Expression of leptin and p-mTOR and their clinicopathological significance in human colon carcinoma

To investigate the relationship between the expression of leptin, p-mTOR protein and the pathogenesis, development and clinicopathological features in colon carcinoma. The expression of leptin and p-mTOR protein was evaluated by immunohistochemical methods in 40 normal colon mucosas, 40 colon adenomatous polyps and 108 cases of colon carcinomas. The relationship between the staining pattern and clinicopathogical features was examined. The positive rates of detection of leptin in normal colon mucosa, adenomatous polyps and colon carcinomas were 10% (4/40), 27.5% (11/40), and 71.3% (77/108), respectively; with significant differences among the three groups (P