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- Title
Expression of pERK and pAKT in pediatric high grade astrocytomas: Correlation with YKL40 and prognostic significance.
- Authors
Antonelli, Manila; Massimino, Maura; Morra, Isabella; Garrè, Maria Luisa; Gardiman, Marina Paola; Buttarelli, Francesca Romana; Arcella, Antonietta; Giangaspero, Felice
- Abstract
The Ras signaling pathway, consisting of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and PI3K/AKT signaling, is a prominent oncogenic pathways in adult diffuse gliomas, but few studies have evaluated such pathways in pediatric malignant gliomas. We investigated by immunohistochemistry MAPK and AKT signaling in a series of 28 pediatric high-grade gliomas (WHO grade III and IV). We sought a possible association of phospho-ERK (p-ERK) and phospho-AKT (p-AKT) with expression of other proteins involved in the Ras pathway, that is, YKL40, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), EGFR vIII and c-Met. Moreover we correlated the expression of p-ERK and p-AKT with prognosis. No cases showed expression for c-Met and EGFR, and only one case was positive for EGFR vIII. YKL-40 protein was expressed in 43% of cases. We detected expression of p-ERK and p-AKT in 61% and 57%, respectively, of pediatric high grade gliomas. Statistical analysis comparing the two groups in term of high and low p-ERK and p-AKT expression showed a trend toward worse overall survival in patients with high expression of p-AKT. The activation of ERK and AKT suggest a possible role of this protein in inducing activation of the Ras signaling pathway in pediatric high-grade gliomas. Moreover high levels of p-AKT are associated with worse overall survival.
- Subjects
MITOGEN-activated protein kinases; ONCOGENIC DNA viruses; GLIOMAS; PROTEIN kinases; ASTROCYTOMAS
- Publication
Neuropathology, 2012, Vol 32, Issue 2, p133
- ISSN
0919-6544
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1440-1789.2011.01252.x