The Diagnostic Performance of lncRNAs from Blood Specimens in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely involved in the carcinogenesis and development of cancers. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods: After the inclusion and exclusion process, relevant information was extracted. Heterogeneity between studies was evaluated, and data synthesis was conducted by employing a bivariate random-effects model.
Results: In total, 20 eligible studies were enrolled. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80-0.90) and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.82-0.92), respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio, pooled negative likelihood ratio, and pooled diagnostic odds ratio were 7.1 (95% CI, 4.9-10.2), 0.16 (95% CI, 0.11-0.23), and 44 (95% CI, 25-79), respectively. The results of the linear regression method and visual inspection of the Deeks funnel plot did not indicate significant publication bias.
Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggested that lncRNAs have high diagnostic performance for HCC and have the potential for clinical application.
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