ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the expressions of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) and phosphorylated-protein kinase B (p-Akt) proteins in colorectal cancer and their clinical significances, in order to explore the roles of Oct4 and p-Akt in the staging and grading of colorectal cancer. Methods Immunohistochemical technique was used to examine the expression of Oct4 and p-Akt proteins in 78 cases of colorectal cancer in Wuxi Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Wuxi First People's Hospital from January 2011 to December 2016. Relationship between expressions of Oct4 and p-Akt proteins and clinicopathological parameters were analyzed. Results The positive rate of Oct4 in tumors was 74.36 % (58/78), which was obviously higher than that in normal tissues [35.90 % (20/78), χ2= 23.32, P < 0.01]; and the positive rate of p-Akt in tumors was 67.95 % (53/78), which was obviously higher than that in normal tissues[28.21 %(25/78),χ2=24.68,P <0.01].The double positive and negative expression rate of these two proteins accounted for 80.8 %(63/78), with a linear positive correlation (r= 0.455, P < 0.000 1). In 78 cases of colorectal cancer, the expression of Oct4 protein was correlated with histological grade, lymph node metastasis, and Duke staging (all P < 0.05), and the expression of p-Akt protein was correlated with histological grade and lymph node metastasis (both P < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the expression of Oct4 protein was related to histological grade and Duke staging(both P<0.05),and the expression of p-Akt protein was only related to lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). Conclusion The combined detection of Oct4 protein and p-Akt protein has reliable and important clinical significance for judging the histological grade,lymph node metastasis and Duke staging of colorectal cancer.