Many observational studies have found that microRNA-196a2 rs11614913, microRNA-146a rs2910164, and microRNA-423 rs6505162 are associated with esophageal cancer risk. However, the results were mixed and inconsistent among these studies. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between the polymorphisms of three microRNAs and esophageal cancer susceptibility. We systematically searched the PubMed and EMBASE databases to screen relevant studies. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to compute the risk of esophageal cancer. Because of the differences in ethnicities, sources of controls, and genotyping methods, the meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effect model regardless of heterogeneity. To further explore potential heterogeneity, we performed subgroup and sensitivity analyses, and publication bias was also evaluated. A total of 6 case-control studies on microRNA-196a2 rs11614913, 4 studies on microRNA-146a rs2910164, and 4 studies on microRNA-423 rs6505162 were considered eligible in the meta-analysis. No statistical association was found between microRNA-196a2 rs11614913, microRNA-146a rs2910164, and microRNA-423 rs6505162 polymorphisms and esophageal cancer susceptibility in any genetic model. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses showed similar results. In summary, based on the currently limited proof, no association exists between microRNA-196a2 rs11614913, microRNA-146a rs2910164, and microRNA-423 rs6505162 polymorphism and esophageal cancer risk. However, the result should be cautiously interpreted because of the heterogeneity among studies. Large, high quality clinical trials are required to verify our findings.

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BackgroundFor this study, we explored the prognostic profiles of biliary neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) patients and identified factors related to prognosis. Further, we developed and validated an effective nomogram to predict the overall survival (OS) of individual patients with biliary NENs.MethodsWe included a total of 446 biliary NENs patients from the SEER database. We used Kaplan-Meier curves to determine survival time. We employed univariate and multivariate Cox analyses to estimate hazard ratios to identify prognostic factors. We constructed a predictive nomogram based on the results of the multivariate analyses. In addition, we included 28 biliary NENs cases from our center as an external validation cohort.ResultsThe median survival time of biliary NENs from the SEER database was 31 months, and the value of gallbladder NENs (23 months) was significantly shorter than that of the bile duct (45 months) and ampulla of Vater (33.5 months, p=0.023). Multivariate Cox analyses indicated that age, tumor size, pathological classification, SEER stage, and surgery were independent variables associated with survival. The constructed prognostic nomogram demonstrated good calibration and discrimination C-index values of 0.783 and 0.795 in the training and validation dataset, respectively.ConclusionAge, tumor size, pathological classification, SEER stage, and surgery were predictors for the survival of biliary NENs. We developed a nomogram that could determine the 3-year and 5-year OS rates. Through validation of our central database, the novel nomogram is a useful tool for clinicians in estimating individual survival among biliary NENs patients.

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