Background:

Recently, many studies have demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are abnormally expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and may serve as a potential molecular biomarker to evaluate the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, we accomplished a meta-analysis built on current studies to assess the prognostic value of lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods:

The PubMed database was carefully searched to collect all eligible studies until February 20, 2019. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the overall survival, relapse-free survival, and progression-free survival were calculated to evaluate the prognostic significance of lncRNAs expression in hepatocellular carcinoma using Stata12.0 software. Heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were also evaluated.

Results:

The results showed that the expression level of lncRNAs was significantly correlated with clinical outcomes. Abnormally expressed lncRNAs predicted poor overall survival (HR=2.19, 95% CI: 1.99-2.42, P<0.001; I²=44.7%, P=0.005), relapse-free survival (HR=2.68, 95% CI: 1.74-4.14, P<0.001; I²=0.0%, P=0.763) and progression-free survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients (HR=2.44, 95% CI: 1.53-3.89, P<0.001; I²=0.0%, P=0.336). Statistical significance was also noted in subgroup meta-analyses that were stratified by follow-up time, cutoff value, and quality score. Moreover, the pooled results indicated that lncRNAs expression was significantly associated with tumor size (HR=1.48, 95% CI: 1.24-1.79), tumor number (HR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.08-1.66), and tumor node metastasis stage (HR=2.10, 95% CI: 1.48-2.99), but not liver cirrhosis and tumor differentiation (P>0.05).

Conclusions:

This meta-analysis indicates that lncRNAs are strongly associated with prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma and may serve as a promising indicator for prognostic evaluation of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. But larger clinical studies are needed to verify its feasibility.

中文翻译：

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长链非编码 RNA 在肝细胞癌中的预后意义：一项更新的荟萃分析

背景：

最近，许多研究表明，长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）在肝细胞癌（HCC）中异常表达，可作为评估肝细胞癌预后的潜在分子生物标志物。因此，我们在当前研究的基础上完成了一项荟萃分析，以评估 lncRNA 在肝细胞癌中的预后价值。

方法：

仔细搜索 PubMed 数据库以收集截至 2019 年 2 月 20 日的所有符合条件的研究。总生存期、无复发生存期和无进展生存期的汇总风险比 (HR) 和 95% 置信区间 (CI) 计算为使用Stata12.0软件评估肝细胞癌中lncRNAs表达的预后意义。还评估了异质性、敏感性分析和发表偏倚。

结果：

结果表明，lncRNA的表达水平与临床结果显着相关。异常表达的 lncRNA 预测总生存期差（HR=2.19, 95% CI: 1.99-2.42, P <0.001; I ² =44.7%, P =0.005），无复发生存期（HR=2.68, 95% CI: 1.74- 4.14, P <0.001; I ² =0.0%, P =0.763)和肝细胞癌患者的无进展生存期(HR=2.44, 95% CI: 1.53-3.89, P <0.001; I ² =0.0%, P=0.336）。在按随访时间、临界值和质量评分分层的亚组荟萃分析中也注意到了统计学意义。此外，汇总结果表明lncRNAs表达与肿瘤大小（HR=1.48, 95% CI: 1.24-1.79）、肿瘤数量（HR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.08-1.66）和肿瘤淋巴结转移阶段显着相关。 (HR=2.10, 95% CI: 1.48-2.99)，但与肝硬化和肿瘤分化无关( P >0.05)。

结论：

这项荟萃分析表明，lncRNA 与肝细胞癌的预后密切相关，可作为肝细胞癌患者预后评估的有希望的指标。但需要更大规模的临床研究来验证其可行性。