Higher expression of SALL4 predicts poor cancer prognosis: A meta-analysis

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Shen, Hongyu^{a; b; 1} | Li, Liangpeng^{c; 1} | Wang, Dandan^b | Yang, Sujin^{a; b} | Chen, Xiu^{a; b} | Zhou, Siying^{b; d} | Zhong, Shanliang^e | Zhao, Jianhua^{e; *} | Tang, Jinhai^{a; b; f; *}

Affiliations: [a] The Fourth Clinical School of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, China | [b] Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, China | [c] Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210006, Jiangsu, China | [d] Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China | [e] Center of Clinical Laboratory Science, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, China | [f] Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Jinhai Tang, Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. E-mail: njmujhtang@163.com.DrJianhuaZhao,CenterofClinicalLaboratoryScience,JiangsuCancerHospital,JiangsuInstituteofCancerResearch,NanjingMedicalUniversityAffiliatedCancerHosital,Baiziting42,Nanjing210009,Jiangsu,China.E-mail:lcjyjhzhao@163.com.

Note: [1] Hongyu Shen and Liangpeng Li contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Sal-like protein 4 (SALL4) is recognized as a potential biomarker for assessing cancer prognosis. Many experiments have been done to explore the aberrant expression of SALL4 in cancer patients. OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between SALL4 expression and cancer prognosis. METHODS: A systematically comprehensive search was performed through PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI. The prognostic value of SALL4 expression in cancer patients was evaluated by pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The overexpression of SALL4 was identified to be significantly associated with a poor prognosis in cancer patients (pooled HR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.67–2.46). This association was also detected in digestive system neoplasms subgroup (pooled HR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.52–2.39) and reproductive system neoplasms subgroup (pooled HR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.17–3.26). In the geography subgroup analysis, a statistical association was confirmed in the Chinese subgroup (pooled HR: 1.982, 95% CI: 1.526–2.576). In the respect of disease progression, there was a certain degree of relationship between higher expression of SALL4 and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (pooled HR: 1.617, 95% CI: 1.190–2.196). CONCLUSION: SALL4 is a promising prognostic biomarker for cancer, and is appropriate for the assessment of cancer prognosis in the Chinese people.

Keywords: SALL4, cancer, biomarker, prognosis, meta-analysis

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160052

Journal: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 365-373, 2017