Role of IMP3 Expression in Colorectal Carcinoma: An Immunohistochemical Study

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the third most common malignancy worldwide. In Egypt, the relative frequency of CRC is about 9-12% with high male predominance 3:1. The high mortality rates associated with CRC is reflective of several factors including: the lack of apparent symptoms in the early stages and the absence of cancer prevention strategies in developing countries.

Insulin-like growth factor II m-RNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) is a member of the IMP family which plays a key role in the transfer and stabilization of mRNA, cell growth, and migration during embryogenesis. To date, there are three known members of IMP family proteins: IMP1, IMP2, and IMP3 . IMP3 has gained considerable interest as a cancer-associated protein. Previous studies strongly suggest that IMP3 may represent a valuable prognostic marker in human cancer. Its overexpression has been reported in a variety of human types of cancer, including lung cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer

It has been reported that IMP3 expression, determined via immunohistochemistry (IHC), has prognostic significance in CRC, recent studies revealed that IMP3 expression in tumor cells is a marker of poor prognosis in CRC patients and promotes tumor cell proliferation, adhesion, and invasion. Despite these observations, the IMP3 expression and its clinicopathologic significance in human CRC needs further elucidation.