Prognostic significance of Dickkopf-1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

ABSTRACT

Background

Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) exhibits abnormal expression in various cancers and correlates with poor prognosis. This study investigates DKK1’s prognostic relevance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC).

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search across literature and sequencing databases to gather eligible studies and HNSC datasets. We calculated pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for clinical characteristics, as well as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CIs for overall survival (OS) and progression-free/disease-free survival (PFS/DFS). Sensitivity analysis gauged result stability, and Egger’s test assessed publication bias.

Results

Pooled results indicated that HNSC patients with higher T-stage exhibited elevated DKK1 expression levels, and this elevated expression was associated with shorter OS and PFS/DFS. While sensitivity analysis identified some studies significantly affecting pooled results, most were unaffected, and no publication bias was detected.

Conclusion

DKK1 holds promise as a potential biomarker for predicting poor prognosis in HNSC patients, but further research is needed for confirmation.

KEYWORDS:

• Dickkopf-1
• head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• biomarker
• meta-analysis
• prognosis

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or material discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or mending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14737140.2023.2289597.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was funded by the National Nature Scienc Foundation of China [No. 82100195] and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [No.2021M700777].