title: Urine microRNAs as biomarkers for bladder cancer: a diagnostic meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The diagnostic value of microRNA (miRNA) detection in patients with bladder cancer (BCa) is controversial. We performed a diagnostic meta-analysis to evaluate current evidence on the use of miRNA assays to diagnose BCa.
  
  
  METHODS
  We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for studies published before March 31, 2015. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to evaluate the overall test performance. Subgroup analyses were used to explore the between-study heterogeneity. Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test was used to test publication bias. We applied the software of RevMan 5.2 and Stata 11.0 to the meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 23 studies from nine articles were included in the meta-analysis, with a total of 719 patients and 494 controls. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.80) and 0.75 (95% CI, 0.70-0.80), respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio was 3.03 (95% CI, 2.50-3.67); negative likelihood ratio was 0.33 (95% CI, 0.27-0.42); and diagnostic odds ratio was 9.07 (95% CI, 6.35-12.95). The pooled AUC was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.78-0.85). Subgroup analyses indicated that the multiple miRNAs assays and urine supernatant assays showed high accuracies in diagnosing BCa.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The miRNA assays may serve as potential noninvasive diagnostic tool for the detection of BCa. However, the clinical application of miRNA assays for BCa diagnosis still needs further validation by large prospective studies.
authors: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yidong
authors: Y
authors: Cheng
authors: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiaheng
authors: X
authors: Deng
authors: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Pengchao
authors: P
authors: Li
authors: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiaolei
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Li
authors: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Tao
authors: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Qiang
authors: Q
authors: Lu
authors: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Zengjun
authors: Z
authors: Wang
keywords: bladder cancer; diagnostic accuracy; meta-analysis; microRNAs