Prognostic value of decreased microRNA-133a in solid cancers: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: Increasing evidence indicates that the decreased expression of microRNA-133a (miR-133a) may be correlated with poor survival for cancer patients. Thus, we performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of decreased miR-133a in solid cancers. METHODS: Eligible studies were gathered by searching on PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase. Using the STATA 12.0 software, the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for total and subgroup analyses were calculated to investigate the possible correlation between decreased miR-133a and overall survival (OS) of patients with cancer. RESULTS: Ten studies were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The pooled result showed that decreased expression of miR-133a predicted poor OS in solid cancer patients (HR =1.62, 95% CI: 1.16–2.24, P=0.004). Compared with the total pooled HR, further analyses indicated that the subgroups of digestive system neoplasms (HR =1.73, 95% CI: 1.20–2.51, P=0.003), frozen tissue preservation (HR =1.89, 95% CI: 1.41–2.53, P<0.001), and multivariate analysis (HR =2.07, 95% CI: 1.42–3.02, P<0.001) exhibited stronger connection between decreased miR-133a expression and OS outcome. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggested that decreased miR-133a was associated with poor OS in patients with solid cancer. Because of the data in our study are limited, additional studies are required to verify the poor prognosis of decreased miR-133a in solid tumors.