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Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Aug 10;18(8):e0289598.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289598. eCollection 2023.

Prognostic role of vitamin D receptor in digestive system tumours: A systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis

Miaomiao Zhao  1 , Zhenhua Liu  2 , Hongtai Shi  3 , Jianxiang Song  4
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Prognostic role of vitamin D receptor in digestive system tumours: A systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis

Miaomiao Zhao et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The prognostic value of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in a variety of digestive system tumours remains controversial. In view of this, we conducted a meta-analysis. Published studies (as of Mar 30, 2023) assessing the prognostic role of VDR in digestive system tumours were retrieved. Pooled analyses were conducted based on the hazard ratios (HRs) of high VDR expression extracted from the included studies. If heterogeneity was detected, the random-effects model was used; otherwise, the fixed-effects model was used. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis and meta-regression were performed to explore the sources of heterogeneity. Eight studies with 3,109 patients were included. The pooled results indicated that patients with high VDR expression generally had better overall survival (OS) (pooled HR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.53-0.85; P = 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that tumour type was the variable affecting the association between VDR expression and OS. VDR expression in colorectal cancer was not associated with OS (pooled HR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.68-1.03; P = 0.086). We eliminated publication bias using the "trim and fill" method and found that high VDR expression remained an indicator of good OS (P = 0.001). Only a few studies explored the relationship between VDR expression and cancer-specific survival (CSS) or progression-free survival (PFS), and the pooled results indicated no association between them (P>0.05). VDR expression is a prognostic indicator in digestive system tumours and may also be used as a reference for vitamin D supplementation. Detection of VDR expression not only helps to evaluate prognosis but also to formulate more precise treatment plans for patients with digestive system tumours.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flow diagram of the study selection process for the meta-analysis.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Forest plot of studies evaluating the hazard ratio of high VDR expression for overall survival of patients with digestive system tumours.
VDR: vitamin D receptor; HR: hazard ratio; CI: confidence interval.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Forest plot of studies evaluating the hazard ratio of high VDR expression for overall survival of patients with digestive system tumours stratified by tumour type.
VDR: vitamin D receptor; HR: hazard ratio; CI: confidence interval.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Sensitivity analysis of studies evaluating the relationship between VDR expression and overall survival in patients with digestive system tumours.
VDR: vitamin D receptor; CI: confidence interval.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Funnel plot of publication bias for studies evaluating the relationship between VDR expression and patient overall survival in digestive system tumours.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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