IMP3 Protein Overexpression Is Linked to Unfavorable Outcome in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

SIMPLE SUMMARY: IMP3 expression was analyzed in patients with malignant (laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma), semi-malignant (dysplasia) and benign (nodules, polyps) laryngeal lesions and correlated with clinical characteristics. Higher IMP3 stains were particularly found in malignant laryngeal pathologies, which might be useful for differentiation between premalignant and malignant lesions. In laryngeal cancer patients, higher IMP3 expression was associated with positive neck nodes and worse disease-specific survival. ABSTRACT: Background: The aim of this study was to (i) determine IMP3 protein expression in benign and malignant laryngeal lesions, (ii) compare its expression to Ki-67, p53, cyclin D1, and (iii) finally, to examine the prognostic power of IMP3 in squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx (LSSC). Methods: IMP3 protein expression was evaluated in 145 patients, including 62 LSCC, 45 dysplasia (25 with low and 20 with high-grade dysplasia), and 38 benign lesions (vocal cord polyps and nodules). Results: IMP3 was significantly higher expressed in LSCC compared to dysplasia and benign lesions (p < 0.001; p < 0.001, respectively). Similarly, higher expression patterns were observed for Ki-67 and p53, whereas cyclin D1 was equally distributed in all three lesions. IMP3 (p = 0.04) and Ki-67 (p = 0.02) expressions were significantly linked to neck node positivity, and IMP3 overexpression to worse disease-specific survival (p = 0.027). Conclusion: Since IMP3 showed significantly higher expression in laryngeal carcinomas, but not in high- or low-grade dysplasia, it serves as a useful marker to differentiate between invasive and noninvasive lesions. Higher IMP3 expression represented a significantly worse prognosticator for clinical outcomes of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.