APE1 overexpression is associated with poor survival in patients with solid tumors: a meta-analysis

Abstract

// Chun-Ling Yuan 1 , Fan He 2 , Jia-Zhou Ye 3 , Hui-Ni Wu 4 , Jin-Yan Zhang 1 , Zhi-Hui Liu 1 , Yong-Qiang Li 1 , Xiao-Ling Luo 1 , Yan Lin 1 and Rong Liang 1 1 First Department of Chemotherapy, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China 2 College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA 3 Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China 4 School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, P. R. China Correspondence to: Yan Lin, email: linyanmgx@163.com Rong Liang, email: article811@foxmail.com Keywords: APE1, IHC, meta-analysis, prognosis Received: January 17, 2017      Accepted: July 18, 2017      Published: August 02, 2017 ABSTRACT APE1 is known as a key mediator of DNA damage repair pathways, and its clinical significance in different types of cancer is well studied. Herein, we performed a meta-analysis to determine the association of APE1 expression and survival in different types of solid cancer. We searched all eligible publications in PubMed, Web of Science and Embase platforms from inception to January 2017 and found 15 relevant manuscripts. Overall survival (OS), 12- and 36-month survival rates, and hazard ratios (HRs) were extracted and analyzed. Heterogeneity and publication bias were also assessed. A subgroup analysis of the different subcellular locations of APE1 was also conducted. Patients with higher APE1 levels demonstrated lower 12- and 36-month survival rates than those with low APE1 levels (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.33–3.00, P = 0.0009; HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.19–2.84, P = 0.006). Importantly, the pooled analysis showed that high levels of APE1 predict shorter OS (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13–1.83, P = 0.003). Subgroup analysis revealed that both nuclear and cytoplasmic expression levels of APE1 are important indicators of poor prognosis in solid tumors.