scholarly journals The Prognostic Significance of NEK2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis and Retrospective Cohort Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 2746-2759 ◽  
Author(s):  
YuSheng Cheng ◽  
XiaoLong Chen ◽  
LinSen Ye ◽  
YinCai Zhang ◽  
Jing Liang ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Numerous studies have shown that NIMA-related kinase 2 (NEK2) expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue is associated with survival and clinicopathological features; however, the evidence remains inconclusive. Thus, we aimed to further explore the prognostic and clinicopathological significance of NEK2 expression in HCC using a two-part study consisting of a retrospective cohort study and a meta-analysis. Methods: In the cohort study, NEK2 expression in 206 HCC samples and adjacent normal liver tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Patients were divided into a high NEK2 expression group and a low NEK2 expression group by the median value of the immunohistochemical scores. The Kaplan–Meier method with the log-rank test was used to analyze survival outcomes in the two groups, and multivariate analysis based on Cox proportional hazard regression models was applied to identify independent prognostic factors. In the meta-analysis, eligible studies were searched in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CNKI databases. STATA version 12.0 (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX) was used for statistical analyses. Results: The IHC results of our cohort study showed higher NEK2 expression in HCC tissues compared with adjacent normal liver tissues. Multivariate analysis revealed that high NEK2 expression was an independent risk factor for poor overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.763; 95% CI, 1.060–2.935; P = 0.029] and disease-free survival (DFS) [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.687; 95% CI, 1.102–2.584; P = 0.016] in HCC patients. A total of 11 studies with 1,698 patients were enrolled in the meta-analysis, consisting of 10 studies from the database search and our cohort study. The pooled results revealed that high NEK2 expression correlated closely with poor OS among HCC patients (HR = 1.47; 95% CI, 1.21–1.80; P < 0.01), and DFS/recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR = 1.92; 95% CI, 1.41–2.63; P < 0.01). Additionally, our meta-analysis also showed that the proportion of HCC patients with high NEK2 expression was greater in the group with larger tumors (> 5 cm) than in the group with smaller tumors (≤ 5 cm) [odds ratio (OR) = 2.02; 95% CI, 1.13–3.64; P < 0.01). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that high NEK2 expression is a risk factor for poor survival in HCC patients. More prospective, homogeneous, and multiethnic studies are required to validate our findings.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Xujian Huang ◽  
Yongfu Xiong ◽  
Jialin Yang ◽  
Gang Yang ◽  
Jingdong Li

Background. To date, microRNA-21 (miR-21) has been reported to be associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in various studies, yet the results were inconsistent. The purpose of this two-part study, consisting of a retrospective cohort study and a meta-analysis, sets out to determine the prognostic role of miR-21 expression among HCC patients who underwent surgical resection. Methods. In this study, we first detected miR-21 expression in HCC patients by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Patients were divided into a high miR-21 expression group and a low miR-21 expression group according to the median level of miR-21 expression in tumor tissues. The survival outcomes of the two groups were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis of the prognostic factors was performed with the Cox regression model. Subsequently, eligible studies were obtained by searching on PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, and a meta-analysis was performed to assess the prognostic role of miR-21 expression among HCC. Results. The qRT-PCR analysis results of our cohort study showed miR-21 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues when compared with adjacent nontumor tissues. Multivariate analysis suggested that miR-21 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio, HR = 2.361 ) and disease-free survival (DFS) ( HR = 2.024 ) in HCC patients who underwent surgical resection. A total of 10 studies with 969 patients were enrolled in the meta-analysis, consisting of 9 studies from the database search and our cohort study. We observed that elevated miR-21 expression can predict poor OS ( HR = 2.24 , 95 % CI = 1.73 ‐ 2.91 , P < 0.001 ) and DFS/recurrence-free survival (RFS) ( HR = 2.44 , 95 % CI = 1.62 ‐ 3.67 , P < 0.001 ) in surgically resected HCC patients. Conclusions. Our study demonstrated that miR-21 high expression among surgically resected HCC patients is a prognostic factor that indicated adverse survival.


2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 751-758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Hyun Sinn ◽  
Moon Seok Choi ◽  
Geum-Youn Gwak ◽  
Yong-Han Paik ◽  
Joon Hyeok Lee ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
pp. 107110072097126
Author(s):  
Jack Allport ◽  
Jayasree Ramaskandhan ◽  
Malik S. Siddique

Background: Nonunion rates in hind or midfoot arthrodesis have been reported as high as 41%. The most notable and readily modifiable risk factor that has been identified is smoking. In 2018, 14.4% of the UK population were active smokers. We examined the effect of smoking status on union rates for a large cohort of patients undergoing hind- or midfoot arthrodesis. Methods: In total, 381 consecutive primary joint arthrodeses were identified from a single surgeon’s logbook (analysis performed on a per joint basis, with a triple fusion reported as 3 separate joints). Patients were divided based on self-reported smoking status. Primary outcome was clinical union. Delayed union, infection, and the need for ultrasound bone stimulation were secondary outcomes. Results: Smoking prevalence was 14.0%, and 32.2% were ex-smokers. Groups were comparable for sex, diabetes, and body mass index. Smokers were younger and had fewer comorbidities. Nonunion rates were higher in smokers (relative risk, 5.81; 95% CI, 2.54-13.29; P < .001) with no statistically significant difference between ex-smokers and nonsmokers. Smokers had higher rates of infection ( P = .05) and bone stimulator use ( P < .001). Among smokers, there was a trend toward slower union with heavier smoking ( P = .004). Conclusion: This large retrospective cohort study confirmed previous evidence that smoking has a considerable negative effect on union in arthrodesis. The 5.81 relative risk in a modifiable risk factor is extremely high. Arthrodesis surgery should be undertaken with extreme caution in smokers. Our study shows that after cessation of smoking, the risk returns to normal, but we were unable to quantify the time frame. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.


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