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Expression of IGF-IEc Isoform in Renal Cell Carcinoma Tissues
Fani Michalopoulou1, Constantina Petraki2, Anastassios Philippou1
1Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Background/Aim:
Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) regulates various aspects of cancer biology. There is a growing body of evidence regarding the potential distinct role of IGF-I isoforms, particularly of IGF-IEc, in the pathophysiology of various human cancer types, however, there are no studies which examined the expression of the different IGF-I isoforms in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to characterize the expression of IGF-IEc in human RCC tissues and investigated whether its expression is associated with the histopathological type of RCC as well as with the overall survival of patients.
Materials And Methods:
Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded renal tissue samples from 94 patients (58 males and 36 females) were assessed for IGF-IEc expression by immunohistochemistry.
Results:
RCC tissues showed mainly cytoplasmic IGF-IEc staining but immunoreactivity of IGF-IEc was also localized in the cell membrane. Significantly lower IGF-IEc expression was found in clear cell RCC vs. all other histological types (p=0.010), and this remained significant after adjusting for tumor size, grade, stage, and mitotic index (p<0.05). No association was found between IGF-IEc expression level and overall survival of patients with RCC.
Conclusion:
The differential expression of IGF-IEc isoform among the RCC histopathological types may indicate its histological type-specific regulation and possibly suggests a discrete biological role of this isoform in the pathophysiology of RCC.
Insights
Insulin-like growth factor-I, isoform IEc (IGF-IEc), is differentially expressed in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) subtypes. Lower IGF-IEc expression was observed in clear cell RCC compared to other types, suggesting a distinct role in RCC pathophysiology.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) influences cancer biology.
- Specific IGF-I isoforms, like IGF-IEc, may have distinct roles in cancer.
- IGF-I isoform expression in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize IGF-IEc expression in human RCC tissues.
- To investigate the association between IGF-IEc expression and RCC histopathological type.
- To determine if IGF-IEc expression correlates with patient survival.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was used to assess IGF-IEc expression.
- 94 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded RCC tissue samples were analyzed.
- Expression levels were correlated with histopathological type, tumor characteristics, and survival data.
Main Results:
- IGF-IEc staining was observed in the cytoplasm and cell membrane of RCC tissues.
- Significantly lower IGF-IEc expression was found in clear cell RCC compared to other histological types (p=0.010).
- This difference remained significant after adjusting for tumor size, grade, stage, and mitotic index (p<0.05).
- No association was found between IGF-IEc expression and overall patient survival.
Conclusions:
- Differential IGF-IEc expression suggests histological type-specific regulation in RCC.
- The findings indicate a potentially distinct biological role for IGF-IEc in RCC pathophysiology.
- Further research into IGF-IEc's specific functions in different RCC subtypes is warranted.
