Shuli Cui

Systematic evaluation of cancer risk associated with rs2292832 in miR‑149 and rs895819 in miR‑27a: a comprehensive and updated meta‑analysis.

The aim of this study is to provide a precise quantification for the association between miR-149 T > C (rs2292832) and miR-27a A > G (rs895819) and the risk of cancer. We conducted a systematic literature review and evaluated the quality of included studies based on Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated to assess the strengths of the associations. We identified 40 studies for pooled analyses. Overall, the results demonstrated that the rs2292832 polymorphism was subtly decrease the risk of breast cancer (CT + CC vs TT: OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.70–0.98, P = 0.03; CC vs CT + TT: OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.68–0.93, P = 0.00), and the rs895819 polymorphism wasassociated with significantly increased cancer risk in the Asian population (AG + GG vs AA: OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03–1.50, P = 0.02) and in colorectal cancer subgroup (GG vs AA: OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.10–1.92, P = 0.00; AG + GG vs AA: OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.15–1.58, P = 0.00; GG vs AG + AA: OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.04–1.77, P = 0.02). In addition, a subtly decreased risk was observed in the Caucasian population and in breast cancer subgroup. In conclusion, the rs2292832 polymorphism was significantly associated with increased breast cancer risk, and the rs895819 polymorphism contributes to the susceptibility of colorectal and breast cancer.

Prognostic significance of low microRNA-218 expression in patients with different types of cancer: Evidence from published studies.

Background: Mounting evidence showed that microRNAs may be useful as prognostic biomarkers of cancer. Therefore, we summarize the predictive role of microRNA-218 (miR-218) for survival in patients with various cancers. Methods: We performed a systematic literature review and assessed the quality of included studies based on Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology group (MOOSE). Hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the correlation between miR-218 expression and prognosis of different cancers. Results: We identified 10 studies for pooled analyses. For overall survival, a lower expression levels of miR-218 significantly predicted poorer survival, with the pooled HR of 2.61 (95% CI: 2.11–3.22, P < 0.001). For disease-free survival/progressive-free survival/recurrence-free survival (DFS/PFS/RFS), a lower expression level of miR-218 significantly predicted worse DFS/PFS/RFS in various carcinomas, with the pooled HR of 2.73 (95% CI: 2.08–3.58, P < 0.001). Similarly, subgroup analysis by detection method, ethnicity and cancer subtype analysis suggested that lower expression of miR-218 correlated with. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that lower miR-218 expression is significantly associated with poorer overall survival (OS) and DFS/PFS/RFS and may be a novel prognostic biomarker in some cancer types.

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Gastric Cardia Adenocarcinoma Shared Susceptibility Locus in C20orf54: Evidence from Published Studies

This study aimed to determine whether C20orf54 rs13042395 polymorphism modify the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and gastric cardia adenocarcinomas (GCA) in common population. We conducted a systematic literature review and evaluated the quality of included studies based on Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated to estimate the strengths of the associations. 9 articles (10 studies) were identified for synthesis analyses. Overall, the results indicated that the C20orf54 rs13042395 genotype was subtly decrease the risk of ESCC (T vs. C: OR = 0.95; 95%CI = 0.90–0.99; P = 0.02) and the rs13042395 polymorphism was associated with a decreased risk of GCA (T vs. C: OR = 0.95; 95%CI = 0.91–0.98; P < 0.01). The subsets were divided by smoking and drinking status, but none of the genetic comparisons reached statistical significance. Subgroup analysis was also stratified by body mass index (BMI), rs13042395 polymorphism was significantly associated with a subtly decreased cancer risk in under-weight group and normal group, but no association was observed in over-weight group. In conclusion, C20orf54 rs13042395 polymorphism was significantly associated with decreased ESCC and GCA risk especially for the subjects with under-weight or normal.

The significance of Exo1 K589E polymorphism on cancer susceptibility: evidence based on a meta-analysis.

