Objective: CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), characterized by multiple genes are concurrently methylated, has been reported to be associated with the prognosis of colorectal cancer. However, current studies have not explored the relationship between CIMP status with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) clinicopathological features.
Methods: To assess these associations, we performed a comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science to identify all eligible studies. Publication bias was tested using Begg's and Egger's test.
Results: Seven studies that involved 568 HCC patients (379 CIMP+ and 189 CIMP-) were eligible for inclusion in our study. CIMP+ in HCC was significantly associated with distant metastasis (OR = 4.28, 95% CI = 2.57-7.10, P < 0.00001, heterogeneity = 0.888), TNM tumor stage IIII + IV (OR = 5.73, 95% CI = 3.70-8.88, P < 0.0001, heterogeneity = 0.449), cirrhosis (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.33,4.83, P = 0.005, heterogeneity = 0.121) and a higher level of AFP (>300 ng/ml) than those with CIMP- (OR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.79,3.89, P < 0.00001, heterogeneity = 0.432). Moreover, CIMP+ was associated with an unfavorable overall survival (OS) (HR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.60-5.70, P < 0.001, heterogeneity = 0.251) and a disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.79-4.37, P < 0.001, heterogeneity = 0.603).
Conclusion: CIMP is independently associated with significantly worse prognosis in HCC patients. Examination of CIMP status may be useful for identifying patients who are at higher risk for disease progression.
Keywords: CpG island methylator phenotype; Epigenetics; Liver cancer; Prognosis; Tumor marker.
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