title: Cancer stem cell markers predict a poor prognosis in renal cell carcinoma: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Relevant markers of CSCs may serve as prognostic biomarkers of RCC. However, their actual prognostic significance remains inconclusive. Thus, a meta-analysis was performed to reevaluate the association of CSCs-relevant markers (CXCR4, CD133, CD44, CD105) expression with RCC prognosis more precisely.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed and Embase were searched to look for eligible studies. The pooled hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used to reassess the association of CSCs markers expression and RCC prognosis of overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), disease-free survival (DFS), and progression-free survival (PFS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 25 relevant articles, encompassing 2673 RCC patients, eligible for meta-analysis. Overall pooled analysis suggested that high CSCs markers expression predicted poor OS (HR, 2.10, 95% CI: 1.73-2.55) and DFS (HR, 3.77, 95% CI: 2.30-6.19). High CXCR4 expression predicted worse OS (HR, 2.57, 95% CI: 1.95-3.40), CSS (HR,1.97, 95% CI: 1.50-2.59), and DFS (HR, 5.82, 95% CI: 3.01-11.25). CD44 over-expression correlated with a poor OS(HR,1.58, 95% CI: 1.14-2.18), CSS (HR, 2.58, 95% CI: 1.27-5.23), and DFS (HR, 4.49, 95% CI: 2.12-9.53) in RCC patients. CD133 was an independent favorable prognostic factor for CSS (HR, 0.4, 95% CI: 0.29-0.54).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of CSCs markers correlates with poor RCC outcome. CSCs may be potentially utilized as prognostic markers to stratify RCC patients, probably representing also a novel potential therapeutic target.
authors: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.|Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Cheng
authors: Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.|Department of Urology, Guangdong No.2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, China.
authors: Guosheng
authors: G
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Cheng
authors: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
authors: Haifan
authors: H
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
authors: Lijun
authors: L
authors: Pei
authors: Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.|Department of Urology, Guangdong No.2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, China.
authors: Xiaofu
authors: X
authors: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C497483:CD44 protein, human; C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4
keywords: biomarker; cancer stem cells; meta-analysis; prognosis; renal cancer