The prognostic value of phosphorylated AKT expression in non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

Zhi-Xin Qiu; Kui Zhang; Xue-Song Qiu; Min Zhou; Wei-Min Li

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0081451

The prognostic value of phosphorylated AKT expression in non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 5;8(12):e81451. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081451. eCollection 2013.

Authors

Zhi-Xin Qiu¹, Kui Zhang², Xue-Song Qiu³, Min Zhou⁴, Wei-Min Li¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Respiratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
² West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
³ Department of Pathology, Yubei District People's Hospital, Chongqing, P.R. China.
⁴ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Changshou, Chongqing, P.R. China.

Abstract

Objectives: Phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), constitutive activation of AKT, is a potentially interesting prognostic marker and therapeutic target in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the available results of p-AKT expression in NSCLC are heterogeneous. Therefore, a meta-analysis of published researches investigating the prognostic relevance of p-AKT expression in patients with NSCLC was performed.

Materials and methods: A literature search via PubMed, EMBASE and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) databases was conducted. Data from eligible studies were extracted and included into meta-analysis using a random effects model.

Results: A total of 1049 patients from nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. Nine studies investigated the relationship between p-AKT expression and overall survival using univariate analysis, and five of these undertook multivariate analysis. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival was 1.49 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.20) by univariate analysis and 1.02 (95% CI: 0.54-1.95) by multivariate analysis.

Conclusion: Our study shows that positive expression of p-AKT is associated with poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC. However, adequately designed prospective studies need to perform.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / metabolism*
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology*
Humans
Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
Prognosis
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*

Substances

Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Nature Science Foundation of China (30771227, 81241068), and Technology Support Program of Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province (2011SZ0194). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.