Clinicopathological Significance of ALDH1A1 in Lung, Colorectal, and Breast Cancers: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Aim

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1 (ALDH1A1) is a putative cancer stem cell marker. This meta-analysis evaluated ALDH1A1 expression’s clinicopathological associations with lung cancer (LC), colorectal cancer (CRC) and breast cancer (BC).

Materials & methods

Publications were retrieved from various databases and assessed for relevance and quality. Relationships between ALDH1A1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated using Review Manager 5.2 software.

Results

Thirty-eight studies were included (6057 patients). ALDH1A1 expression was significantly associated with the presence of LC; lymph node metastasis, clinical stage and differentiation in LC and BC; and molecular subtype in BC (p < 0.05). There were no significant association with BC tumor size and CRC.

Conclusion

ALDH1A1 may be a stem cell marker in LC and BC.

Keywords::

• aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1
• breast cancer
• cancer stem cell
• colorectal cancer
• lung cancer

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shihezi University School of Medicine, for assistance with this work.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Support was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (number 81160018), the Corps Doctor Foundation (number 2014BB018), Shihezi University Outstanding Youth Science and Technology Talent Cultivation Plan (2013ZRKXJQ05), One Thousand Youth Talents Plan, the funders Autonomous Region Pairing Program of Shihezi University with Eminent Scholar in Elite University (SDJDZ201508). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Support was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (number 81160018), the Corps Doctor Foundation (number 2014BB018), Shihezi University Outstanding Youth Science and Technology Talent Cultivation Plan (2013ZRKXJQ05), One Thousand Youth Talents Plan, the funders Autonomous Region Pairing Program of Shihezi University with Eminent Scholar in Elite University (SDJDZ201508). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.