RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 High Levels of Phosphorylated Form of Akt-1 in Prostate Cancer and Non-Neoplastic Prostate Tissues Are Strong Predictors of Biochemical Recurrence JF Clinical Cancer Research JO Clin Cancer Res FD American Association for Cancer Research SP 6572 OP 6578 DO 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-04-0477 VO 10 IS 19 A1 Ayala, Gustavo A1 Thompson, Timothy A1 Yang, Guang A1 Frolov, Anna A1 Li, Rile A1 Scardino, Peter A1 Ohori, Makoto A1 Wheeler, Thomas A1 Harper, Wade YR 2004 UL http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/10/19/6572.abstract AB Akt is a serine-threonine-kinase that phosphorylates proteins in several pathways regulating aspects of metabolism, apoptosis, and proliferation. Akt signaling promotes proliferation and increased cell survival and is thought to play an important role in prostate cancer progression. Tissue microarrays (640 patients) with triplicate cores of non-neoplastic prostate, BPH, and index tumor were immunostained with antibody to Phospho-Akt (Ser473), digitized, and quantified. The expression index (Intensity*Percentage) was used for statistical analysis. P-Akt-1 staining was found in both the non-neoplastic and cancer tissues, predominantly in cytoplasmic locations. High level P-Akt-1 is expressed almost exclusively in cancer. By Kaplan-Meier actuarial model, high expression of P-Akt-1 in prostate cancer was predictive of a higher probability of recurrence on univariate and multivariate analysis. Akt-1 expression was an independent prognostic indicator of biochemical recurrence-free survival when Gleason 6 and 7 patients were analyzed separately. Surprisingly, a high level of P-Akt-1 expression in non-neoplastic tissues is also an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence. This suggests that some patients might have an inherent predisposition to express a high level of P-Akt-1 and, therefore, to have an adverse prognosis. We conclude that P-Akt-1 is most likely involved in the progression of prostate cancer and is an excellent biomarker for biochemical recurrence.