Quantitative analyses of miRNA are potential methods for the detection of carcinoma. Some studies have revealed the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) function as biomarkers in diagnosing renal cell carcinoma. However, some results are discordant. This study is the first to systematically evaluate the accuracy of circulating miRNA for the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma found in plasma, serum and urine by conducting meta-analysis.
We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar databases systematically for relevant literatures up to January 10, 2020. The HSROC model was used to calculate the pooled diagnostic parameters and summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve in this meta-analysis, thereby estimating the whole predictive performance. Meta-regression was performed to identify the sources of heterogeneity. All analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.3, MetaDTA, Metadisc Ver 3.0 and Medcalc Ver 19.
This meta-analysis included a total of 18 studies in 12 researches, including 817 renal cell carcinoma patients and 622 healthy controls. The summary estimates for quantitative analysis of miRNA in renal cell carcinoma were as follows: sensitivity, 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.75– 0.83); specificity, 0.69 (95% CI, 0.61–0.76); positive likelihood ratio, 2.6 (95% CI, 2.0– 3.2); negative likelihood ratio, 0.28 (95% CI, 0.22–0.34); diagnostic odds ratio, 9.2 (95% CI, 5.7–12.8); and area under the curve, 0.74 (95% CI, 0.70–0.78). Additionally, sub-group and meta-regression analyses revealed that there were no significant differences between ethnicity, year of publication, sample type and miRNA profiling. There was no statistical significance for the evaluation of publication bias.
Current evidence suggests that quantitative analysis of miRNA has acceptable sensitivity but unsatisfactory specificity for the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Further large-scale prospective studies are required to validate the potential applicability of using miRNA alone or in combination with diagnostic test for renal cell carcinoma and explore potential factors that may influence the accuracy of renal cell carcinoma diagnosis.
Jestoni V. Aranilla MD.
Has not received any funding.
The author has declared no conflicts of interest.