RESUMEN
PTEN is a tumor suppressor gene which is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple cancers including urinary bladder cancer. Recent experimental evidence suggests that PTEN could be utilized as an effective targeted therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of PTEN alteration in Egyptian patients with urinary bladder cancer and to investigate potential role of PTEN in the pathogenesis of this tumor. We examined PTEN expression using immunohistochemistry in 19 unselected sporadic primary urinary bladder cancers from Egyptian patients. Of the 19 tumors, 6 [32%] showed no PTEN immunostaining, 9 [47%] showed weak or partial staining and the remaining 4 [21%] showed staining similar to the normal internal controls. The strength of immunostaining correlated with tumor grade with higher grade tumors showing more prominent PTEN loss. This study indicates the high frequency of PTEN alteration in urinary bladder cancer from Egyptian patients. The results of this study also suggest that PTEN is involved in the progression of these tumors. Finally these results may suggest the utility of PTEN as a potential target for therapy of urinary bladder cancers in Egyptian patients