LncRNA HOXA-AS2 is a Prognostic and Clinicopathological Predictor in Cancer Patients

Abstract Background: Many individual studies confirmed that the elevated expression of Long non-coding RNA HOXA-AS2 (HOXA-AS2) held prognostic value in various solid tumors. Thus, the aim of this meta-analysis is to assess its prognostic potential and functions in malignancies. Methods: Multiple databases were carefully searched for articles published about HOXA-AS2 in the past 10 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated to demonstrate prognostic value of HOXA-AS2 using Stata 15.0 software. Results: 9 studies including 830 patients were ultimately enrolled in this meta-analysis. Pooled results showed that abnormal expression of HOXA-AS2 had a significantly correlation with unfavorable OS (pooled HR=1.58, 95% CI: 1.23-2.02) and in cancer patients. Additionally, high expression of HOXA-AS2 was also related to other clinicopathological factors, including advanced TNM staging (OR: 4.43, 95%CI: 2.98-6.58), lymph node metastasis (OR: 4.58, 95%CI: 2.85-7.35) and larger tumor size (OR: 3.26, 95%CI: 2.11-5.05). Conclusion: Elevated expression of HOXA-AS2 was associated with poor clinical outcomes in multiple cancer types. More comprehensive and extensive studies are required to verify and strengthen the clinical value of HOXA-AS2 in human cancers.