Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA binding protein 3 (IMP3) is overexpressed in prostate cancer and correlates with higher Gleason scores.
BACKGROUND
The oncofetal protein insulin-like growth factor II mRNA binding protein 3 (IMP3) is an important factor for cell-migration and adhesion in malignancies. Recent studies have shown a remarkable overexpression of IMP3 in different human malignant neoplasms and also revealed it as an important prognostic marker in some tumor entities. To our knowledge, IMP3 expression has not been investigated in prostate carcinomas so far.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical stainings for IMP3 were performed on tissue microarray (TMA) organized samples from 507 patients: 31 normal prostate tissues, 425 primary carcinomas and 51 prostate cancer metastases or castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC). IMP3 immunoreactivity was semiquantitatively scored and correlated with clinical-pathologic parameters including survival.


RESULTS
IMP3 is significantly stronger expressed in prostate carcinomas compared to normal prostate tissues (p < 0.0001), but did not show significant correlation with the pT-stage, the proliferation index (MIB1), preoperative serum PSA level and the margin status. Only a weak and slightly significant correlation was found with the Gleason score and IMP3 expression failed to show prognostic significance in clinico-pathological correlation-analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
Although IMP3 is overexpressed in a significant proportion of prostate cancer cases, which might be of importance for novel therapeutic approaches, it does not appear to possess any immediate diagnostic or prognostic value, limiting its potential as a tissue biomarker for prostate cancer. These results might be corroborated by the fact, that two independent tumor cohorts were separately reviewed.
Ikenberg
Kristian
K
Institute of Surgical Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Fritzsche
Florian R
FR
Zuerrer-Haerdi
Ursina
U
Hofmann
Irina
I
Hermanns
Thomas
T
Seifert
Helge
H
Müntener
Michael
M
Provenzano
Maurizio
M
Sulser
Tullio
T
Behnke
Silvia
S
Gerhardt
Josefine
J
Mortezavi
Ashkan
A
Wild
Peter
P
Hofstädter
Ferdinand
F
Burger
Maximilian
M
Moch
Holger
H
Kristiansen
Glen
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D011379:Prognosis; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015996:Survival Rate; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
C498780:IGF2BP3 protein, human; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins