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SOX4 is a potential prognostic factor in human cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Objective

The aim of the this study was to analyze the status of sex-determining region Y-related high-mobility group box 4 (SOX4) expression in varied human cancers and its correlation with overall survival in patients with human cancers.

Methods

To observe initially the expression status of SOX4 in twenty kinds of human cancers at protein database (The Human Protein Atlas). We systematically and carefully searched the studies from electronic databases and seriously identified according to eligibility criteria. The correlation between SOX4 expression and overall survival in human cancers was evaluated through Review Manager.

Results

We found that SOX4 expression was significantly positive in most types of human cancer tissues, and the positive rate of SOX4 expression was about 78 % in overall cancer tissues. Furthermore, a total of 10 studies which included 1348 cancer patients were included in the final analysis. Meta-analysis showed that SOX4 overexpression was correlated with a poor overall survival and the pooled hazard ratio (HR), and corresponding 95 % confidence interval (CI) was 1.67 (95 % CI 1.01–2.78). From subgroup analyses, we present evidence that SOX4 overexpression was an unfavorable prognostic factor for colorectal cancer patients’ recurrence-free survival and gastric cancer patients’ overall survival, and the pooled HRs (95 % CI) were 1.73 (95 % CI 1.04–2.88) and 3.74 (95 % CI 1.04–13.45), respectively.

Conclusions

In summary, SOX4 is a potential prognostic biomarker in human cancers.

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Abbreviations

SOX4:

Sex-determining region Y-related high-mobility group box 4

OS:

Overall survival

RFS:

Recurrence-free survival

HR:

Hazard ratio

CI:

Confidence interval

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the plan project of science and technology (2014).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anaesthesiology and Surgery, The Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Province, Xi’an, 710061, Shanxi, China

    J. Chen, H. L. Ju & T. J. Wang

  2. Department of Stomatology, The Jiaotong Hospital of Shanxi Province, Xi’an, 710068, Shanxi, China

    X. Y. Yuan

  3. Intensive Care Unit, The Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Province, No. 309 Yanta Road West, Xi’an, 710061, Shanxi, China

    B. Q. Lai

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  1. J. Chen
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Correspondence to B. Q. Lai.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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J. Chen and H. L. Ju are co-first authors.

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Chen, J., Ju, H.L., Yuan, X.Y. et al. SOX4 is a potential prognostic factor in human cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Transl Oncol 18, 65–72 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-015-1337-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-015-1337-4

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