[Correlation of expression of PTEN with AKT phosphorylation level in leukemia cells]

The study was aimed to explore the correlation of expression of pten mRNA and PTEN protein with AKT phosphorylation levels in various types of leukemia and to elucidate its role in the pathogenesis of leukemia so as to provide some evidence for using PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors in future. 128 de novo leukemia patients were enrolled in this study, including 61 AML cases, 27 ALL cases, 24 CML cases, and 16 CLL cases. 21 volunteers were selected as normal control. The RT-PCR and Western blot were used to assay the expressions of pten mRNA, PTEN protein, and P-AKT protein in Jurkat cells, bone marrow mononuclear cells of patients respectively. The results showed that the expressions of pten mRNA and PTEN protein in Jurkat cells were lower than that in normal control group; the expression of pten mRNA in AML group was lower than that in normal control group, but the difference was not significant (p=0.274); the expressions of pten mRNA in ALL, CML, CLL each group were lower than that in normal control group, and the difference was significant (p<0.05). Compared with normal control group, the expression of PTEN protein was lower and the expression of P-AKT protein was higher in AML, ALL, CML, CLL each group, the difference were significant (p<0.05). It is concluded that the a lower expression of PTEN protein and higher expression of P-AKT protein may play an important role on leukemia pathogenesis, and inactivation of PTEN protein mainly occurs in the level of protein translation.