[Expression of phosphorylated protein kinase B and PTEN protein in ovarian epithelial cancer].

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the expression of phosphorylated protein kinase B (pAKT) and PTEN protein in ovarian epithelial cancer and to investigate the correlations between their expression and prognosis of ovarian epithelial cancers.

METHODS

Expression of pAKT and PTEN in 12 normal ovarian tissues, 20 benign tumors, 12 borderline tumors and 80 cases of ovarian epithelial cancers were detected by immunohistochemical method, and their correlations were analyzed.

RESULTS

The positive expression of pAKT in normal ovarian and benign tumor tissues were significantly lower than that in ovarian epithelial cancers (8%, 10% vs 55%; P < 0.01), respectively. However, loss of PTEN expression in ovarian epithelial cancers was significantly higher than that in normal ovarian and benign tumor tissues, and the positive rate of PTEN expression were respectively, 45%, 100%, and 80% (P < 0.01). The expression of pAKT and PTEN were correlated with clinical stages, differentiation degree of cancer cells, and metastasis (including lymph node; P < 0.05). But there was no difference with regard to age, histological type and ascites. In ovarian cancers, a negative correlation between expression of pAKT and PTEN was observed (r = -0.444, P < 0.01). A univariate analysis revealed that clinical stage, differentiation degree, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, pAKT and PTEN expression were correlative factors with prognosis (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that PTEN and clinical stage were the independent risk factors of prognosis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The overexpression of pAKT and absence of PTEN are related to ovarian carcinogenesis and development. Loss of PTEN expression is the independent risk factor of poor prognosis in patients with ovarian epithelial cancers.