title: Prognostic Role of Lactate Dehydrogenase Expression in Urologic Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prognostic role of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in urinary system cancer is still controversial. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic significance of LDH for patients with urinary system cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched the PubMed, Embase, Springer and CNKI databases for studies published from January 1991 to February 2015 associated with LDH and urinary system cancer. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. After careful review, survival data were extracted from eligible studies. We used pooled hazard ratios (HRs) to estimate the effect of LDH on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  44 studies meeting the criterion were included. High expression of LDH was significantly correlated with poor OS in urologic cancer (pooled HR 1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81-2.07; p < 0.001). The pooled HRs showed significant difference in PFS between LDH over expression group with LDH low expression group (Pooled HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.61-2.36; p < 0.001) in urologic cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High serum LDH is associated with OS and PFS in patients with urinary system cancer, and it is an effective biomarker of prognosis in patients with urologic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xuecheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yanwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase