lncRNAs as potential molecular biomarkers for the clinicopathology and prognosis of glioma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: An increasing number of studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the development of glioma. However, a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical value of lncRNA expression in glioma patients is lacking. We performed this study to assess the relationship between the expression of various lncRNAs and the clinicopathological features, diagnosis and prognosis of glioma. Materials and methods: Eligible studies were identified through a comprehensive literature search. We conducted a subgroup analysis to assess the clinicopathological value of urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) of lncRNAs for survival were calculated to analyze the prognostic performance of lncRNAs. Results: In total, 40 studies, including 30 investigating clinicopathological features, 3 investigating diagnoses and 32 investigating prognoses, were analyzed in this study. UCA1 expression was positively associated with tumor size (odds ratio [OR], 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-4.15; P < 0.001) and World Health Organization (WHO) grade (OR, 3.84, [95% CI 1.84-8.01], P < 0.001). In the prognostic meta-analysis, high metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) expression could predict poor overall survival (OS) in patients with glioma, with a pooled HR of 2.32 (95% CI: 1.64-3.27, P < 0.001). Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that lncRNAs are associated with tumor size, WHO grade, and prognosis in glioma patients. lncRNAs could function as potential molecular biomarkers of the clinicopathology and prognosis of glioma.