The efficacy of miR-20a as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Laura Moody, Svyatoslav Dvoretskiy, Ruopeng An, Suparna Mantha, Yuan Xiang Pan

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: MicroRNAs have altered expression levels in various diseases and may play an important role in the diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: We systemically reviewed and quantitatively synthesized the scientific evidence pertaining to microRNA-20a (miR-20a) as a CRC biomarker. A keyword and reference search in PubMed yielded 32 studies, in which miR-20a was measured in feces, serum, or tumor tissue. Data were extracted from a total of 5014 cancer cases and 2863 controls. Results: Twenty out of 21 relevant studies found that miR-20a was upregulated in CRC patients compared to controls. Meta-analysis revealed a pooled miR-20a fold change of 2.45 (95% CI: 2.24–2.66) in CRC patients versus controls. To estimate sensitivity and specificity of miR-20a as a diagnostic biomarker of CRC, a pooled area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was calculated (0.70, 95% CI: 0.63–0.78). The prognostic capacity of miR-20a was assessed using hazard ratios (HRs) for the overall survival (OS). The meta-analysis estimated the pooled HR for OS to be 2.02 (95% CI: 0.90–3.14) in CRC patients with high miR-20a expression. Conclusions: miR-20a may be a valid biomarker for CRC detection but may not be a strong predictor of poor prognosis in CRC.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number1111
JournalCancers
Volume11
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2019

Keywords

  • Colorectal cancer
  • Diagnosis
  • Prognosis
  • miR-20a
  • microRNA

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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