The oncofetal protein IMP3: a novel biomarker and triage tool for premalignant atypical endometriotic lesions

Paolo Vercellini, Fulvia Milena Cribiù, Cribiù FM, Del Gobbo A, Alessandro Del Gobbo, Carcangiu ML, Maria Luisa Carcangiu, Edgardo Somigliana, Silvano Bòsari
Fertility and sterility · 2013 · vol. 99(7) , pp. 1974–1979 · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.02.002 · PMID:23473990 · W1978955174
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This study identified the oncofetal protein IMP3 as a promising biomarker for differentiating premalignant atypical endometriotic lesions from benign ones.

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Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine whether the oncofetal protein IMP3 is detectable in endometriomas with or without histological atypia and whether IMP3 staining can be used as a triage tool to identify foci of atypical endometriosis in doubtful cases.DesignRetrospective study.SettingAcademic department and referral center for endometriosis.Patient(s)A consecutive series of 516 women who underwent excision of 874 endometriomas.Intervention(s)Histological review by three expert pathologists and immunohistochemical staining for IMP3.Main outcome measure(s)Test performance of IMP3 immunohistochemistry versus first-round histology.Result(s)The prevalence of atypical endometriosis was 1.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9%-3.3%) based on the number of women and 1.0% (95% CI, 0.5%-1.9%) based on the number of cysts. Three cases of atypical endometriosis were identified at first-round histological examination. Immunohistochemistry detected seven of the eight cases diagnosed as preneoplastic atypia at second-round histology and one case diagnosed as reactive atypia at second-round histology. The sensitivity of first-round histology was 33.3%, compared with 88.9% of IMP3 immunohistochemistry.Conclusion(s)Immunohistochemical staining for IMP3 expression is a simple, inexpensive, and sensitive test that can be used in routine clinical practice as a triage tool to discriminate between cytological/structural atypia and confounding benign conditions.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Biomarkers, Tumor Endometriosis Ovarian Cysts Ovarian Neoplasms Precancerous Conditions RNA-Binding Proteins Triage Academic Medical Centers Adult Biomarkers, Tumor Diagnosis, Differential Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Immunohistochemistry Ovarian Cysts Ovarian Cysts Ovarian Cysts

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