INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR II mRNA-BINDING PROTEIN 3: A NOVEL PROGNOSTIC BIOMARKER FOR ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Background. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is caused by multiple factors, including carcinogen exposure. Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) is highly expressed in various cancer cells but is rarely expressed in normal cells. We investigated whether IMP3 can be used as a prognostic biomarker for OSCC. Methods. We performed immunohistochemistry and Western blotting to examine IMP3 expression in human tissues. We also investigated correlations among IMP3 expression, clinicopathologic factors, and overall survival. Results. IMP3 was overexpressed in OSCC cells. The expression was correlated with high histologic grade, lymph node metastasis, and advanced tumor and clinical stages. Univariate analysis indicated that advanced clinical stages, lymph node metastases, and IMP3 expression were predictive factors for OSCC. Multivariate analysis showed that IMP3 expression was an independent prognostic indicator for OSCC. Conclusions. IMP3 expression was related to various clinicopathologic factors. IMP3 expression was an independent prognostic factor in patients with OSCC. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 33: 368-374, 2011