Activation and its clinical significance of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway and its downstream proteins in gastric cancer

Abstract

Objective To investigate the activation and clinical significance of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway related protein and eukaryotic translation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) in gastric cancer.Methods The activation of mTOR and 4E-BP1 in gastric cancer tissues of 38 surgical patients were detected by immunohistochemical method.The differences of phosphorylated mTOR and 4E-BP1 expression among cancerous tissues,para-cancerous tissues and normal gastric mucosa tissues and dinicopathological variables were analyzed by Chi square test and Kruskal-Wallis test.Results The positive expression rate of phosphorylated mTOR in the gastric cancerous tissues was significantly higher than that of para-cancerous tissues and normal tissues [71.1％ (27/38),50.0 ％ (19/38) and 44.7 ％ (17/38),x2 =11.031,P =0.026].The positive expression rate of downstream protein 4E-BP1 in the gastric cancer tissues was also significantly higher than that of paracancerous tissues and normal tissues [68.4％(26/38),57.9％(22/38) and 28.9％ (11/38),x2 =13.943,P=0.007].There was no correlation between phosphorylated mTOR and 4E-BP1 expression and tumor Lauren's sub-type,infiltration,differentiation degree,lymph node metastasis and patient's age.There was statistical significant difference between activated 4E-BP1 expression and tumor size in gastric cancer (H=3.86,P＜0.05).Conclsions mTOR pathway was over activated in gastric cancer.There was difference between phosphorylation degree of its downstream protein 4E-BP1 and the tumor size. Key words: Sirolimus; Protein-serine-threonine kinases; Signal transduction; Eukaryotic initiation factor 4E; Stomach neoplasms