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Targeted Oncology Nov 2023Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3), a member of the Notch pathway, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target as it is highly expressed in small cell lung cancer...
BACKGROUND
Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3), a member of the Notch pathway, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target as it is highly expressed in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a subtype accounting for 15% of lung cancer cases.
OBJECTIVE
A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to understand the prevalence and prognostic impact of DLL3 expression on survival of patients with SCLC and treatment response.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Systematic literature searches were conducted across multiple databases to capture studies of any SCLC population that evaluated DLL3 expression. Specific outcomes of interest included prevalence of DLL3 expression, method of expression analysis, and impact on outcome, including treatment response and survival (overall, progression-free, disease-free) according to varying levels of DLL3 expression/positivity. Standard risk of bias tools were used to evaluate study quality.
RESULTS
Among the 30 included studies, the most common DLL3 testing method was immunohistochemistry (N = 26, 86.7%). For comparability, results focused on the 13 (22.3%) studies that used the Ventana DLL3 (SP347) immunohistochemistry assay. The prevalence of DLL3 positivity ranged from 80.0-93.5% for studies using a threshold of ≥ 1% of tumor cells (N = 4) and 58.3-91.1% for studies with a ≥ 25% threshold (N = 4). DLL3 expression was generally categorized as high using cutoffs of ≥ 50% (prevalence range: 45.8-79.5%; N = 6) or ≥ 75% (prevalence range: 47.3-75.6%; N = 5) of cells with positivity. Two studies used an H-score of ≥ 150 to define high DLL3 expression with prevalence ranging from 33.3-53.1%. No consistent associations were seen between DLL3 expression level and patient age, sex, smoking history, or disease stage. Two studies reported change in DLL3 expression category (high versus low) before and after chemotherapy. No statistically significant differences were reported between DLL3 expression groups and survival (overall, progression-free, or disease-free) or treatment response.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a high prevalence of DLL3 expression in SCLC. Further research and analytical methods may help to characterize different populations of patients with SCLC based on DLL3 expression. While no significant prognostic factor in the included studies was identified, additional cohort studies using standardized methodology, with longer follow-up, are needed to better characterize any potential differences in patient survival or response by DLL3 expression level in SCLC.
Topics: Humans; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma; Lung Neoplasms; Prognosis; Ligands; Prevalence; Membrane Proteins; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
PubMed: 37930513
DOI: 10.1007/s11523-023-01008-x -
EFORT Open Reviews Oct 2022The aim of this study was to update the scientific evidence for ankle fracture prognosis by addressing radiographic osteoarthritis, time course and prognostic factors. A... (Review)
Review
The aim of this study was to update the scientific evidence for ankle fracture prognosis by addressing radiographic osteoarthritis, time course and prognostic factors. A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies were included if they were randomized controlled trials, controlled trials or observational studies, including case series and case-control studies investigating radiologically confirmed osteoarthritis in adults with a classified ankle fracture, treated with or without surgery, with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Also included were studies examining prognostic factors predicting radiologically confirmed osteoarthritis. Tibial plafond and talus fractures were excluded. Thirty-four studies were included examining 3447 patients. Extracted data included study type, inclusion and exclusion criteria, age, number of patients, number of fractures according to the author-reported classification method, radiological osteoarthritis, follow-up period, prognostic factors, and treatment. Severe heterogeneity was visible in the analyses (I2 > 90%), reflecting clinical heterogeneity possibly arising from the presence of osteoarthritis at baseline, the classifications used for the fractures and for osteoarthritis. The incidence of osteoarthritis was 25% (95% CI: 18-32) and 34% (95% CI: 23-45) for more severe fractures with involvement of the posterior malleolus. The severity of the trauma, as reflected by the fracture classification, was the most important prognostic factor for the development of radiographic osteoarthritis, but there is also a risk with simpler injuries. The period within which osteoarthritis develops or becomes symptomatic with an indication for treatment could not be specified.
PubMed: 36287098
DOI: 10.1530/EOR-22-0065 -
International Journal of Gynaecology... May 2022Despite the high prevalence of adenomyosis in hysterectomy specimens of endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients, the relationship between adenomyosis and EC prognosis... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Despite the high prevalence of adenomyosis in hysterectomy specimens of endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients, the relationship between adenomyosis and EC prognosis appears unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prognostic value of coexistent adenomyosis in patients with EC.
METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed by searching six electronic databases for studies reporting data on prognosis of EC patients with and without coexistent adenomyosis. Studies with patient selection based on prognostic factors were excluded. Pooled univariate hazard ratio (HR) analyses for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DRF) were performed, using EC patients without adenomyosis as a control group. For DFS, pooled multivariate HR analysis was also evaluable.
