Expression of insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 3 in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.
BACKGROUND
Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) was found overexpressed in various cancer types suggesting its possible role in carcinogenesis. Analysis of IMP3 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) is rare so that we evaluated it using tissue microarray method.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical analysis of IMP3 was performed on samples from over 400 patients. The expression was measured semiquantitative, subsequently divided into four categories (negative, weak, medium, or strong) and correlated with several available clinicopathologic parameters.


RESULTS
For HNSCC, positive IMP3 expression was observed in patients with all tumor stages (pT1-4) and nodal stages (pN0-3), showing also significant statistical correlation (P=0.023 and P=0.0013, respectively). No further correlations were found. Separate analysis according to tumor localization (oral cavity, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal) showed a significant correlation of positive IMP3 expression and overall survival (P=0.038) only in patients with tumors of the oral cavity. Multivariate analysis showed IMP3 as an independent predictive marker for oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC).


CONCLUSIONS
Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) expression might be used as an independent prognostic factor in the subgroup of OSCC.
Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. t.clauditz@uke.de
T S
TS
Clauditz
C-J
CJ
Wang
A
A
Gontarewicz
M
M
Blessmann
P
P
Tennstedt
K
K
Borgmann
S
S
Tribius
G
G
Sauter
C
C
Dalchow
R
R
Knecht
A
A
Münscher
W
W
Wilczak
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C515497:IGFBP3 protein, human; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D012333:RNA, Messenger