The Prognostic Value of lncRNA MCM3AP-AS1 on Clinical Outcomes in Various Cancers: A Meta- and Bioinformatics Analysis

Background. MCM3AP antisense RNA 1 (MCM3AP-AS1) is a newly identified potential tumor biomarker. Nevertheless, the prognostic value of MCM3AP-AS1 in cancer has been inconsistent in the available studies. We performed this meta-analysis to identify the prognostic role of MCM3AP-AS1 in various cancers. Methods. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases to screen relevant studies. Hazard ratios (HR) or odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate the relationship between aberrant MCM3AP-AS1 expression and survival and clinicopathological features (CFS) of cancer patients. A meta-analysis was performed using STATA 12.0 software. Additionally, results were validated by an online database based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Subsequently, we analyzed the MCM3AP-AS1-related genes and molecular mechanisms based on the MEM database. Results. Our results showed that overexpression of MCM3AP-AS1 was related to poor overall survival (OS) (HR=2.00, 95% CI, 1.52-2.64, P < 0.001) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (HR=3.28, 95% CI 1.56-6.88, P=0.002). In addition, MCM3AP-AS1 overexpression was associated with TNM stage, differentiation grade, and lymph node metastasis, but not significantly with age, gender, and tumor size. In addition, MCM3AP-AS1 overexpression was verified by the GEPIA online database to be associated with poorer survival. The further functional investigation suggested that MCM3AP-AS1 may be involved in several cancer-related pathways. Conclusions. The overexpression of MCM3AP-AS1 was related to poor survival and CFS. MCM3AP-AS1 may be considered a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target in various cancers.