Relationship of possible biomarkers with malignancy of thymic tumors: a meta-analysis

BMC Cancer

Bo Xu¹  Huilan Zeng¹  Weilin Yang¹  Zhenguang Chen²  Beilong Zhong³  Chunhua Su⁴  Jianyong Zou⁴  Haoshuai Zhu⁴ 

[1] Department of Thoracic Surgery and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of East Division, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, No. 58, Zhongshan Road II, 510080, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China;Department of Thoracic Surgery and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of East Division, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, No. 58, Zhongshan Road II, 510080, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China;Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 510080, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China;Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 519000, Zhuhai, Guangdong, P. R. China;Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 519000, Zhuhai, Guangdong, P. R. China;Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 510080, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China;

关键词: Biomarkers;    Proliferation;    Apoptosis;    Thymic malignant tumors;    Malignancy;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12885-020-07332-z

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundRole of biomarkers for promotion of tumor proliferation (BPTPs) and for promotion of apoptosis (BPAs) in thymic malignant tumors is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between BPTPs and/or BPAs and malignancy of thymic malignant tumors.MethodsStudies on thymic malignant tumors and biomarkers were searched in PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Embase databases, and all statistical analyses were conducted using Review Manager.ResultsTwelve articles related to biomarkers and thymic malignant tumors were selected and analyzed. A relationship between BPAs and Masaoka stage was demonstrated for four markers, namely Bax, p73, Casp-9 and Bcl-2, included 138 stage I/II patients and 74 stage III/IV patients, and BPAs were significantly correlated with high Masaoka staging (P = 0.03). We further found a relationship between BPAs and degree of malignancy for four markers, namely Bax, p73, Casp-9 and Bcl-2, included 176 thymoma patients and 36 thymic carcinoma patients, and BPAs were significantly correlated with thymic carcinoma (P = 0.010). In addition, a relationship between BPTP and Masaoka staging was demonstrated for seven markers, namely Podoplanin, Glut-1, Muc-1, Egfr, Igf1r, c-Jun, and n-Ras, included 373 patients with stage I/II and 212 patients with stage III/IV, and BPTPs were significantly correlated with high Masaoka staging (P < 0.001). We also found a relationship between BPTPs and degree of malignancy for ten markers, namely Mesothelin, c-Kit (CD117), Egfr, Lat-1, Muc-1,Ema, Glut-1, Igf1r, c-Jun, and n-Ras, included 748 thymoma patients and 280 thymic carcinoma patients, and BPTPs were significantly correlated with thymic carcinoma (P < 0.001).ConclusionThese findings show that high levels of BPTPs or BPAs are more closely related to thymic carcinoma and Masaoka stage III/IV, suggesting that BPTPs and BPAs may play an important role in the occurrence and development of thymic malignant tumors.

【 授权许可】

CC BY