Treatises
Expression and significance of PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma
Huimin Yu, Xuehua Li
Published 2019-04-15
Cite as IMHGN, 2019, 25(8): 1248-1251. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1007-1245.2019.08.020
Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate the expression and clinical significance of PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Methods70 specimens of primary hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent tissues were collected. The positive expression of p-AKT and p-mTOR in hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent tissues were detected by immunohistochemical method. The relative expression of p-AKT and p-mTOR protein in hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent tissues were detected by WB method. The relationship between the expression of p-AKT and p-mTOR protein and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed, and the correlation between them in hepatocellular carcinoma.
ResultsImmunohistochemical results showed that the positive rates of p-AKT and p-mTOR in HCC tissues were respectively 71.43% and 77.14%, which were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues (28.57%, 62.86%) (P<0.05). WB assay showed that the expression levels of p-AKT and p-mTOR in hepatocellular carcinoma were (0.62±0.11) and (0.55±0.10), significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues [(0.23±0.07), (0.33±0.09)] (P<0.05). The expression levels of p-AKT and p-mTOR in moderately and poorly differentiated HCC, HCC with lymph node metastasis, and stage III+IV HCC were significantly higher than those in highly differentiated HCC, HCC without lymph node metastasis, and stage I+II HCC (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between p-AKT and p-mTOR expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (r=0.564, P=0.000).
ConclusionPI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway is over-expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma, which may be a mechanism for the occurrence, progression, and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma and a new target for the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Key words:
PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Malignant tumors; Targeted therapy
Contributor Information
Huimin Yu
Department of Oncology, Weihai Central Hospital, Weihai 264400, China
Xuehua Li
