Long noncoding RNAs in bladder cancer prognosis: A meta-analysis

Numerous studies have demonstrated the involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the tumorigenesis of bladder cancer (BC). The aim of this study was to investigate the possible correlations between the specific lncRNAs and the clinical outcomes in bladder cancer patients. We systematically searched the PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases for studies published up to October 15, 2018, and retrieved the suitable articles. Pooled odds ratios (ORs), hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were obtained by using fixed-effect or random-effect model. Up-regulation of lncRNAs predicted unfavorable overall survival (OS) (HR: 2.01, 95%CI: 1.66–2.44, P < 0.001) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR: 2.05, 95%CI: 1.43–2.94, P < 0.001) in BC patients, and the high expression of lncRNAs was significantly associated with distant metastasis (DM) (OR: 8.16, 95%CI: 4.45–14.99, P < 0.001). Abnormal expression of relevant lncRNAs are potential novel markers for predicting the clinical outcomes of BC.