title: Phospho-Akt immunoreactivity in prostate cancer: relationship to disease severity and outcome, Ki67 and phosphorylated EGFR expression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the present study, we have investigated the prognostic usefulness of phosphorylated Akt immunoreactivity (pAkt-IR) in prostate cancer using a well-characterised tissue microarray from men who had undergone transurethral resection due to lower urinary tract symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  pAkt-IR in prostate epithelial and tumour cells was assessed using a monoclonal anti-pAkt (Ser(473)) antibody. Immunoreactive intensity was determined for 282 (tumour) and 240 (non-malignant tissue) cases. Tumour pAkt-IR scores correlated with Gleason score, tumour Ki67-IR (a marker of cell proliferation) and tumour phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor (pEGFR)-IR. For cases followed with expectancy, a high tumour pAkt-IR was associated with a poor disease-specific survival, and the prognostic information provided by this biomarker was additive to that provided by either (but not both) tumour pEFGR-IR or Ki67-IR. Upon division of the cases with respect to their Gleason scores, the prognostic value of pAkt-IR was seen for patients with Gleason score 8-10, but not for patients with Gleason score 6-7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumour pAkt-IR is associated with both disease severity and disease-specific survival. However, its clinical use as a biomarker is limited, since it does not provide prognostic information in patients with Gleason scores 6-7.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hammarsten
authors.forename: Mariateresa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cipriano
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Josefsson
authors.forename: Pär
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stattin
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Egevad
authors.forename: Torvald
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Granfors
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018450:Disease Progression; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt