Unveiling the diagnostic power of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly aggressive and extensive malignancy. Although long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are often used as diagnostic biomarkers, their diagnostic effectiveness in CRC remains uncertain.

Methods: From January 1, 2015, to April 1, 2024, we conducted a comprehensive search of Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science (WoS). The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and Fagan plot analysis were used to assess the overall test performance of lncRNAs. Moreover, we evaluated the publication bias using the Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test.

Results: Twenty-eight publications were identified and incorporated into this meta-analysis. The aggregated diagnostic data were as follows: The pooled sensitivity was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.75-0.83). The pooled specificity was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.78-0.84). The PLR was 3.68 (95% CI, 3.18-4.26). The NLR was 0.28 (95% CI, 0.24-0.33). The DOR was 15.01 (95% CI, 11.85-19.00). The AUC was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90). Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test indicated no significant evidence of publication bias (p > 0.05). The Fagan plot analysis showed that the post-test probability was 81% for positive results and 20% for negative results. Univariate meta-regression identified multiple sources of heterogeneity in the data, including year, sample size and specimen.

Conclusion: In summary, our findings demonstrate that lncRNAs have a promising diagnostic accuracy for CRC, underscoring their potential as effective non-invasive biomarkers.