Study On The Biological Function And Prognostic Role Of High IQGAP3 Expression In Colorectal Cancer

Objectives:The oncogene IQ motif-containing GTPase activating protein 3(IQGAP3)is ubiquitously overexpressed in several human cancers.This study was designed to explore the expression and role of IQGAP3 in colorectal cancer(CRC).Methods:We retrieved CRC data on TCGA to investigate the expression of IQGAP3 in human CRC tissues and normal colorectal tissues.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)was used to assess the IQGAP3 expression level in CRC and adjacent tissues.The correlation of IQGAP3 expression level in CRC tissues with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of CRC patients was then assessed.At last,we investigated the function of IQGAP3 in CRC by knocking down its expression in CRC cell lines.Results:IQGAP3 protein and mRNA expression were higher in human CRC tissues than normal colorectal tissues.IQGAP3 was upregulated in CRC at the tissue level and cellular level.Higher expression of IQGAP3 was associated with higher TNM stage(P=0.005)and higher incidence of lymph node metastasis(P=0.004).The OS rates were significantly lower in the high IQGAP3 expression group compared with the low group(P=0.022).Among lymph node positive CRC patients,high levels of IQGAP3 patients had a significant(P=0.015)worse survival rate than that of patients with low levels of IQGAP3.Knockdown of IQGAP3 in CRC cell lines remarkably decreased their proliferation and migration abilities(P<0.001.Conclusions:Our data provide evidence that IQGAP3 expression was an independent and unfavorable prognostic factor for CRC patients.IQGAP3 significantly promote malignant progression of CRC and could serve as a potential therapeutic target.