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. 2005 Nov;58(11):1199-205.
doi: 10.1136/jcp.2004.024786.

Prognostic value of activated Akt expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma

J Lim  1 , J-H Kim, J-Y Paeng, M-J Kim, S-D Hong, J-I Lee, S-P Hong
Affiliations

Prognostic value of activated Akt expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma

J Lim et al. J Clin Pathol. 2005 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Akt is a serine/threonine kinase that plays an important role in tumorigenesis and influences prognosis in several cancers. However, its importance in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) has not been elucidated.

Aim: To investigate the association between the expression of activated Akt, clinicopathological factors, and E-cadherin, PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen), and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) expression to verify the validity of Akt as a prognostic factor in OSCC.

Methods: Phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), E-cadherin, PCNA, and VEGF expression were assessed immunohistochemically in 84 OSCCs. The results were analysed in relation to clinicopathological factors.

Results: p-Akt was expressed in 29 cases. It was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and E-cadherin expression. Univariate analysis showed that p-Akt expression, E-cadherin expression, PCNA expression, differentiation, tumour size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and recurrence correlated with prognosis. Multivariate analysis showed that p-Akt expression is an independent prognostic factor in patients with OSCC.

Conclusions: This study revealed that Akt activation is a significant prognostic indicator for OSCC and is correlated with E-cadherin expression. The inhibition of Akt is a possible molecular approach to the treatment of OSCC.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Immunohistochemical staining in oral squamous cell carcinoma. (A) Positive expression of phosphorylated Akt (original magnification, ×200); (B) positive expression of E-cadherin (original magnification, ×200); (C) high expression of PCNA (original magnification, ×100); (D) positive expression of VEGF (original magnification, ×200).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Survival curves of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma according to (A) phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) expression, (B) p-Akt expression in T1 and T2 tumours, (C) E-cadherin expression, (D) lymph node (LN) metastasis, (E) tumour size, and (F) clinical stage (Kaplan–Meier method).
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