Prognostic value of the miR-200 family in bladder cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract Introduction : The association between the miR-200 family and the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer remains controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of the miR-200 family in patients with bladder cancer.Methods : Electronic databases were searched to identify the studies that had assessed the association between the miR-200 family and prognosis in patients with bladder cancer. Hazard ratios ( HRs ) and 95% confidence interval ( CI ) for overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) from eligible studies were used to calculate combined hazard ratios. The heterogeneity across the included studies was assessed by Cochrane´s Q test and I 2 statistic. The Begg´s funnel plot and Egger´s linear regression teats were used to evaluate the potential publication bias. The meta-analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3 and Stata SE12.0 according to the PRISMA guidelines.Results : A total of 1152 patients from 8 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that the high expression of the miR-200 family was associated with better OS (pooled hazard ratio: 0.50, 95% confidence interval: 0.40-0.62), CSS (pooled hazard ratio: 0.36, 95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.59) and RFS (pooled hazard ratio: 0.48, 95% confidence interval: 0.36-0.65). Both Begg's funnel plots test and Egger's test verified that there was no publication bias within the included cohorts. Conclusion : This study suggests that the high expression of the miR-200 family is significantly associated with better prognosis in patients with bladder cancer.