The clinicopathological significance of METTL3/SERPINE2 immunoexpression in urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder

The aim of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of METTL3 and SERPINE2 in urothelial carcinoma and to assess their individual and combined associations with clinicopathological features and possible correlation.

This study included 126 cases of urothelial carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate METTL3 and SERPINE2 expression in tumour tissues. Clinico- pathological data including age, sex, bilharziasis, tumour grade and stage, lymph node status, lymphovascular invasion, soft tissue surgical margins, and tumour- infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were collected. Statistical analysis was performed to determine associations between marker expression and clinicopathological parameters.

High nuclear METTL3 expression was significantly associated with a higher tumour grade, advanced stage, increased TIL, and lymphovascular invasion, with no significant association with age, sex, bilharziasis, nodal stage, or surgical margins. High cytoplasmic SERPINE2 expression was significantly associated with an advanced stage, lymph node metastasis, and positive soft tissue margins, while no association was found with age, sex, bilharziasis, grade, TIL, or lymphovascular invasion. Combined high METTL3/high SERPINE2 expression correlated significantly with a high grade, advanced tumour and nodal stages, low TIL, and positive surgical margins, indicating a more aggressive tumour phenotype.

METTL3 and SERPINE2 are associated with adverse pathological features in urothelial carcinoma, and their combined overexpression may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker.