title: Identification of microRNAs as novel biomarkers for detecting esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Asians: a meta-analysis.
abstract: Accumulating evidence has suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) may play potential role as ideal diagnostic indicators of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, previous studies have met discrepant results. Thus, we conducted this meta-analysis to assess the potential diagnostic value of miRNAs for ESCC. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and other databases. The pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to evaluate the overall test performance. The Q statistic and the I(2) test were used to assess between-study heterogeneity. The potential sources of heterogeneity were further analyzed by subgroup analyses and meta-regression. Seventeen studies from eight articles, including 995 ESCC patients and 733 healthy controls, were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled SEN and SPE were 0.81 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76-0.85) and 0.83 (95 % CI 0.76-0.88), respectively. The pooled PLR was 4.6 (95% CI 3.3-6.5), NLR was 0.23 (95% CI 0.19-0.29), and DOR was 20 (95% CI 13-31). The pooled AUC was 0.91 (95% CI 0.88-0.93). Subgroup analyses indicated that blood-based miRNA assay displays better diagnostic accuracy than saliva-based miRNA assay. In summary, miRNA analysis may serve as novel noninvasive biomarkers for ESCC with excellent diagnostic characteristic. In addition, subgroup analysis suggested that blood-based assay yields better diagnostic characteristics than saliva-based assay. However, many issues should be managed before these findings can be translated into a clinically useful detection method for ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, China.
authors.forename: Yanying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qingxiu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yuchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Hongming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zengguang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs