title: The low IGFBP-3 level is associated with esophageal cancer patients: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Esophageal cancer was a vital cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and the insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) has been proved to be an important factor of multiple types of tumors. There is a controversy that whether the IGFBP-3 level is associated with the clinical pathological characteristics and overall survival of esophageal cancer patients. Herein, we aimed to comprehensively assess the association between the low IGFBP-3 level and the risk, overall survival and clinical pathological characteristics of esophageal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a meta-analysis using seven eligible studies. The overall odds ratios (OR)/relative risk (RR) and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for each parameter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the risk of esophageal cancer, the OR was 2.342 (p = 0.000), indicating that individuals with lower IGFBP-3 level were more likely to suffer from esophageal cancer, compared to those with relatively high IGFBP-3 level. With respect to the 3-year survival rate, the RR was 2.163 (p = 0.027), which demonstrated that esophageal cancer patients with low IGFBP-3 level had significantly lower 3-year survival rate; in terms of clinical pathological characteristics, significantly lower IGFBP-3 level was found for patients in all categories; for survival status, patients in low IGFBP-3 level are more likely to be in the dead survival status (OR = 4.480, p = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our meta-analysis suggests that for esophageal cancer, the low IGFBP-3 level is associated with high cancer risk, poor prognosis, and unfavorable tumor stage and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guiqin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.|Biotherapy Center, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuewu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guidong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: The clinic medicine of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The clinic medicine of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yunxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. fenggangncch@163.com.|Biotherapy Center, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. fenggangncch@163.com.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0699-9412
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C515497:IGFBP3 protein, human; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3
keywords: Clinical pathological features; Esophageal cancer; Meta-analysis; Overall survival