Abstract
Previous studies have investigated the prognostic significance of B7 homolog 3 (B7-H3) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, the results remain controversial. This study was aimed to determine the correlation between B7-H3 and survival as well as clnicalpathological characteristics in NSCLC using meta-analysis. We searched the electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for relevant studies up to October 9, 2016. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the impact of B7-H3 on overall survival (OS). Combined odds ratios (ORs) and 95%CIs were utilized to evaluate the correlations between B7-H3 and clinicalpathological features. This meta-analysis finally included 7 studies with 864 patients. The results showed that B7-H3 had no significant association with OS (HR=0.88, 95%CI: 0.36-2.13, p=0.776). High B7-H3 expression was a significant indicator of lymph node metastasis (OR=3.92, 95%CI: 2.65-5.81, p<0.001), and advanced TNM stage (OR=3.53, 95%CI: 2.45-5.09, p<0.001). B7-H3 has the potential to serve as a marker of tumor aggressiveness and lymph node metastasis in NSCLC. However, due to several limitations, further large-scale studies are needed to validate our results.
Highlights
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide [1]
Recent progresses in tumor immunology identified a series of costimulatory molecules such as B7 homolog 1 (B7-H1, PD-L1, CD80), B7-H2 (CD 86), B7 homolog 3 (B7-H3) (CD 276), and B7-H4 (B7x, B7S1)
Immunotherapy targeting B7-H1 has shown promising effects in advanced tumor patients including nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [25, 26]. These findings encourage us to investigate the prognostic significance of B7-H3 in NSCLC through meta-analysis
Summary
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide [1]. Lung cancer consists of two main types: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases [2]. Major advances have been achieved in surgical techniques, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy for NSCLC. Treatment outcomes for NSCLC remain poor, with a 5-year survival rate being 15% [3]. Recent evidence suggests that several mechanisms involving tumor microenvironment results in immune defects in NSCLC, which is responsible for poor prognosis [4, 5]. There is a need to define immune-related molecular targets and mechanisms to stratify high risk individuals
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