RESULTS
Three studies of 2505 EC patients (553 with and 1952 without adenomyosis) were included. Compared with EC patients without adenomyosis, EC patients with coexistent adenomyosis showed a pooled HR of 0.533 (CI 95%, 0.329-0.864) for OS at univariate analysis; 0.536 (CI 95%, 0.334-0.859) for DFS at univariate analysis; and 0.875 (CI 95%, 0.331-2.315) for DFS at multivariate analysis.
CONCLUSION
In EC patients with coexistent adenomyosis, the risk of death is halved compared with EC patients without adenomyosis. However, the independence of this association needs to be verified in future studies.
Topics: Adenomyosis; Disease-Free Survival; Endometrial Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Prognosis; Progression-Free Survival
PubMed: 34228822
DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.13818 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jul 2020The prognostic value of "snake-eyes" sign in spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unclear and the correlation with different pathological conditions has not... (Review)
Review
The prognostic value of "snake-eyes" sign in spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unclear and the correlation with different pathological conditions has not been completely elucidated. In addition, its influence on surgical outcome has not been investigated in depth. A literature review according to PRISMA (Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols) guidelines on the prognostic significance of "snake-eyes" sign in operated patients was performed. Clinical, neuroradiological, and surgical data of three institutional patients, were also retrospectively collected. The three patients, with radiological evidence of "snake-eyes" myelopathy, underwent appropriate surgical treatment for their condition, with no new post-operative neurological deficits and good outcome at follow-up. The literature review, however, reported conflicting results: the presence of "snake-eyes" sign seems a poor prognostic factor in degenerative cervical myelopathy, even if some cases can improve after surgery. "Snake-eyes" myelopathy represents a rare form of myelopathy; pathophysiology is still unclear. The frequency of this myelopathy may be greater than previously thought and according to our literature review it is mostly a negative prognostic factor. However, from our experience, prognosis might not be so dire, especially when tailored surgical intervention is performed; therefore, surgery should always be considered and based on the complete clinical, neurophysiological, and radiological data.
PubMed: 32664657
DOI: 10.3390/jcm9072197 -
PloS One 2021GPRC5A is associated with various cancer initiation and progression. Controversial findings have been reported about GPRC5A prognostic characteristics, and no... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
GPRC5A is associated with various cancer initiation and progression. Controversial findings have been reported about GPRC5A prognostic characteristics, and no meta-analysis has been conducted to assess the relationship between GPRC5A and cancer prognosis. Therefore, the objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the overall prognostic effectiveness of GPRC5A.
METHODS
We first conducted a systematic search in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, Cochrane, and WangFang databases. The hazard ratio (HR) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI were then pooled to assess the associations between GPRC5A expression and overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), event-free survival (EFS), and clinicopathological characteristics. Chi-squared test and I2 statistics were completed to evaluate the heterogeneity in our study. A random-effects model was used when significant heterogeneity existed (I2>50% and p<0.05); otherwise, we chose the fixed-effect model. Subgroup analysis was stratified by tumor type, region, HR obtained measurements, and sample capacity to explore the source of heterogeneity.
RESULTS
In total, 15 studies with 624 patients met inclusion criteria of this study. Our results showed that higher expression of GPRC5A is associated with worse OS (HR:1.69 95%CI: 1.20-2.38 I2 = 75.6% p = 0.000), as well as worse EFS (HR:1.45 95%CI: 1.02-1.95 I2 = 0.0% p = 0.354). Subgroup analysis indicated that tumor type might be the source of high heterogeneity. Additionally, cancer patients with enhanced GPRC5A expression were more likely to lymph node metastasis (OR:1.95, 95%CI 1.33-2.86, I2 = 43.9%, p = 0.129) and advanced tumor stage (OR: 1.83, 95%CI 1.15-2.92, I2 = 61.3%, p = 0.035), but not associated with age, sex, differentiation, and distant metastasis.
CONCLUSION
GPRC5A can be a promising candidate for predicting medical outcomes and used for accurate diagnosis, prognosis prediction for patients with cancer; however, the predictive value of GPRC5A varies significantly according to cancer type. Further studies for this mechanism will be necessary to reveal novel insights into application of GPRC5A in cancers.
