Low expression of MATR3 is associated with poor survival in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Matrin 3 (MATR3) is one of the most abundant inner nuclear matrix proteins involved in multiple nuclear processes. To date the biological role and prognostic relevance of MATR3 in human cancers remain largely underexplored. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the expression levels and prognostic significance of MATR3 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients. We assessed MATR3 immunohistochemical staining and RNA-seq data from publicly available data sets, and the results were analyzed with reference to clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival of patients. Furthermore, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network for MATR3 and its neighbors was constructed, functionally annotated, and screened for survival-related genes. We observed that MATR3 protein and mRNA levels were lower in tumor tissues compared to control tissues. Lower MATR3 protein and mRNA expression levels were found to be a significant independent adverse prognostic factor for patient overall survival (OS). Moreover, out of the candidate genes, MRPL23 gene was identified as being the most predictive of OS and combined MRPL23/MATR3 expression status predicted patient survival better than looking at each marker individually. In conclusion, the present investigation warrants further research into the biological and prognostic value of MATR3 and MRPL23 in ccRCC patients.