Prognostic role of DEK in human solid tumors: a meta-analysis

Recently, the oncogenic role of DEK has been recognized in several cancer types. However, its prognostic role in human solid tumor remains unclear. Thus, the present meta-analysis, based on 14 published studies (2208 patients) searched from PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases, assessed the prognostic value of DEK in human solid tumors. Furthermore, the pooled hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) was evaluated with fixed-effects models. A subgroup analysis was also performed according to the patients’ ethnicities and tumor types. Data from these published studies were extracted, and the results showed that the overexpression of DEK was significantly associated with poor OS in human solid tumors. The combined hazards ratio was (HR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.64–2.05, P < 0.00001) for OS (univariable analysis) with a fixed-effects model without any significant heterogeneity (P = 0.71, I(2) = 0%). The combined HR was (HR = 1.70; 95% CI, 1.48–1.96, P < 0.00001) for OS (multivariable analysis) with a fixed-effects model, and no significant heterogeneity was observed (P = 0.36, I(2) = 9%). Therefore, the overexpression of DEK was correlated with poor survival in human solid tumors, which suggests that the expression status of DEK is a valuable biomarker for the prediction of prognosis and serves as a novel therapeutic target in human solid tumors.