LncRNA expression and implication in osteosarcoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent primary bone tumor in children, adolescents, and older adults, typically presenting with poor survival outcomes. In recent years, ample evidence has shown that many long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been aberrantly expressed in osteosarcoma, demonstrating their potential to serve as prognostic markers. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis on four lncRNAs (TUG1, UCA1, BCAR4, and HULC) to systematically evaluate their prognostic value in osteosarcoma.

The eligible articles were systematically searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Elsevier ScienceDirect (up to September 22, 2017), and one meta-analysis concerning the association between lncRNA expression and the overall survival (OS) of osteosarcoma patients was performed. Survival outcomes were analyzed by OS. Subgroup analyses were performed.

A total of 1,361 patients with osteosarcoma and 12 lncRNAs from 16 articles were included in the study. Of the listed lncRNAs, the high expression of 10 lncRNAs indicated worse survival outcomes, while only two lncRNAs were shown to positively affect patients' OS.

This meta-analysis indicated that the abnormally expressed lncRNAs might significantly affect the survival of osteosarcoma patients. Combined use of these lncRNAs may serve as potential novel biomarkers for the indication of clinical outcomes of osteosarcoma patients as well as the selection of adjuvant chemotherapy strategies for clinical treatment of this disease.