LncRNA SNHG7 Serves as a Potential Biomarker on the Prognosis of Human Solid Tumors: A Meta-Analysis

Background and Objective: Emerging studies on the predictive value of Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 7 (SNHG7) in human neoplasms give evidence of the association of SNHG7 with the human tumor. However, whether SNHG7 can be utilized as a biomarker for carcinoma is still unknown. Therefore, this meta-analysis is aimed to assess the possibility of SNHG7 serving as a tumor biomarker. Materials and Methods: 11 studies involving 814 cancer patients were retrieved from several databases, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from 1950 to Dec 27, 2019. Data on patient survival and several clinicopathological features were extracted and analyzed. Results: Evident association between SNHG7 expression and poor Overall Survival (OS) was demonstrated (HR=1.84, 95% CI: 1.42-2.37) and high SNHG7 level was markedly correlated with tumor size (OR=2.01, 95% CI: 1.27-3.19), advanced clinical grade (III/IV) (OR=3.90, 95% CI: 2.63-5.80), Lymphatic Metastasis (LM) (OR=4.53, 95% CI: 2.71-7.55), and Distant Metastasis (DM) (OR=3.52, 95% CI: 2.58-4.80), except age and gender. Subgroup analysis showed that the predictive value of SNHG7 was consistent regardless of follow-up months, tumor location and sample size. Additionally, data from the R2 database also confirmed this association (p < 0.05). Publication bias was evaluated using Begg’s and Egger’s test. Conclusion: SNHG7 could serve for a promising biomarker to predict prognosis, progression and metastasis of human solid cancer.