Prognostic significance of PI3K/AKT/ mTOR signaling pathway members in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Abstract

The GEPIA revealed that the mRNA expression of major PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway members, including <i>PTEN, PIK3CA, PIK3CB, AKT1, AKT2</i> and <i>AKT3,</i> were negatively correlated with ccRCC stages (<i>P</i> < 0.05), though most of their mRNA and protein expression levels were notsignificantly different between ccRCC and normal tissues using GEPIA, Oncomine and WB analyses (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Meanwhile, using the K-M plotter and HPA prognostic analysis, it was found that the mRNA expression levels of the majority of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway members, including <i>PTEN, PIK3CA, PIK3CB, PIK3CG, AKT3</i> and <i>mTOR</i> were positively correlated with overall survival (OS), whereas <i>PIK3CD</i> mRNA expression was negatively correlated with OS (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Furthermore, TCPA prognostic analysis observed that several of the key molecules of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway [<i>PTEN, p-AKT (S473)</i> and <i>p-mTOR (S2448)</i>] were also positively correlated with OS in patients with ccRCC (<i>P</i> < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study suggested that several members of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, especially <i>PTEN</i>, may be favorable prognostic factors in ccRCC, which indicated that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway may be implicated in ccRCC initiation and progression.