Meta-Analysis
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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 21, 2014; 20(43): 16334-16342
Published online Nov 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i43.16334
Diagnostic value of interleukin-8 in colorectal cancer: A case-control study and meta-analysis
Wen-Jun Jin, Jin-Ming Xu, Wen-Li Xu, Dong-Hua Gu, Pei-Wei Li
Wen-Jun Jin, Wen-Li Xu, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang Province, China
Jin-Ming Xu, Pei-Wei Li, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Zhejiang University School of Public Health, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, China
Dong-Hua Gu, Department of Pathology, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Jin WJ and Xu JM contributed equally to this work; Jin WJ and Xu JM designed the research, analyzed the results and wrote the manuscript; Xu JM and Xu WL performed the research and conducted the original study; Gu DH and Li PW analyzed the data and helped design the study; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to: Wen-Jun Jin, MD, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Huzhou Central Hospital, No. 198 Hongqi Road, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang Province, China. huzhoujwj@163.com
Telephone: +86-572-2121323
Received: April 8, 2014
Revised: June 11, 2014
Accepted: June 25, 2014
Published online: November 21, 2014
Abstract

AIM: To assess the diagnostic value of serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS: An original study was conducted to explore the potential value of IL-8 in CRC diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed and the area under the curve (AUC) value was calculated. PUBMED and EMBASE were searched (to October, 2013), supplemented with manual screening for relevant publications. Meta-analysis methods were applied to pool sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratios and to construct a summary receiver-operating characteristic (sROC) curve. Heterogeneity across studies was checked by the I2 test and Deek’s funnel plot method was applied to test publication bias.

RESULTS: In our original study, serum IL-8 yielded an AUC of 0.742 [95%CI: 0.635-0.849]. The sensitivity and specificity were 85.42% and 54.05%, respectively, at a cut-off value of 5.39. In this meta-analysis, we included five studies with 668 CRC patients and 374 controls and one study in our own center with 48 CRC patients and 37 controls. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of IL-8 were 0.69 (95%CI: 0.42-0.87) and 0.85 (95%CI: 0.68-0.94) for CRC detection. Besides, the area under the sROC curve was 0.86 (95%CI: 0.82-0.88). Subgroup analysis suggested that there was no heterogeneity in the Asian subgroup but some in the European subgroup. In addition, no publication bias was found according to the Deek’s funnel plot asymmetry test.

CONCLUSION: Serum IL-8 is a promising biomarker for CRC detection and may become a clinically useful tool to identify high-risk patients.

Keywords: Interleukin-8, Colorectal cancer, Diagnostic value, Case-control study, Meta-analysis

Core tip: Serum cytokine concentrations may reflect inflammatory processes during the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). The authors conducted an original study to explore the diagnostic value of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in CRC. Besides, standard statistical methods for meta-analysis were applied in the present study. Six studies were finally included (including our study). The pooled results suggested that serum IL-8 is a promising biomarker for CRC detection and may represent a clinically useful tool to identify high-risk patients.