Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Has an Association with Prognosis and Risks Factors of Cancer Patients: a Systematic Review

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is reported as a famous marker in various tumors. A couple of articles have been published about the clinical function of PCNA on cancer progression; however, these results are conflicting in some degree. Thus, it is crucial to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify their real actions. Here, we took cervical cancer and glioma as example and then pooled hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs). In the present study, the PCNA expression in cervical cancer and gliomas patients was both correlated with 5-year-overall survival (OS) (HR = 4.41, 95 % CI 2.71–7.17, p = 0.000; HR = 4.40, 95 % CI 3.00–6.47, p = 0.000; respectively). In addition, a fixed effect model revealed a significant association between PCNA and FIGO stage (OR = 4.48, 95 % CI 3.48–5.77, p = 0.000) or WHO grade (OR = 5.64, 95 % CI 4.15–7.68, p = 0.000), rather than age (OR = 1.01, 95 % CI 0.71–1.43, p = 0.957; OR = 1.00, 95 % CI 0.80–1.24, p = 0.989; respectively). No heterogeneity was observed across all studies. According to funnel plot, no publication bias was reported. In conclusion, our systematic review suggests that PCNA expression is significantly associated with poor 5-year survival, advanced stage or higher WHO grade, which might be suggested as a useful prognostic and diagnostic biomarker, or an effective therapy target in cervical cancer, gliomas, or even more cancers.