Prognostic role of SPARC expression in gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is involved in regulating cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, and tissue remodeling. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between SPARC expression and the clinicopathologic features and outcomes of gastric cancer patients.


METHODS
Publications that assessed the clinical or prognostic significance of SPARC in gastric cancer up to October 2013 were identified. A meta-analysis was performed to clarify the association between SPARC expression and clinical outcomes.


RESULTS
Ten studies, including 1417 cases, met the inclusion criteria. The data were analyzed and the results show that SPARC is not significantly associated with the depth of gastric cancer invasion (odds ratio (OR) = 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.60-2.29, Z = 0.47, p = 0.64) or tumor differentiation (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.22-1.58, Z = 1.06, p = 0.29). Moreover, SPARC was not significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.37-1.41, Z = 0.96, p = 0.34). However, SPARC overexpression was highly correlated with reduced overall survival (relative risk (RR) = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.52-2.09, Z = 7.10, p = 0.43).


CONCLUSIONS
The SPARC may play an important role in the progression of gastric cancer, and SPARC overexpression is closely correlated with poor patient survival. The SPARC is a potential clinical marker for the survival of gastric cancer patients; however, well-designed prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China.
Zishu
Z
Wang
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China.
Bo
B
Hao
Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China.
Yan
Y
Yang
Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China.
Rui
R
Wang
Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China.
Yumei
Y
Li
Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China.
Qiong
Q
Wu
gastric cancer; prognosis; secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine; tumor progression