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Immunohistochemical Expression of Components of the Akt-mTORC1 Pathway is Associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease

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Abstract

Activation of the Akt-mTORC1 signaling pathway was evaluated in premalignant and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions by assessing the expression of pS6, an Akt effector, and PTEN, an Akt suppressor. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for pS6 and PTEN was performed on liver tissue from 52 patients with cirrhosis, with and without HCC. Two pathologists independently evaluated pS6 staining on a semiquantitative scale and categorized PTEN staining as present or absent. Results: In the HCC group, pS6 staining was greatest in HCC, followed by dysplasia, and benign cirrhotic tissue (P < 0.001). pS6 staining was greater in cirrhotic tissue from patients with HCC compared to cirrhosis in patients without HCC (P = 0.03). PTEN staining in tumor was absent in 8/33 (24%) cases. Loss of PTEN expression was more common in patients with higher tumor stage, compared to those with stage 1 tumors (P = 0.04). Conclusion: Immunohistochemical evidence of activation of the Akt-mTORC1 pathway is associated with HCC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S. Wood Street (MC 787), Room 1020, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Scott J. Cotler & Thomas J. Layden

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Nissim Hay, Mei Ling Chen & Pei Zhang Xu

  3. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Hui Xie

  4. Department of Pathology, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Grace Guzman

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  1. Scott J. Cotler
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  4. Mei Ling Chen
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Correspondence to Scott J. Cotler.

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Cotler, S.J., Hay, N., Xie, H. et al. Immunohistochemical Expression of Components of the Akt-mTORC1 Pathway is Associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease. Dig Dis Sci 53, 844–849 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-007-9934-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-007-9934-x

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