Blood-Based Circulating MicroRNAs are Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers for Leukemia: Result from a Meta-Analysis

Aims: Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers for leukemia have been validated by emerging studies. This meta-analysis aims to estimate the overall diagnostic accuracy of blood-based circulating miRNAs for leukemia. Methods: We searched multiple databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wan Fang Data and CQVIP) up to June 18, 2015. Results: 32 studies from 10 publications were included in this meta-analysis. Diagnostic capacity was evaluated by pooled sensitivity, specifIcity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) through random-effects model. Sensitivity analyses were sequentially performed to find potential sources of heterogeneity. The quality of included studies was assessed by QUADAS (quality assessment for studies of diagnostic accuracy). Meta-Disc 1.4 and Stata 12.0 software were used to perform the meta-analysis. A high diagnostic accuracy was displayed, with a sensitivity of 0.84, a specificity of 0.88, a PLR of 7.20, a NLR of 0.18, a DOR of 52, and an AUC of 0.94. Subgroup analyses revealed better performance for combined miRNAs, acute myeloid leukemia patients and Asian population than other subgroups. Conclusion: Our analyses suggested that blood-based circulating miRNAs are promising diagnostic biomarkers for leukemia, especially combined miRNAs. Its clinical application awaits further study.