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Published on: May 21, 2019
Diagnostic value of microRNA for pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis
Chun Wan1, Yongchun Shen, Ting Yang
1West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China ; West China School of Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Introduction:
MicroRNAs have been reported to be aberrantly expressed in patients with pancreatic cancer. The aim of the present meta-analysis is to establish the overall diagnostic accuracy of the measurement of microRNA for diagnosing pancreatic cancer.
Material And Methods:
After a systematic review of English language studies from Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library, the sensitivity, specificity, and other measures of accuracy of microRNA in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer were pooled using random-effects models. The methodological quality of each study was assessed by QUADAS (quality assessment for studies of diagnostic accuracy). Statistical analysis was performed by employing Meta-Disc 1.4 software and STATA. Summary receiver operating characteristic curves were used to summarize overall test performance. Deeks' test was used to test the potential publication bias.
Results:
Nine studies from seven publications met our inclusion criteria. The summary estimates for microRNAs in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in these studies were pooled sensitivity 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86-0.91), specificity 0.93 (95% CI: 0.90-0.95), positive likelihood ratio 11.62 (95% CI: 5.75-23.50), negative likelihood ratio 0.14 (95% CI: 0.08-0.24), diagnostic odds ratio 115.13 (95% CI: 33.73-351.28), and the area under the curve was 0.97.
Conclusions:
MicroRNA assay plays an important role in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The results of microRNA assays should be interpreted in parallel with clinical findings and the results of conventional tests.
Insights
MicroRNA measurements show high accuracy for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. This meta-analysis confirms their diagnostic value, suggesting parallel interpretation with clinical findings.
Area of Science:
- Biomarkers
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Oncology
Background:
- Aberrant microRNA expression is observed in pancreatic cancer patients.
- MicroRNAs are potential biomarkers for cancer detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the overall diagnostic accuracy of microRNA measurement for pancreatic cancer.
- To synthesize evidence from existing studies on microRNA's diagnostic performance.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases.
- Meta-analysis of sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy measures using random-effects models.
- Quality assessment of included studies using QUADAS; statistical analysis with Meta-Disc 1.4 and STATA.
Main Results:
- Nine studies involving seven publications were included.
- Pooled sensitivity: 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86-0.91); Pooled specificity: 0.93 (95% CI: 0.90-0.95).
- Area under the curve (AUC) was 0.97, indicating high diagnostic performance.
Conclusions:
- MicroRNA assays are crucial for diagnosing pancreatic cancer.
- Results should be interpreted alongside clinical data and conventional tests.
- MicroRNA analysis offers a promising tool in pancreatic cancer diagnostics.
