title: Correlation between p16 expression and malignant risk of gastrointestinal stromal tumor: evidence from nine studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The published data about p16 expression and its potential value in malignant risk of GIST patients seems inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of this relationship a meta-analysis was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies were identified using PubMed and Embase. Inclusive criteria were GIST patients, evaluation of p16 expression and malignant risk. The odds ratios for positive rate of p16 in NIH very low risk group vs. NIH low risk group, for positive rate of p16 in NIH low risk group vs. NIH intermediate risk group, for positive rate of p16 in NIH intermediate risk group vs. NIH high risk group, and for positive rate of p16 in NIH very low risk/low risk group vs. NIH intermediate risk/high risk group, were calculated with 95% CI for each study as an estimation of potential value of p16 in malignant risk of GIST.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 9 studies including 817 patients were involved in this meta-analysis. The meta-analyses of positive rate of p16 among NIH VL group vs. NIH L group vs. NIH I group vs. NIH H group did not attain significant differences, but the overall OR for positive rate of p16 in NIH VL+L group vs. NIH I+H group revealed that significantly elevated risks of positive p16 in NIH VL+L group were achieved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate p16 loss correlates with the increase of malignant risk for GIST and has a close relationship within the NIH I risk group and NIH H risk group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zong
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D019942:Genes, p16; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors