The role of mTOR signaling pathway in premalignant and malignant cervical lesions.

Abstract Aberrant activation of the Akt/mTOR/pS6 signaling pathway has been identified in various types of cancer and is under investigation in cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess the expression of the phosphorylated/activated forms of Akt (upstream molecule), 4E-BP1 and pS6 (downstream molecules) in biopsy samples of cervical low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), and squamous cell carcinoma (Ca) compared to normal cervical epithelium. The study included 38 cases diagnosed as LSIL, 31 cases as HSIL, 29 cases as Ca, and eight control cases from normal cervix. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of pAkt, p4E-BP1 and pS6. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between HSIL and Ca groups compared to controls regarding intensity, positivity, and total scores for all three molecules (p