PI3-kinase pathway biomarkers in oral cancer and tumor immune cells.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:This study investigated the hypothesis that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) pathway dysregulation in either head and neck cancer cells and/or tumor infiltrating immune cells would influence outcomes of patients with surgically treated oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). METHODS:We constructed tissue microarrays containing 123 oral tongue SCC samples and performed immunohistochemistry using antibodies against 7 PI3-kinase pathway markers: phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), Akt, p-Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), phosphorylated-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR), survivin, and Ki-67). Expression levels in cancer cells or tumor infiltrating immune cells were correlated with outcomes. RESULTS:Higher levels of PTEN expression in immune cells were significantly associated with improved recurrence-free survival (heart rate (HR)?=?0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23-0.90, P?=?.03), and overall survival (HR?=?0.34, 95% CI 0.15-0.76, P?=?.01) on univariate and multicovariate models. CONCLUSIONS:We identified a novel, negative prognostic role of PI3-kinase activation (as determined by PTEN loss) in oral SCC infiltrating immune cells. These findings could be relevant for clinical development of PI-3 kinase inhibitors for this disease.

SUBMITTER: Ibrahim MY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6382518 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature