The clinicopathological and prognostic relevance of pyruvate kinase M2 and pAkt expression in breast cancer

Abstract

Background: Cancer cell growth has been described to depend on glucose utilization. Activation of Akt and up-regulation of pyruvate kinase M2 (M2-PK) are attributes of tumour glycolysis.

Patients and methods: In order to evaluate the prognostic relevance of glycolytic markers in breast cancer, the expression of pAkt and M2PK was analysed in 160 tissue samples. The staining results were compared with clinicopathological characteristics and survival data.

Results: Overexpression of pAkt was detected in 58% and of M2PK in 70% of breast cancer samples. Increased pAkt-expression was accompanied with shorter survival time. In contrast, M2PK expression was significantly higher in patients surviving breast cancer for more than 13 years.

Conclusion: Strong M2PK expression seems to be a favourable prognostic factor and its role in breast cancer progression should be further explored. Our data confirm previous observations of pAkt as a negative prognostic marker.