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.