The prognostic value of global DNA hypomethylation in cancer: a meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Aberrant methylation of the global genome has been investigated as a prognostic indicator in various cancers, but the results are controversial and ambiguous.

Methods and findings

This meta-analysis presents pooled estimates of the evidence to elucidate this issue. We searched the electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science and the Cochrane library (up to August 2013) to identify all of the relevant studies. The association between the level of surrogates' indexes of genome-wide hypomethylation (LINE-1, Alu and Sat-α) and the overall survival (OS) of cancer patients was examined. In addition, the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with their 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated to estimate the influences through fixed-effects and random-effects mod

SUBMITTER: Li J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4153632 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature