Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who harbor EML4-ALK fusion gene: a meta-analysis.
<h4>Background</h4>A novel fusion gene of echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) has been recently identified in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Patients with the EML4-ALK fusion gene demonstrate unique clinicopathological and p...
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2015-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0117333&type=printable |
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| author | Fengzhi Zhao Meng Xu Honcho Lei Ziqi Zhou Liang Wang Ping Li Jianfu Zhao Penghui Hu |
| author_facet | Fengzhi Zhao Meng Xu Honcho Lei Ziqi Zhou Liang Wang Ping Li Jianfu Zhao Penghui Hu |
| author_sort | Fengzhi Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>A novel fusion gene of echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) has been recently identified in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Patients with the EML4-ALK fusion gene demonstrate unique clinicopathological and physiological characteristics. Here we present a meta-analysis of large-scale studies to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of NSCLC patients harboring the EML4-ALK fusion gene.<h4>Methods</h4>Both English and Chinese databases were systematically used to search the materials of the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with NSCLC harboring the EML4-ALK fusion gene. Pooled relative risk (RR) estimates and the 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated with the fixed or random effect model. Publication bias and chi-square test were also calculated.<h4>Results</h4>27 retrospective studies were included in our meta-analysis. These studies included a total of 6950 patients. The incidence rate of EML4-ALK fusion in NSCLC patients was found to be 6.8% (472/6950). The correlation of the EML4-ALK fusion gene and clinicopathological characteristics of NSCLC patients demonstrated a significant difference in smoking status, histological types, stage, and ethnic characteristics. The positive rate of the EML4-ALK fusion gene expression in females were slightly higher than that in males, but not significantly (P = 0.52). In addition, the EML4-ALK fusion gene was mutually exclusive of the EGFR and KRAS mutation genes (P = 0.00).<h4>Conclusion</h4>Our pooled analysis revealed that the EML4-ALK fusion gene was observed predominantly in adenocarcinoma, non-smoking and NSCLC patients, especially those diagnosed in the advanced clinical stage of NSCLC. Additionally, the EML4-ALK fusion gene was exclusive of the EGFR and KRAS mutation genes. We surmise that IHC assay is a valuable tool for the prescreening of patients with ALK fusion gene in clinical practice, and FISH assay can be performed as a confirmation method. These insights might be helpful in guiding the appropriate molecular target therapy for NSCLC. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b92d4f792e1e4bbe9f2ba71741203847 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-b92d4f792e1e4bbe9f2ba717412038472025-08-20T03:01:29ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01102e011733310.1371/journal.pone.0117333Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who harbor EML4-ALK fusion gene: a meta-analysis.Fengzhi ZhaoMeng XuHoncho LeiZiqi ZhouLiang WangPing LiJianfu ZhaoPenghui Hu<h4>Background</h4>A novel fusion gene of echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) has been recently identified in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Patients with the EML4-ALK fusion gene demonstrate unique clinicopathological and physiological characteristics. Here we present a meta-analysis of large-scale studies to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of NSCLC patients harboring the EML4-ALK fusion gene.<h4>Methods</h4>Both English and Chinese databases were systematically used to search the materials of the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with NSCLC harboring the EML4-ALK fusion gene. Pooled relative risk (RR) estimates and the 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated with the fixed or random effect model. Publication bias and chi-square test were also calculated.<h4>Results</h4>27 retrospective studies were included in our meta-analysis. These studies included a total of 6950 patients. The incidence rate of EML4-ALK fusion in NSCLC patients was found to be 6.8% (472/6950). The correlation of the EML4-ALK fusion gene and clinicopathological characteristics of NSCLC patients demonstrated a significant difference in smoking status, histological types, stage, and ethnic characteristics. The positive rate of the EML4-ALK fusion gene expression in females were slightly higher than that in males, but not significantly (P = 0.52). In addition, the EML4-ALK fusion gene was mutually exclusive of the EGFR and KRAS mutation genes (P = 0.00).<h4>Conclusion</h4>Our pooled analysis revealed that the EML4-ALK fusion gene was observed predominantly in adenocarcinoma, non-smoking and NSCLC patients, especially those diagnosed in the advanced clinical stage of NSCLC. Additionally, the EML4-ALK fusion gene was exclusive of the EGFR and KRAS mutation genes. We surmise that IHC assay is a valuable tool for the prescreening of patients with ALK fusion gene in clinical practice, and FISH assay can be performed as a confirmation method. These insights might be helpful in guiding the appropriate molecular target therapy for NSCLC.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0117333&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Fengzhi Zhao Meng Xu Honcho Lei Ziqi Zhou Liang Wang Ping Li Jianfu Zhao Penghui Hu Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who harbor EML4-ALK fusion gene: a meta-analysis. PLoS ONE |
| title | Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who harbor EML4-ALK fusion gene: a meta-analysis. |
| title_full | Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who harbor EML4-ALK fusion gene: a meta-analysis. |
| title_fullStr | Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who harbor EML4-ALK fusion gene: a meta-analysis. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who harbor EML4-ALK fusion gene: a meta-analysis. |
| title_short | Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who harbor EML4-ALK fusion gene: a meta-analysis. |
| title_sort | clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non small cell lung cancer who harbor eml4 alk fusion gene a meta analysis |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0117333&type=printable |
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