Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2023 Nov 7. doi: 10.1080/14737140.2023.2280643. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of circulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in colorectal cancer (CRC), focusing on their associations with disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and clinicopathological features.
METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in databases (Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library) up to July 2022 to identify studies investigating the prognostic value of circulating lncRNAs in CRC. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Statistical analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 17.0. Publication bias was assessed using Begg’s test, and sensitivity analysis was conducted to validate the meta-analysis results.
RESULTS: Ten articles, comprising 1,473 CRC patients and 18 different circulating lncRNAs, were included. Thirteen circulating lncRNAs were found to be up-regulated in CRC patients, while five were down-regulated. High expression of circulating lncRNAs up-regulated in CRC patients was associated with shorter CRC OS (HR = 2.91, 95% CI: 1.17, 7.22; P = 0.02, I2 = 86%). Conversely, high expression of circulating lncRNAs down-regulated in CRC patients was linked to longer CRC OS (HR = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.40; P < 0.0001, I2 = 0%) and improved DFS (HR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.74; P = 0.0002, I2 = 0%). Additionally, circulating lncRNA levels correlated with TNM staging, tumor location, and lymph node metastasis.
CONCLUSION: Circulating lncRNAs show promise as prognostic markers for CRC patients. However, further studies are warranted to validate these findings, given the limited number and representativeness of articles included in this study.
PMID:37934874 | DOI:10.1080/14737140.2023.2280643
