The relationships of OSBPL3 expression with KI-67 expression and KRAS mutations in CRC: implications for diagnosis and prognosis

BACKGROUND: OSBPL3 is overexpressed in a variety of malignancies and is closely associated with tumor growth and metastasis. However, its expression and function in colorectal cancer (CRC) are unclear. We aimed to investigate its prognostic and therapeutic value in this disease by detecting its expression in CRC and its correlation with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients. METHODS: A total of 92 CRC samples were included in this study. According to the 2020 WHO diagnostic criteria, the criteria of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition staging system were used. OSBPL3 and Ki-67 expression in these samples was detected by immunohistochemistry. OSBPL3 mRNA expression was detected by qRT-PCR. KRAS/NRAS mutations were detected by an amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). Data analysis was performed using the statistical analysis software Prism 8. RESULTS: OSBPL3 was found to be significantly overexpressed in CRC tumor tissues and was associated with worse progression-free survival and overall survival in patients. Additionally, OSBPL3 expression was negatively correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation. KRAS mutations were detected in approximately 32.6% of patients and were significantly associated with high OSBPL3 expression. In addition, OSBPL3 and Ki-67 expression was significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: OSBPL3 is highly expressed in CRC samples and predicts a worse prognosis. OSBPL3 may become a new potential therapeutic target for CRC. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12920-022-01402-w.