Oct4 found to be a prognostic marker for digestive cancers

(HealthDay)—Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) is a predictive marker for patients with digestive system cancers, according to a review and meta-analysis published online Nov. 7 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Zhiqiang Chen, from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University in China, and colleagues conducted a literature review to identify studies assessing the potential role of Oct4 as a prognostic marker in digestive system tumors.

The researchers identified 13 eligible studies that included 1,538 patients. Elevated Oct4 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (pooled hazard ratio [HR], 2.183), disease-free survival (pooled HR, 1.973), and recurrence-free survival (pooled HR, 2.209) in digestive system malignancies. Cancer type, sample size, study quality, and laboratory detection method did not affect the significant prognostic value of Oct4. In addition, Oct4 expression was found to be an independent predictive factor for overall survival (HR, 2.068). There was no significant association between Oct4 and clinicopathological features of digestive system malignancies.

"This study provided evidence of Oct4 and/or its closely-related homolog protein as a predictive factor for patients with digestive system cancers," the authors write. "More large-scale clinical studies on the prognostic value of Oct4 are warranted."