Topics: Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Neoplasms; Prognosis; Progression-Free Survival; Publication Bias; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
PubMed: 33788883
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249040 -
PeerJ 2023The receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) expression is associated with clinicopathological characteristics and the prognosis of various cancers; however, the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) expression is associated with clinicopathological characteristics and the prognosis of various cancers; however, the conclusions are controversial. As a result, this study aimed to explore the clinicopathological and prognostic values of RACK1 expression in patients with cancer.
METHODOLOGY
PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were comprehensively explored from their inception to April 20, 2023, for selecting studies on the clinicopathological and prognostic role of RACK1 in patients with cancer that met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the prognosis-predictive value of RACK1 expression, while pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were used to evaluate the correlation between RACK1 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with cancer. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
RESULTS
Twenty-two studies (13 on prognosis and 20 on clinicopathological characteristics) were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The findings indicated that high RACK1 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (HR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.13-2.33; = 0.009; I = 89%) and reversely correlated with disease-free survival/recurrence-free survival (HR = 1.87; 95% CI, 1.22-2.88; = 0.004; I = 0%). Furthermore, increased RACK1 expression was significantly associated with lymphatic invasion/N+ stage (OR = 1.74; 95% CI, 1.04-2.90; = 0.04; I = 79%) of tumors.
CONCLUSIONS
RACK1 may be a global predictive marker of poor prognosis in patients with cancer and unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics. However, further clinical studies are required to validate these findings.
Topics: Humans; Disease-Free Survival; Neoplasm Proteins; Neoplasms; Prognosis; Receptors for Activated C Kinase
PubMed: 37601269
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15873 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jan 2023: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the most challenging complications after pancreatic resections, associated with prolonged hospital stay and high... (Review)
Review
: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the most challenging complications after pancreatic resections, associated with prolonged hospital stay and high mortality. Early identification of pancreatic fistula is necessary for the treatment to be effective. Several prognostic factors have been identified, although it is unclear which one is the most crucial. Some studies show that post-pancreatectomy hypophosphatemia may be associated with the development of POPF. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether postoperative hypophosphatemia can be used as a prognostic factor for postoperative pancreatic fistula. : The systematic literature review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations (PRISMA) and was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). The PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched up to the 31st of January 2022 for studies analyzing postoperative hypophosphatemia as a prognostic factor for POPF. Data including study characteristics, patient characteristics, operation type, definitions of postoperative hypophosphatemia and postoperative pancreatic fistula were extracted. : Initially, 149 articles were retrieved. After screening and final assessment, 3 retrospective studies with 2893 patients were included in this review. An association between postoperative hypophosphatemia and POPF was found in all included studies. Patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy were more likely to develop severe hypophosphatemia compared to patients undergoing proximal pancreatectomy. Serum phosphate levels on postoperative day 4 (POD 4) and postoperative day 5 (POD 5) remained significantly lower in patients who developed leak-related complications showing a slower recovery of hypophosphatemia from postoperative day 3 (POD 3) through postoperative day 7 (POD 7). Moreover, body mass index (BMI) higher than 30 kg/m, soft pancreatic tissue, abnormal white blood cell count on postoperative day 3 (POD 3), and shorter surgery time were associated with leak-related complications (LRC) and lower phosphate levels. : Early postoperative hypophosphatemia might be used as a prognostic biomarker for early identification of postoperative pancreatic fistula. However, more studies are needed to better identify significant cut-off levels of postoperative hypophosphatemia and development of hypophosphatemia in the postoperative period.
Topics: Humans; Pancreatic Fistula; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Hypophosphatemia; Postoperative Complications; Phosphates; Postoperative Period; Risk Factors
PubMed: 36837475
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59020274 -
World Journal of Surgical Oncology Nov 2022Many studies have reported the relationship between prognosis and Slug protein expression in breast cancer patients, but the results are discrepant. Therefore, there is... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Many studies have reported the relationship between prognosis and Slug protein expression in breast cancer patients, but the results are discrepant. Therefore, there is a need for meta-analyses with high statistical power to investigate and further explore their relationship.
METHODS
We used PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, MEDLINE, and the Web of Science to find studies on breast cancer and Slug. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were the study's primary endpoints. We pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) to assess the association between Slug protein expression and prognostic and clinicopathological parameters. This study was performed using STATA version 14.0 for data analysis. (Stata Corporation, TX, USA).
