CEMIP as a prognostic biomarker for cancers: a meta- and bioinformatic analysis

Objective: Cell migration-inducing and hyaluronan-binding protein (CEMIP) is overexpressed in several cancers and is related to prognosis in cancer patients. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the prognostic effects of CEMIP in cancer patients. Methods: Relevant published studies were systematically searched in four databases. The role of CEMIP was evaluated using pooled hazard ratios (HRs), odd ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used to investigate the prognostic value of CEMIP in various cancers. Results: 11 literatures with 1355 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that overexpression of CEMIP was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 3.03; 95% CI: 2.00–4.59; p < 0.001), DFS (HR = 3.38; 95% CI: 2.41–4.74; p < 0.001). Elevated CEMIP expression is associated with advanced clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor histological grade. In addition, TCGA datasets were used to verify that CEMIP was found highly expressed in multiple cancers and was associated with poorer survival. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that CEMIP could be a novel prognostic biomarker for cancer patients. However, because the included studies mainly focused on Asian populations, further research is needed to verify its applicability.