BMC Cancer (Jun 2010)

Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA binding protein 3 (IMP3) is overexpressed in prostate cancer and correlates with higher Gleason scores

  • Mortezavi Ashkan,
  • Gerhardt Josefine,
  • Behnke Silvia,
  • Sulser Tullio,
  • Provenzano Maurizio,
  • Müntener Michael,
  • Seifert Helge,
  • Hermanns Thomas,
  • Hofmann Irina,
  • Zuerrer-Haerdi Ursina,
  • Fritzsche Florian R,
  • Ikenberg Kristian,
  • Wild Peter,
  • Hofstädter Ferdinand,
  • Burger Maximilian,
  • Moch Holger,
  • Kristiansen Glen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-10-341
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
p. 341

Abstract

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Abstract 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 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.