title: Clinicopathological significance of PI3K, Akt and survivin expression in gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and is characterized by invasion and metastasis. Increasing attention is being focused on discovering molecular markers for diagnosis and prognosis. Our objective was to evaluate PI3K, Akt and survivin protein expression in gastric cancer, and their correlations with clinicohistological features and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue samples were obtained from 70 patients with gastric cancer patients and 20 patients with normal gastric mucosa. The protein levels of PI3K, Akt and survivin were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Statistical analyses were performed to establish the correlations between their expressions and patients' clinicopathologic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive expression rates of PI3K, Akt and survivin were significantly higher in the gastric cancer tissues compared to normal gastric mucosa (P<0.05). Expression levels of PI3K, Akt and survivin proteins were significantly correlated with TNM stage, differentiation grade, lymph node metastasis and metastases to other organs (P<0.05). Cooperative relationships were identified between PI3K and Akt, and PI3K and survivin (P<0.01), suggesting the involvement of the PI3K/Akt/survivin signaling pathway in the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Protein expression of PI3K, Akt and survivin were significantly associated with the development, progression and metastasis of gastric cancer and may have value as diagnostic and prognostic markers in gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Yongjuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Shidai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Yibin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, PR China.
authors.forename: Yongqian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, PR China. Electronic address: zhangzhihong2001@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, PR China. Electronic address: rhguo@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Renhua
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D000077022:Survivin; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: Gastric cancer; Immunohistochemistry; PI3K/Akt/survivin