The exonuclease1 (Exo1) gene is a key component of mismatch repair (MMR) by resecting the damaged strand, which is the only exonuclease involved in the human MMR system. The gene product is a member of the RAD2 nuclease family and functions in DNA replication, repair and recombination. However, whether Exo1 is required to activate MMR-dependent DNA damage response (DDR) remains unknown, the conclusions of the Exo1 polymorphisms on cancer susceptibility studies were not consistent. We carried out a meta-analysis of 7 case-control studies to clarify the association between the Exo1 K589E polymorphism and cancer risk. Overall,a significant association of the Exo1 K589E polymorphism with cancer risk in all genetic models (Lys vs Glu: OR = 1.51, 95%CI:1.39–1.99, P<0.01; Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 1.43, 95%CI:1.28–1.60, P<0.01; Lys/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 2.45, 95%CI:1.90–3.17, P<0.01; Lys/Lys+Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 1.53, 95%CI:1.38–1.71, P<0.01; Glu/Glu vs Glu/Lys+Lys/Lys: OR =  2.27, 95%CI:1.79–2.89, P<0.01). In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, significantly increased risk was observed in Asian population (Lys vs Glu: OR = 1.53, 95%CI:1.39–1.69, P<0.01; Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 1.50, 95%CI:1.34–1.69, P<0.01; Lys/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 2.48, 95%CI:1.84–3.34, P<0.01; Lys/Lys+Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 1.58, 95%CI:1.41–1.78, P<0.01; Glu/Glu vs Glu/Lys+Lys/Lys: OR = 2.18, 95%CI:1.62–2.93, P<0.01). Subgroup analysis based on smoking suggested Exo1 K589E polymorphism conferred significant risk among smokers (Lys/Lys+Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 2.16, 95%CI:1.77–2.63, P<0.01), but not in non-smokers (Lys/Lys+Glu/Lys vs Glu/Glu: OR = 0.89, 95%CI:0.64–1.24, P = 0.50). In conclusion, Exo1 K589E Lys allele may be used as a novel biomarker for cancer susceptibility, particularly in smokers.

The Effect of MUC1 rs4072037 Functional Polymorphism on Cancer Susceptibility: Evidence from Published Studies

Genome-wide association studies have identified a susceptibility variation MUC1 rs4072037 for gastric cancer in Chinese population. Subsequent case-control studies have reported this association in other populations. However, the results remain controversial and ambiguous. The aim of this study is to provide a precise quantification for the association between MUC1 rs4072037 variation and the risk of cancer. We performed pooled analysis of 10 case-control designed studies including 4,220 cases and 6,384 controls. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated to assess strength of association in overall studies and in subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity and cancer types. All statistical analyses were performed by Manager 5.0 and Stata 12.0 software. Overall, the MUC1 rs4072037 polymorphism was associated with risk of cancer in all genetic models (G vs A: OR = 0.71, 95%CI: 0.63–0.80, p<0.01; GA vs AA: OR = 0.61, 95%CI:0.55–0.67, p<0.01; GG vs AA: OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.47–0.71, p<0.01; AG+AA vs GG: OR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.55–0.60, p<0.01; GG vs AG+AA: OR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.58–0.85, p<0.01). Further, subgroup analysis based on ethnicity suggested MUC1 rs4072037 polymorphism had a subtly reduced cancer risk among Asian population, and stratified analysis by cancer types showed significantly decreased risk of gastric cancer in all genetic models. In conclusion, MUC1 rs4072037 polymorphism may be used as potential biomarker for cancer susceptibility particularly for gastric cancer and for Asian population.

Evaluating the prognostic value of miR-148/152 family in cancers: based on a systemic review of observational studies

Background The prognostic significance of MicroRNA-148/152 (miR-148/152) family expression in various cancers has been investigated by many studies with inconsistent results. To address this issue, we performed a meta-analysis to clarify this relationship. Materials and Methods Eligible studies were recruited by a systematic literature search and assessed the quality of included studies based on Quality In Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS) and disease free survival/progressive free survival/recurrence free survival (DFS/PFS/RFS) were calculated to estimate the effects of miR-148/152 family expression on prognosis. Results A final total of 23 articles (26 studies) were considered in evidence synthesis. A significant association was observed between low miR-148a level and poor OS in patients (HR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.14 – 2.20, P = 0.00), especially with digestive tract cancer (DTC) (HR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.03–1.63, P = 0.03), and another significant association was observed between low miR-148b level and poor OS in patients (HR=2.09, 95% CI: 1.70–2.56, P = 0.00), especially with (hepatocellular carcinoma) HCC (HR = 1.97, 95% Cl: 1.52–2.56, P = 0.00) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (HR = 2.29, 95% Cl: 1.64–3.18, P = 0.00). The significant correlation between miR-152 and DFS/RFS was found in our research (HR = 3.49, 95% Cl: 1.13–10.08, P = 0.03). Conclusions Our findings suggest that low miR-148/152 family expression is significantly associated with poor prognosis and may be a feasible prognostic biomarker in some cancers, especially in HCC and NSCLC.

Novel functional variants locus in PLCE1 and susceptibility to digestive tract cancer in the Chinese population: a meta-analysis.