RESULTS
We conducted a literature search by searching six online databases. Ultimately, we obtained eight studies including 1458 patients through strict exclusion criteria. The results showed that increased Slug protein expression resulted in poorer OS (HR = 2.21; 95% CI = 1.47-3.33; P < 0.001) and DFS (HR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.26-3.28; P = 0.004) in breast cancer patients. In addition, the results suggested that breast cancer patients with increased Slug protein expression had a higher TNM stage (I-II vs III-IV; OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.25-0.70; P = 0.001), a greater tendency to have axillary lymph node metastases (N+ vs N0; OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.31-3.56; P = 0.003) and were more prone to estrogen receptor deficiency (positive vs negative; OR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.45-0.99; P = 0.042). However, Slug protein expression was not associated with age, histological grade, tumor size, progesterone receptor status, or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status in breast cancer patients.
CONCLUSION
This meta-analysis showed that elevated Slug protein expression may be related to poor outcomes in patients with breast cancer. Therefore, Slug is not only an indicator of patient survival but may also become a new target for breast cancer therapy.
Topics: Humans; Female; Prognosis; Breast Neoplasms; Disease-Free Survival; Lymphatic Metastasis; Receptors, Estrogen
PubMed: 36372891
DOI: 10.1186/s12957-022-02825-6 -
Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease 2021Apolipoproteins are predictive biomarkers for cardiovascular, neoplasms and cerebrovascular diseases and are postulated as prognostic biomarkers in infectious diseases,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
Apolipoproteins are predictive biomarkers for cardiovascular, neoplasms and cerebrovascular diseases and are postulated as prognostic biomarkers in infectious diseases, as COVID-19. Thus, we assessed the prognosis value of apolipoproteins for COVID-19 severity and mortality.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using observational studies that reported the association between apolipoproteins and severity or mortality in COVID-19 patients. Newcastle-Ottawa was used for the quality assessment of included studies. Effects measurements were shown as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and Egger-test was developed for assessing the risk of bias publication.
RESULTS
We analyzed 12 cohort studies (n = 3580). Patients with low ApoliproteinA1 (ApoA1) (OR 0.35; 95%CI 0.24 to 0.49; P < 0.001) and ApoliproteinB (ApoB) (OR = 0.78; 95%CI 0.69 to 0.87; P < 0.001) values had a higher risk of developing severe disease. ApoB/ApoA1 ratio showed no statistically significant association with higher odds of severity. Low ApoA1 levels were associated with higher odds of all-cause mortality (OR = 0.34; 95%CI 0.20 to 0.57; P < 0.001). ApoB values showed no statistically significant association with a high risk of all-cause mortality.
CONCLUSION
We suggest that adequate levels of ApoA1 and ApoB can be a protective factor for severity in COVID-19, and ApoB/ApoA1 ratio did not show predictive utility for severity.
Topics: Apolipoprotein A-I; Apolipoproteins; COVID-19; Humans; Prognosis; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34752921
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2021.102200 -
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and... Dec 2023Sarcopenia has been considered an adverse prognostic factor in cancer patients. Intramuscular adipose tissue content, as a new marker of sarcopenia, can effectively... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Sarcopenia has been considered an adverse prognostic factor in cancer patients. Intramuscular adipose tissue content, as a new marker of sarcopenia, can effectively reflect skeletal muscle quality. The aim of this study was performed to evaluate the association between high intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC) and survival outcomes and postoperative complications in cancer patients. Specific databases, including the Web of Science, Embase and Web of Science, were systematically searched to identify relevant articles evaluating the prognostic value of IMAC in cancer patients. Hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized for comprehensive analysis. All data analyses were performed using STATA 12.0 software. A total of 25 studies from 24 articles including 5663 patients were enrolled in the study. Meta-analysis showed that high IMAC was associated with unfavourable overall survival (OS) (HR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.70-2.86, P < 0.001), relapse-free survival (RFS) (HR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.30-1.75, P < 0.001) and disease-specific survival (DSS) (HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.19-2.28, P = 0.003). Subgroup analysis revealed that high IMAC remained an adverse prognostic factor when stratified by different country, treatment methods, cancer type or analysis type. High IMAC had better predictive value for gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) (HR: 3.50, 95% CI: 1.98-6.17, P < 0.001), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (HR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.45-2.33, P < 0.001), pancreatic cancer (PC) (HR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.67-2.66, P < 0.001) and colorectal cancer (CRC) (HR: 2.54, 95% CI: 1.27-5.10, P = 0.009). High IMAC was also identified as a significant risk factor for postoperative complications (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.22-3.46, P = 0.007). High IMAC was associated with an adverse prognosis and an increased risk of postoperative complications in cancer patients. IMAC may be a good indicator of sarcopenia.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Sarcopenia; Liver Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies; Prognosis; Adipose Tissue; Postoperative Complications
PubMed: 37990969
DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.13371