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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Jan 14;21(1):63.
doi: 10.1186/s12885-020-07751-y.

Prognostic value of low microRNA-34a expression in human gastrointestinal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Yan-Ling Chen  1 , Xiao-Lin Liu  2 , Ling Li  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Prognostic value of low microRNA-34a expression in human gastrointestinal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Yan-Ling Chen et al. BMC Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Mounting evidence shows that microRNA-34a (miR-34a) is involved in cancer prognosis. Therefore, we summarize the predictive role of miR-34a for survival in patients with gastrointestinal cancers (GICs).

Methods: All eligible studies were found by searching PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE, and survival results were extracted. Then, the hazard ratio (HR) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to evaluate the prognostic role of miR-34a in GICs. The association between miR-34a expression and clinicopathological characteristics was estimated by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs.

Results: A total of 20 studies were included in this meta-analysis. For overall survival (OS), lower miR-34a expression could probably predict poorer outcome in GICs, with a pooled HR of 1.86 (95% CI: 1.52-2.28, P < 0.01). For disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS), lower miR-34a expression was related to worse DFS/PFS/RFS with a pooled HR of 1.86 (95% CI: 1.31-2.63, P < 0.01). A significant relation of differentiation/TNM stage/lymphatic metastasis and the expression level of miR-34a was identified.

Conclusion: This meta-analysis revealed that lower miR-34a expression is significantly connected with worse OS and DFS/PFS/RFS in GIC patients. In addition, the miR-34a expression level is relatively lower in patients with lymph node metastasis than in patients without lymph node metastasis, and decreased miR-34a expression levels are linked to poor tumour differentiation and late TNM stage. MiR-34a may become a new factor for the prognosis prediction and progression of GICs.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal cancer; Meta-analysis; Prognosis; microRNA-34a.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of the study selection process
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The association between miR-34a expression levels and (a) overall survival; subgroup analyses of (b) ethnicity (Asian and Caucasian), c cancer type (EC, GC, HCC, PC, CRC), and (d) specimen (plasma and tissues)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The association between miR-34a expression levels and (a) DFS/PFS/RFS; b subgroup analyses of DFS/PFS/RFS. Gao J*, study containing two different groups
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The association between miR-34a expression levels and (a) lymphatic metastasis, (b) tumour differentiation degree, and (c) TNM stage; sensitivity analyses for ORs of clinicopathological characteristics, such as (d) lymphatic metastasis, (e) tumour differentiation degree, and (f) TNM stage
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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