Three large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a shared susceptibility variation phospholipase C epsilon 1 (PLCE1) rs2274223 for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and/or gastric cardia adenocarcinomas (GCA) in the Chinese population. However, the association between PLCE1 rs2274223 A>G and the risk of digestive tract cancer (DTC) has been inconsistent. We therefore carried out a meta-analysis of published case-control studies to derive a more precise estimation of the association between PLCE1 rs2274223 A>G and DTC risk. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all eligible studies of PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphism and DTC risk. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated to estimate the strength of associations in fixed or random effect models. Heterogeneity and publication bias were also assessed. A total of 15 case-control studies were identified, including 29,805 cases and 32,225 controls. Overall, we found a statistically significant association between the PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphism and DTC risk (G vs A: OR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.17-1.43; GA vs AA: OR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.18-1.51; GG vs AA: OR=1.71, 95% CI: 1.26-2.32; GG/GA vs AA: OR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.17-1.51), but the recessive model did not reach statistical significance (GG vs GA/AA: OR=0.94, 95% CI: 0.63-1.42). In the subgroup analysis by cancer types, we observed a significant risk for DTC in the ESCC and GCA subgroups. When stratified for source of controls, the results of the population-based subgroup analysis showed that the variant G allele might generally induce a significantly increased risk of DTC, except in hospital-based subgroups. In conclusion, PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphism may be used as a potential biomarker for DTC susceptibility particularly for ESCC and GCA in the Chinese population.

Prognostic value of the microRNA-214 in multiple human cancers: a meta-analysis of observational studies

Previous studies showed that microRNA-214 (miR-214) may act as a prognostic biomarker of cancer. However, the available evidence is controversial. This study summarizes evidence and evaluates the prognostic role of miR-214 in various cancers. We carried out a systematic literature review and assessed the quality of included studies based on Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine Criteria and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS) and disease free survival/progressive free survival/recurrence free survival (DFS/PFS/RFS) were calculated to measure the effective value of miR-214 expression on prognosis. Thirteen studies were included in pooled analysis. We found that miR-214 was significantly correlated with OS (HR=2.21, 95%CI: 1.33-3.68, P=0.00), no significant difference was found with DFS/PFS/RFS (HR=1.73, 95%CI: 0.78-3.83, P=0.18) in various carcinomas. In subgroup analysis, higher expression of miR-214 was significantly associated with poor OS in Asians (HR=2.27, 95%CI: 1.09-4.73, P=0.00) and Caucasians (HR=2.04, 95%CI: 1.47-3.30, P=0.00). On the contrary, high miR-214 expression significantly predicted favorable DFS/PFS/RFS (HR=0.50, 95%CI: 0.31-0.82, P=0.00) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) group. Our data indicates that high miR-214 could be a promising biomarker for prognosis prediction of cancer. However, further clinical studies are needed for the current insufficient relevant data.Previous studies showed that microRNA-214 (miR-214) may act as a prognostic biomarker of cancer. However, the available evidence is controversial. This study summarizes evidence and evaluates the prognostic role of miR-214 in various cancers. We carried out a systematic literature review and assessed the quality of included studies based on Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine Criteria and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS) and disease free survival/progressive free survival/recurrence free survival (DFS/PFS/RFS) were calculated to measure the effective value of miR-214 expression on prognosis. Thirteen studies were included in pooled analysis. We found that miR-214 was significantly correlated with OS (HR=2.21, 95%CI: 1.33-3.68, P=0.00), no significant difference was found with DFS/PFS/RFS (HR=1.73, 95%CI: 0.78-3.83, P=0.18) in various carcinomas. In subgroup analysis, higher expression of miR-214 was significantly associated with poor OS in Asians (HR=2.27, 95%CI: 1.09-4.73, P=0.00) and Caucasians (HR=2.04, 95%CI: 1.47-3.30, P=0.00). On the contrary, high miR-214 expression significantly predicted favorable DFS/PFS/RFS (HR=0.50, 95%CI: 0.31-0.82, P=0.00) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) group. Our data indicates that high miR-214 could be a promising biomarker for prognosis prediction of cancer. However, further clinical studies are needed for the current insufficient relevant data.

Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Risk: A Dose-response Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to clarify and quantify the potential dose-response association between the intake of total red and total processed meat and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, and Chinese databases (CNKI and Wanfang). The summary relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was calculated. A total of 15 independent studies with 12,735 subjects were identified. Compared with the low-rank intake, the summary RR of NPC was 1.35 (95%CI, 1.21–1.51) for total red meat and 1.46 (95%CI, 1.34–1.64) for total processed meat. For the moderate-rank intake, the summary RR of NPC was 1.54 (95%CI, 1.36–1.79) for total red meat and 1.59 (95%CI, 1.3–1.90) for total processed meat. The summary RR for high-rank intake was 1.71 (95%CI, 1.14–2.55) for total red meat and 2.11 (95%CI, 1.31–3.42) for total processed meat. The combined estimates showed obvious evidence of statistically significant association between total red and total processed meat consumption dose and risk of NPC (Ptrend< 0.01). In conclusion, our data suggest that a high intake of total red or total processed meat is associated with a significantly increased risk of NPC.