title: [Expression and significance of p-AKT, p-GSK3β and β-catenin in epithelial carcinoma of ovary].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expressions of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3β (p-GSK3β) and β-catenin proteins and to evaluate their relationship with the clinical pathological characteristics in epithelial tumors of the ovary.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of p-AKT, p-GSK3β, and β-catenin was detected with immunohistochemical staining (EnVision method) in 10 cases of benign epithelial neoplasia, 10 cases of borderline epithelial neoplasia and 70 cases of ovarian carcinoma. The relationship of the expression of p-AKT, p-GSK3β and β-catenin with the clinical pathological features was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive expression rates of p-AKT, p-GSK3β and β-catenin in epithelial ovarian carcinoma were 67.1% (47/70), 60.0% (42/70) and 71.4% (50/70), respectively. Compared to the results of benign and borderline epithelial neoplasia, the expression of the three proteins in carcinoma of the ovary was significantly different (all P < 0.05).Positive correlation was found between p-AKT and p-GSK3β, p-GSK3β and β-catenin, and p-AKT and β-catenin in epithelial ovarian carcinoma (r = 0.546, 0.581, 0.500, respectively; all P < 0.05). Compared to the results of benign and borderline epithelial neoplasia, the expression of p-AKT protein in epithelial ovarian carcinoma was significantly different (all P < 0.05). The expression of p-AKT was correlated with the differentiation of epithelial ovarian carcinoma (P < 0.05), but no relationship was found between its expression and histological classification and FIGO staging (P > 0.05). The expression of p-GSK3β and β-catenin in epithelial ovarian carcinoma were both higher than that in benign and borderline epithelial neoplasia (P < 0.05), and correlated with tumor differentiation and FIGO staging (P < 0.05), but no relationship were found between their expression with histological classification (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive correlations are found between p-AKT, p-GSK3β and β-catenin in epithelial ovarian carcinoma. The activation of β-catenin is possibly correlated with inactivation of p-GSK3β that binds to p-AKT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Qing-jie
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Han-xue
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ya-fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Jin-ou
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Cheng-cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D018282:Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018291:Cystadenoma, Mucinous / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018293:Cystadenoma, Serous / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D051176:beta Catenin; C000605506:GSK3B protein, human; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3