Elevated nuclear YBX1 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with solid tumors: a meta-analysis

Purpose: Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) is a multifunctional protein linked to tumor progression and its elevated expression is an indicator of poor prognosis in various cancers. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prognostic value and clinical significance of YBX1 in malignant cancer. Methods: Relevant articles published through September 12, 2018 were identified from a comprehensive electronic and manual search in PubMed, Web of Science and Embase databases. The combined odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to estimate the relationship among clinicopathological characteristics, overall survival and disease-free-survival of patients with solid tumor and YBX1 expression. Results: The study included 27 studies and 5,996 patients. Our analysis revealed significant association between increased YBX1 expression and tumor differentiation status, tumor size and lymph node metastasis; moreover, the pooled HR values demonstrated that high nuclear YBX1 expression was significantly associated with worse overall survival (HR=2.14; 95% CI: 1.72–2.67, P<0.001). Conclusion: The evidence supports YBX1 as a tumor biomarker to guide clinical management and indicate prognosis.