Upregulation of EMP3 in acute myeloid leukemia: a study based on data mining, RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry

Epithelial Membrane Protein 3 (EMP3) has been associated with multiple malignancies, but its expression patterns and clinical significance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain poorly characterized. Public datasets were integrated to assess EMP3 mRNA expression levels in AML patients versus healthy donors, with validation performed using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Protein expression was accessed through immunohistochemistry. Prognosis relevance was evaluated via survival analysis. Molecular mechanisms were investigated using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), single-cell RNA sequencing, immune infiltration assessment, and pathway enrichment analysis. Elevated EMP3 expression was detected in AML samples relative to healthy donors, showing a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.63, 1.05). This upregulation was validated by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemical analyses, yielding a consistent SMD of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.57, 1.32) when RT-qPCR data were included. Prognostic assessment indicated a significant association between EMP3 levels and AML clinical outcomes. Among 829 genes co-expressed with EMP3, enrichment was observed in acute myeloid leukemia-related pathways, with BCL2A1 and ITGAM identified as hub co-expressed genes. These findings suggest that EMP3 overexpression occurs in AML and potentially influences disease prognosis.