The prognostic value of lncRNA SNHG1 in cancer patients: a meta-analysis

Background Increasing evidence revealed that high expression level of lncRNA SNHG1 was associated with the unfavorable prognosis of cancer and maybe used as a valuable biomarker for cancer patients. The present meta->analysis is to analyze existing data to reveal potential clinical application of SNHG1 on cancer prognosis and tumor progression. All of the included studies were collected through a variety of retrieval strategies. And the articles were qualified by MOOSE and PRISMA checklists. Methods Up to Mar 20, 2018, literature collection was performed by comprehensive search through electronic databases, including the Cochrane library, PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Springer, Science direct, and three Chinese databases: CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang. We analyzed 14 studies that met the criteria, and concluded that the increased SHNG1 level was correlated with poor OS and tumor progression. Results The combined results indicated that elevated SNHG1 expression level was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.69–2.52, P < 0.01) and PFS (HR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.69–4.55, P < 0.01) in various cancers. Moreover, the promoted SNHG1 expression was also associated with tumor progression ((III/IV vs. I/II: HR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.53–2.34, P < 0.01). In stratified analyses, a significantly unfavorable association of elevated lncRNA SNHG1 and OS was observed in both digestive system (HR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.56–2.68, P < 0.01) and non-digestive system (HR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.55–2.83, P < 0.01) cancer patients. Conclusions The present analysis indicated that the increased SNHG1 is associated with poor OS in patients with general tumors and may be served as a useful prognostic biomarker.