MicroRNA-122 as a diagnostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma related to hepatitis C virus: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Objective MicroRNA-122 (miR-122) has been identified as a biomarker of liver diseases. However, the miR-122 detection accuracy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is inconclusive. Methods We conducted a systematic literature search of Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase to identify studies related to the diagnostic value of miR-122 in HCV-related HCC. We analyzed the results and validated them using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Results Six articles were included in this meta-analysis, comprising 354 cases and 420 controls. The pooled specificity, sensitivity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the curve were 0.87, 0.83, 5.1, 0.16, 32, and 0.92, respectively. Additional sub-group analyses showed that results for plasma were more sensitive than those for serum. In addition, miR-122 was better at distinguishing between HCV-associated HCC and healthy people or those with HCV than between those with HCV-associated HCC and HCV-related cirrhosis. Small samples (≤100) had better diagnostic odds ratios than larger samples (>100). Analysis of data from TCGA confirmed that miRNA-122 had a high diagnostic value. Conclusion This meta-analysis demonstrates that miR-122 may be a useful diagnostic biomarker for HCV-associated HCC.