IMP3, a Promising Prognostic Marker in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

• Published in: Journal of pathology and translational medicine Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 108 - 116
• Main Authors: Park, Ji Young, Choe, Misun, Kang, Yuna, Lee, Sang Sook
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Pathologists, Korean Society for Cytopathology 01-04-2014; The Korean Society of Pathologists and The Korean Society for Cytopathology; 대한병리학회
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Cell cycle; Insulin-like growth factors; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; Mutation; Original; Proteins; Rodents; Studies; Tumors; 병리학; Ki-67; Neoplasm metastasis; IMP3; Carcinoma, renal cell; Tumor suppressor protein p53
• ISSN: 1738-1843; 2383-7837; 2092-8920; 2383-7845
• DOI: 10.4132/KoreanJPathol.2014.48.2.108

Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) has been reported as a prognostic biomarker in various cancers. To validate IMP3 as a prognostic biomarker in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), we investigated the expression of IMP3, p53, and Ki-67, and their associations with clinicopathologic outcomes.
We studied 148 clear cell RCCs (CCRCCs) from patients who underwent radical nephrectomy. The expression levels of IMP3, p53, and Ki-67 were assessed by immunohistochemical staining and the clinical and pathologic parameters were retrospectively reviewed.
Twenty-nine percent of CCRCCs expressed IMP3. Forty-one percent of IMP3-immunopositive tumors developed metastases, while only 11.4% of IMP3-negative tumors developed metastases (p<.001). A Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients with IMP3-immunopositive tumors had lower metastasis-free survival and cancer-specific survival than did those with IMP3-immunonegative tumors (p<.001 and p<.001, respectively). Expression of high Ki-67 proliferation index was also associated with a higher metastatic rate. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, pT stage and IMP3-positivity were independently associated with disease-specific survival.
IMP3 is an independent prognostic biomarker for patients with CCRCC to predict metastasis and poor outcome.