RHOA protein expression correlates with clinical features in gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most fatal cancers worldwide and is generally only detected after it has progressed to an advanced stage. Since there is a lack of comprehensive data on RHOA protein expression of patients with GC, this study utilized a systematic review and meta-analysis to address the limitation. The objective of this meta-analysis was to link GC clinical features with RHOA protein high- vs. low-expressing patients with GC.

METHODS:

The PubMed and Web of Science were used for a systematic literature review of GC related to RHOA. The included studies were obtained from two literature databases from past to Aug 31, 2021, by searching keywords. This meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidential intervals (CIs) for clinical features were estimated according to the high and low protein expression levels of RhoA. The mean effect sizes of ORs were obtained using the random-effects and fixed-effects models of meta-analysis. Heterogeneity of the studies was assesed by using statistics: τ2, I2; and Q values. The symmetry of funnel plots were inspected for publication bias.

RESULTS:

Finally, 10 studies including 1,389 patients with GC (735 RHOA-positive and 654 RHOA-negative) were eligible for our meta-analysis to estimate associations between the protein expression and clinical features (e.g., Union for International Cancer Control [UICC] stage progression, differentiation, Lauren histological classification, and vascular invasion). In our meta-analysis, RHOA positive expression was determined to have a statistically significant association with UICC stage progression (P = 0.02) and poorly differentiated status (P = 0.02). The association between RHOA positivity and Lauren subtypes was not statistically significant (P = 0.07).

CONCLUSIONS:

This meta-analysis suggested that RhoA protein expression in patients with GC was associated with clinical features: UICC stage progression and poorly differentiated status. Our findings are inconclusive but indicate that high RHOA protein expressing patients with GC could predict advanced UICC stages. A large prospective cohort study is required for validation in future.

• Authors: Seungyoon Nam, Yeeun Lee, Jung Ho Kim
• Journal: BMC cancer (BMC Cancer) Vol. 22 Issue 1 Pg. 798 (Jul 19 2022) ISSN: 1471-2407 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 35854253 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review)
• Copyright: © 2022. The Author(s).

Chemical References

• RHOA protein, human
• rhoA GTP-Binding Protein

Topics

• Humans
• Prospective Studies
• Stomach Neoplasms (pathology)
• rhoA GTP-Binding Protein (metabolism)