title: Diagnostic significance of serum osteopontin level for pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This meta-analysis aimed to identify the significance of serum osteopontin (OPN) level for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Through searching the following electronic databases-the Cochrane Library Database (Issue 12, 2013), Web of Science (1945-2013), PubMed (1966-2013), CINAHL (1982-2013), EMBASE (1980-2013), and the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM) (1982-2013)-related articles were determined without any language restrictions. The STATA statistical software (version 12.0; Stata Corporation, College Station, TX) was chosen to deal with statistical data. Standard mean difference (SMD) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated. Eleven clinical case-control studies, which recruited 491 PC patients and 481 healthy controls, were selected for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Combined SMD of OPN suggested that the serum OPN level in PC patients was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (SMD=3.58, 95% CI=2.42-4.74, p<0.001). Ethnicity stratified analysis indicated a higher serum OPN level in PC patients compared with control subjects among both Caucasians and Asians (Caucasians: SMD=2.62, 95% CI=1.33-3.91, p<0.001; Asians: SMD=4.54, 95% CI=2.80-6.27, p<0.001; respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main finding of our meta-analysis revealed that an elevated serum OPN level may be used as a promising diagnostic tool for early identification of PC.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University , Shenyang, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D053495:Osteopontin