Prognostic value of long non-coding RNA ZEB1-AS1 in Chinese cancer patients: A Meta-analysis

Background: Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNA Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 antisense 1 (lncRNA ZEB1-AS1) can be detected in numerous malignancies. Therefore, a meta-analysis had been carried out in this study, aiming to examine the prognostic value of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 in malignancies. Methods: Electronic databases, such as PubMed, OVID as well as Web of Science, had been systemically retrieved from inception to February 14th, 2019. Besides, the hazard ratios (HRs), together with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), had also been analyzed for determining the association of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 expression with the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). In addition, the pooled odds ratios (ORs) would also be computed using the Stata SE12.0 software for evaluating the relationship of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 expression with pathological factors. Results: A total of 21 original studies involving 1801 cancer patients had been enrolled into the current meta-analysis. As suggested by the pooled HR, high expression of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 had displayed marked correlation with OS (HR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.89–2.47) among cancer patients, and no significant heterogeneity was detected. Additionally, high expression of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 was also markedly associated with RFS among cancer patients (pooled HR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.61–4.03). Besides, the expression of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 had displayed marked correlation with poor histological grade (PHG) (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 2.11–3.87), high tumor stage (HTS) (OR = 3.81, 95% CI: 2.72–5.34) as well as lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR = 3.33, 95% CI: 2.47–4.49). Additionally, no distinct asymmetry had been detected for RFS, PHG as well as HTS based on Begg funnel plot. Conclusions: Taken together, high expression of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 can predict the dismal OS, RFS, LNM, PHG, and HTS, indicating that lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 can be potentially used as a new biomarker to predict the dismal prognosis for cancer patients.