Clinicopathologic significance of legumain overexpression in cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Since reports on the clinical significance of legumain in cancer have shown inconsistent results, we systematically evaluated clinical indicators of legumain in cancer. We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase and EBSCO databases and the Wangfang and CNKI databases in China by using “legumain” and (“neoplasms” OR “cancer”) as search terms. We included case-controlled studies of legumain and cancer. The quality of the studies was evaluated by using Lichtenstein’s guidelines and valid data was extracted for analysis. In total, 10 articles were included in this study. Meta-analysis showed that legumain was overexpressed in cancer compared with in normal tissue and was higher in stage III–IV disease than in I–II disease. Moreover, legumain overexpression was correlated with poor prognosis and clinical stage. Furthermore, Cancer Genome Atlas data showed that among patients with rectal cancer, those with tumors overexpressing legumain had shorter overall survival than those in the low expression group (P < 0.05). Legumain appears to be involved in tumor development and deterioration; thus, it can potentially be developed into both a marker for monitoring and diagnosing tumors and a therapeutic target.