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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Mar 14;19(6):3396.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063396.

MicroRNA-21 Expression as a Prognostic Biomarker in Oral Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Mario Dioguardi  1 , Francesca Spirito  1 , Diego Sovereto  1 , Mario Alovisi  2 , Giuseppe Troiano  1 , Riccardo Aiuto  3 , Daniele Garcovich  4 , Vito Crincoli  5 , Luigi Laino  6 , Angela Pia Cazzolla  1 , Giorgia Apollonia Caloro  7 , Michele Di Cosola  1 , Lorenzo Lo Muzio  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

MicroRNA-21 Expression as a Prognostic Biomarker in Oral Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Mario Dioguardi et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Oral carcinoma represents one of the main carcinomas of the head and neck region, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 50%. Smoking and tobacco use are recognized risk factors. Prognostic survival biomarkers can be a valid tool for assessing a patient's life expectancy and directing therapy towards specific targets. Among the biomarkers, the alteration of miR-21 expression in tumor tissues is increasingly reported as a valid prognostic biomarker of survival for oral cancer. The purpose of this meta-analysis was, therefore, to investigate and summarize the results in the literature concerning the potential prognostic expression of tissue miR-21 in patients with OSCC.

Methods: The systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines using electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, with the use of combinations of keywords, such as miR-21 AND oral cancer, microRNA AND oral cancer, and miR-21. The meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.41 software.

Results: At the end of the article-selection process, 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis, and the result for the main outcome was a pooled HR per overall survival (OS) of 1.29 (1.16-1.44) between high and low expression of miR-21.

Conclusions: The data in the literature and the results emerging from the systematic review indicate that miR-21 can provide a prognostic indication in oral cancer.

Keywords: HNSCC; OSCC; miR-21; microRNA; non-coding RNA; oral cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the different phases of the systematic review.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of the fixed-effects model of the meta-analysis of the first outcome.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot of the fixed-effects model of the meta-analysis of the second outcome.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot of the fixed-effects model of the meta-analysis of the third outcome.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plot of the fixed-effects model of the meta-analysis of the fourth outcome.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Funnel plot for the primary outcome; I2 = 60%.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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