title: Altered MiRNA expression in gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aberrant microRNA expression has the potential to be used for early diagnosis of gastric cancer or to predict survival and treatment response. This study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of altered miRNAs in gastric cancer in order to assess the use of miRNAs as novel biomarkers for early detection and prognosis prediction of gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrieved published articles from the PubMed online database and obtained different sets of data on miRNAs expression profiling in gastric cancer and highlighted the most frequently dysregulated miRNAs in gastric cancer. We then extracted studies that used quantitative RT-PCR and then pooled them together by using meta-disc software (version 1.4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that there were 47 aberrantly expressed miRNAs in gastric cancer (29 up-regulated and 18 down-regulated) that were most frequently reported in the literature. In publications that provided information on specific miRNA expression vs. diagnostic value, the pooled data showed good sensitivity and specificity as well as high levels of overall accuracy. However, specimen types could be a factor that introduces substantial heterogeneity. Published studies also showed association of altered miRNA expression with clinicopathological data from gastric cancer patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, various miRNAs are differentially expressed in gastric cancer and some of them could be further evaluated as biomarkers for early diagnosis of gastric cancer and prediction of prognosis or treatment response.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology and Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Qi-Xian
authors: QX
authors: Wang
authors: You-Qing
authors: YQ
authors: Zhu
authors: Hu
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Xiao
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs