Down-regulated E-cadherin expression is associated with poor five-year overall survival in bone and soft tissue sarcoma: results of a meta-analysis

PLoS One. 2015 Mar 30;10(3):e0121448. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121448. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Purpose: To conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of E-cadherin expression in bone and soft tissue sarcomas.

Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched using terms related to E-cadherin, sarcoma, and prognosis for all articles published in English before March 2014. Pooled effect was calculated from the available data to evaluate the association between negative E-cadherin expression and 5-year overall survival and tumor clinicopathological features in sarcoma patients. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a fixed-effects model.

Result: Eight studies met the selection criteria and reported on 812 subjects. A total of 496 subjects showed positive E-cadherin expression (59.9%). Negative E-cadherin expression in bone and soft tissue sarcomas was correlated with lower 5-year overall survival (OR = 3.831; 95% CI: 2.246-6.534), and was associated with higher clinical stage (RR = 1.446; 95% CI: 1.030-2.028) and with male sex (RR = 0.678; 95% CI: 0.493-0.933).

Conclusion: In the E-cadherin negative group, 5-year overall survival was significantly worse than in the E-cadherin positive group. However, further studies are required to confirm these results.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bone Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Bone Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Bone Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cadherins / genetics
  • Cadherins / metabolism*
  • Down-Regulation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prognosis
  • Sarcoma / metabolism*
  • Sarcoma / mortality*
  • Sarcoma / pathology
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / pathology
  • Survival Analysis
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Cadherins
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81202120), and Outstanding Youth Science and Technology Talent Cultivation Plan of Shihezi University (2013ZRKXJQ05). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.