The prognostic value of long non coding RNAs in cervical cancer: A meta-analysis

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide. Numerous literatures demonstrate that aberrantly expressed lncRNAs are involved in tumorigenesis and development, and may have the potential to be prognostic markers. However, their prognostic functions in cervical remain controversial. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic significance of lncRNAs in cervical cancer. We searched databases to identify relevant articles. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. 15 studies involving 1868 patients with cervical cancer and 12 lncRNAs were included. Our results indicated that the levels of lncRNAs were associated with the overall survival ((HR = 1.56, 95%CI = 1.02–2.38, P < 0.001, random-effect) and event free survival (HR = 1.33, 95%CI = 0.77–2.28, P < 0.01, random-effect). High HOTAIR expression was associated with shorter overall survival in cervical cancer (HR = 3.93, 95% CI = 2.34–6.62, P < 0.001, fixed-effect). In conclusion, our meta-analysis suggested that lncRNAs may serve as novel predictive factors for prognosis of cervical and high expression HOTAIR was associated with shorter overall survival in cervical cancer.