneko
Ruri
R
Naniwa
Jun
J
Takahashi
Masakuni
M
Shimada
Muneaki
M
Oishi
Tetsuro
T
Itamochi
Hiroaki
H
Terakawa
Naoki
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011379:Prognosis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D016019:Survival Analysis; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human