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Meta-Analysis
. 2017 Jul 11;8(28):46611-46623.
doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.16679.

Prognostic role of microRNAs in human gastrointestinal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Qiang Zheng  1 , Changyu Chen  2 , Haiyang Guan  3 , Weibiao Kang  1 , Changjun Yu  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Prognostic role of microRNAs in human gastrointestinal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Qiang Zheng et al. Oncotarget. .

Abstract

Background: Gastrointestinal cancers (GICs) mainly including esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancer, are the most common cause of cancer-related death and lead into high mortality worldwide. We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to elucidate relationship between multiple microRNAs (miRs) expression and survival of GIC patients.

Methods: We searched a wide range of database. Fixed-effects and random-effects models were used to calculate the pooled hazard ratio values of overall survival and disease free survival. In addition, funnel plots were used to qualitatively analyze the publication bias and verified by Begg's test while it seems asymmetry.

Results: 60 studies involving a total of 6225 patients (1271 with esophageal cancer, 3467 with gastric cancer and 1517 with colorectal cancer) were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled hazard ratio values of overall survival related to different miRs expression in esophageal, gastric, colorectal and gastrointestinal cancer were 2.10 (1.78-2.49), 2.02 (1.83-2.23), 2.54 (2.14-3.02) and 2.15 (1.99-2.31), respectively. We have identified a total of 59 miRs including 23 significantly up-regulated expression miRs (miR-214, miR-17, miR-20a, miR-200c, miR-107, miR-27a, etc.) and 36 significantly down-regulated expression miRs (miR-433, let-7g, miR-125a-5p, miR-760, miR-206, miR-26a, miR-200b, miR-185, etc.) correlated with poor prognosis in GIC patients. Moreover, 35 of them revealed mechanisms.

Conclusion: Overall, specific miRs are significantly associated with the prognosis of GIC patients and potentially eligible for the prediction of patients survival. It also provides a potential value for clinical decision-making development and may serve as a promising miR-based target therapy waiting for further elucidation.

Keywords: gastrointestinal cancer; meta-analysis; microRNAs; prognosis; target.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Study flow diagram
Figure 2
Figure 2. We performed forest plot to evaluate that the pooled hazard ratio value (95% CI) of overall survival related to expression level of miR-21 in gastrointestinal cancer patients
A. Random-effects model, B. Fixed-effects model.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Forest plot of OS associated with expression level of different miRs in GIC patients was presented
A. Pooled miR-21 expression in GIC, B. Specific miRs expression in EC, C. Specific miRs expression in GC, D. Specific miRs expression in CRC. OS overall survival; GIC gastrointestinal cancer; EC esophageal cancer; GC gastric cancer; CRC colorectal cancer.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Forest plot of DFS associated with expression level of specific miRs in GIC patients was presented
A. Specific miRs expression in EC, B. Specific miRs expression in GC, C. Specific miRs expression in CRC. DFS disease free survival; GIC gastrointestinal cancer; EC esophageal cancer; GC gastric cancer; CRC colorectal cancer.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Funnel plots of included studies in this meta-analysis
A. highly expressed miR-21 correlated with OS in GIC patients, B. highly expressed miR-21 correlated with OS in GIC patients was verified by Begg's test, C. Aberrantly expressed miRs correlated with OS in GIC patients, D. Aberrantly expressed miRs correlated with DFS in GIC patients. OS overall survival; DFS disease free survival; GIC gastrointestinal cancer.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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