Abstract

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) have over-expression in the human malignancies. However, many studies reported inconsistent results. The study aimed to perform a meta-analysis to assess the association between circulating serum HSPs levels and gastrointestinal related cancer risk (GICs). An electronic literature search was conducted for relevant studies in health-related databases up to July 2018. Data related to the standard mean difference (SMD) were collected and analyzed. Summary SMD with 95 confidence intervals (CIs) was estimated using a fixed-effect model. Funnel plot and Egger’s linear regression test were also used for evaluation of publication bias. A total of 11 studies (10 papers) with 584 cases and 576 healthy controls were included. The pooled analysis showed that serum HSPs levels were significantly elevated in subjects with different malignancies than healthy control group (SMD = 0.626; 95 CI 0.507–0.746; P > 0.001). Subgroup analyses by cancer type, HSPs type and sample size also revealed a positive correlation between serum HSPs levels and GICs risk. Elevated serum level of HSPs were strongly associated with colorectal cancer (SMD = 0.696; 95 CI 0.478–0.914; P > 0.001) and pancreatic cancer (SMD = 0.677; 95 CI 0.421–0.933; P > 0.001). This meta-analysis indicated a significant association between high circulating HSPs levels and increased risk of different gastrointestinal malignancies. HSPs may represent a potential biomarker for early detection of cancer patients who may benefit from preventive treatment. © 2019, Springer Nature B.V.