title: Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 predicts survival in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing scientific evidence suggests that human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) may be a powerful predictor of survival in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy after operative resection, but many existing studies have yielded inconclusive results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This meta-analysis aims to assess the prognostic role of hENT1 in predicting survival in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine.
  
  
  METHODS
  An extensive literature search for relevant studies was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CBM databases from their inception through May 1, 2013. This meta-analysis was performed using the STATA 12.0 software. The crude hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven clinical studies were included in this meta-analysis with a total of 851 pancreatic cancer patients, including 478 patients in the high hENT1 expression group and 373 patients in the low hENT1 expression group. Our meta-analysis revealed that high hENT1 expression was associated with improved overall survival (OS) of pancreatic cancer patients (HR=2.61, 95% CI=2.02-3.34). Pancreatic cancer patients with high hENT1 expression also had a longer disease-free survival (DFS) than those with low hENT1 expression (HR=2.62, 95% CI=1.94-3.54). Further, high hENT1 mRNA showed significant association with improved OS and DFS of pancreatic cancer patients (HR=2.65, 95% CI=1.75-4.00; HR=3.29, 95% CI=1.85-5.84; respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, our meta-analysis suggests that high hENT1 expression may be associated with improved OS and DFS of pancreatic cancer patients treated with gemcitabine. Detection of hENT1 expression may be a promising biomarker for gemcitabine response and prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Minimally Invasive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University , Jinzhou, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Yufeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Luojie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bai
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D033721:Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D033721:Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine