Increased AKT1 Immunostaining in Colorectal Carcinoma is Associated with Poor Prognosis

Background/Aim: Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. AKT1, V-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 gene, is a member of the protein kinase B family which plays a critical role in cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and survival of CRC. Material and Methods: Seventy archival samples of CRC, 18 colorectal adenoma, and 20 metastatic nodal metastasis were obtained from the archives of the department of pathology, Minia University. Immunohistochemistry was done for AKT1 antibody with appropriate statistical analysis. Results: AKT1 immunostaining was detected in the cytoplasm of CRC patients compared to negative immunostaining in normal colonic mucosa. AKT1 showed high immunostaining in 42/70 (60%) and low in 28/70 (40%) of patients and was statistically associated with tumour grade (p=0.012), stage (p=0.024), LNR (p=0.017), tumour necrosis (p=0.014), and TILs (p=0.049). No significant association was found between AKT1 and patient gender (p=0.766), age (p=0.492), tumour site (p=0.550) and tumour size (p=0.622). A significant association was detected between AKT1 immunostaining in carcinomas and associated nodal metastasis (p<0.001) but not between adenomas and associated carcinomas (p=0.629). Conclusion: AKT1 immunostaining was upregulated in CRC and associated with poor prognostic criteria. Keywords: AKT1, CRC, Immunostaining, Prognosis