Clinical utility of microRNA-451 as diagnostic biomarker for human cancers

We conducted comprehensive analyses to assess the diagnostic ability of miRNA-451 in cancers. A systematic online search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, China's national knowledge infrastructure, and VIP databases from inception to July 31, 2017. The bivariate random effect model was used for calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under cure (AUC). The whole pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.85 (0.77-0.90) and 0.85 (0.78-0.90) with their 95% confidence interval (95%CI), respectively. The pooled AUC was 0.91 (95%CI: 0.89-0.94). Positive likelihood ratio was 5.57 (95%CI: 3.74-8.31), negative likelihood ratio was 0.18 (95%CI: 0.11-0.28), and diagnostic odds ratio was 31.33 (95%CI: 15.19-64.61). Among Asian population, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.85 (95%CI: 0.77-0.91) and 0.86 (95%CI: 0.78-0.91), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 5.87 (95%CI: 3.78-9.12) and 0.17 (95%CI: 0.11-0.28). The diagnostic odds ratio and AUC were 34.31 (15.51-75.91) and 0.92 (0.89-0.94). The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and AUC for digestive system cancer were 0.83, 0.88, 6.87, 0.20, 35.13, and 0.92, respectively. The other cancers were 0.87, 0.81, 4.55, 0.16, 28.51, and 0.90, respectively. For sample source, the results still remain consistent. Our results indicated miRNA-451 has a moderate diagnostic ability for cancers, and could be a potential early screening biomarker, and considered as an adjuvant diagnostic index when being combined with other clinical examinations.