Clinical application of autophagy proteins as prognostic biomarkers in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Aim:

To evaluate the prognostic value of autophagy proteins in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Six potential autophagy proteins were analyzed (Beclin-1, LC3A, LC3B, ULK1, ATG10 and p62). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for overall survival (OS) of CRC patients were calculated.

Results:

A total of 20 studies were included. High expression of LC3B and p62 was associated with favorable OS (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.40–0.80; HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.61–0.96), whereas high expression of Beclin-1 (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.05–2.06) and ULK1 (HR: 1.92. 95% CI: 1.05–3.53) might predict worse OS in CRC patients.

Conclusion:

Beclin-1, LC3B and p62 might act as promising prognostic biomarkers for CRC. High LC3 and p62 expression can be reliable tools for metastasis prediction.

Keywords::

• autophagy
• Beclin-1
• colorectal cancer
• LC3
• meta-analysis
• p62

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/fon-2022-0458

Author contributions

D Hu: analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article and final approval; Y Huo: acquisition of data and data processing of the meta-analysis; Y Xue: collected original data, conducted quality assessment and revised the article critically for important intellectual content; H Feng: acquisition of data and quality assessment; W Sun: revising the article and final approval; H Wang: interpretation of data, visualization and production of tables and figures; J Wu: conception and design of the study and drafting the article; X Wang: design of the study, critical revision and final approval.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant no. 82004287, the Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences under grant no. CI2021A01813, and the Excellent Young Scientific and Technological Talents Project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences under grant no. ZZ14-YQ-019. 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

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant no. 82004287, the Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences under grant no. CI2021A01813, and the Excellent Young Scientific and Technological Talents Project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences under grant no. ZZ14-YQ-019. 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.