High expression of microRNA 221 is a poor predictor for glioma

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA 221 has been found to be a good marker for several cancers. Some studies also focused on the relationship between microRNA 221 and glioma. However, the results are controversial. We aimed to systematically evaluate the prognostic role of microRNA 221 in glioma through performing a meta-analysis. METHODS: The articles which were included in our study were searched on the Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The basic characteristics and relevant data were extracted. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to evaluate the prognostic role of microRNA 221 in glioma. RESULTS: Eight studies with 1069 patients were included. We systematically evaluated the role of microRNA 221 for overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) in glioma patients (HR for OS = 1.66, 95% CI, 1.34–2.04; HR for DFS = 1.14, 95% CI, 1.02–1.26). Subgroup analyses were performed according to the nation of the studies, the origin of the samples, the stage of the tumors, the cut-off value, and the method for detecting the microRNA 221. No significant publication bias was found (P = .133). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, high expression of microRNA 221 was related to poor prognosis of glioma. These findings may assist future exploration on microRNA 221 and help predict the prognosis of glioma. However, due to the significant heterogeneity of these studies, more studies are warranted.