Genetic variants of IGF2BP2 as potential predictors for perineural invasion of prostate cancer in a Taiwanese population

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2), which binds with high affinity to numerous RNA transcripts, is known to promote tumorigenesis and metastasis, including in prostate cancer (PCa). Several case-control studies investigated associations between IGF2BP2 polymorphisms and cancer progression. However, the effects of IGF2BP2 genetic variants on clinicopathological progression and biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa remain unclear. In this study, we recruited 698 Taiwanese PCa patients who underwent a radical prostatectomy to investigate associations of IGF2BP2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the risk of BCR and clinicopathological progression. Using a TaqMan allelic discrimination assay, we genotyped three IGF2BP2 SNPs located in the second intron: rs11705701 (G/A), rs4402960 (G/T), and rs1470579 (A/C). Our findings revealed that these IGF2BP2 SNPs had no significant effect on initial prostate-specific antigen (iPSA) levels or postoperative BCR. However, patients with the rs1470579 A/C genotype exhibited a higher risk of developing perineural invasion (PNI) compared to those with the homozygous A/A genotype. This association was particularly pronounced in patients with an elevated iPSA level (>10 ng/mL). Clinical observations from The Cancer Genome Atlas database showed that elevated IGF2BP2 levels in PCa tissues were significantly associated with higher Gleason scores and exhibited a trend toward correlating with tumor metastasis. In conclusion, our findings highlight that the IGF2BP2 rs1470579 A>C polymorphism may increase susceptibility for PNI among PCa patients in the Taiwanese population.