Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α expression and its clinical significance in pancreatic cancer: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Background and aimsPancreatic cancer is characterized by inadequate vascularization and considerable tumor hypoxia is prevalent. However, whether hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is significantly correlated with clinical prognosis in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. We aimed to determine the value of HIF-1α as a predictor of survival in pancreatic cancer through a meta-analysis of available cohort studies. MethodsWe performed a literature search of the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify cohort studies on the prognostic value of HIF-1α in pancreatic cancer. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the clinical status and overall survival of patients with high HIF-1α expression compared to those with low expression. ResultsWe analyzed eight studies involving 557 patients. HIF-1α was associated with higher rate of lymph node metastasis (odd ratio [OR] = 3.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.95–5.11; p < 0.05) and advanced tumor stage (OR = 3.66; 95% CI = 2.01–6.69; p < 0.05), while no significant difference was detected for tumor diameter (OR = 1.58; 95% CI = 0.46–5.47; p > 0.05). Notably, HIF-1α overexpression was significantly correlated with poor overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.39–2.56; p < 0.05). ConclusionsWe believe that HIF-1α overexpression is significantly associated with poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer, and may serve as an important parameter for evaluating the biological behavior and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.