Circulating microRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for melanoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Recent studies have shown that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) can be used as diagnostic biomarkers for melanoma. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of circulating miRNAs for melanoma. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted and the quality of the included literature was evaluated using QUADAS-2 (Quality Assessment for diagnostic accuracy studies), and the diagnostic accuracy was assessed by pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC). We used Deeks’ funnel plot to evaluate publication bias. Results The meta-analysis included 10 articles covering 16 studies, and the results showed that circulating miRNAs provide high diagnostic accuracy for melanoma. The overall pooled sensitivity was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.82–0.91), specificity was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.77–0.85), PLR was 4.6 (95% CI: 3.7–5.8), NLR was 0.16 (95% CI: 0.11–0.23), DOR was 29 (95% CI: 18–49), and AUC was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87–0.92), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed better diagnostic value in miRNA clusters, European population, plasma miRNAs, and upregulated miRNAs compared to other subgroups. Conclusions The results indicated that circulating microRNAs can be used as a non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of melanoma.