Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31574828›Full record

SynthesisMedicine2019

HE4 as a biomarker for diagnosis of lung cancer: A meta-analysis.

Yong-Peng He, Li-Xian Li, Jia-Xi Tang, Lin Yi, Yi Zhao, Hai-Wei Zhang, Zhi-Juan Wu, Hai-Ke Lei, Hui-Qing Yu, Wei-Qi Nian and 1 more

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Biomarkers Suitable for Early Detection of Intrathoracic Cancers in Primary Care: A Systematic Review.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Yong-Peng HeDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou.
Li-Xian LiChongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Jia-Xi TangChongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Lin YiChongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Yi ZhaoChongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Hai-Wei ZhangChongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Zhi-Juan WuChongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Hai-Ke LeiChongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Hui-Qing YuChongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Wei-Qi NianChongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Lin GanDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aim of our study was to assess the value of serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) to diagnose lung cancer and provide reliable scientific conclusions to guide clinical practice.

methodsA systematic search of the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature, and WANFANG databases was conducted to identify all studies examining serum HE4 in the diagnosis of lung cancer published up to June, 2017. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of each trial. The meta-analysis was performed using STATA software and Review Manager 5.3.

resultsThere were 21 studies involving 1883 cases and 1696 controls included in our meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of HE4 for diagnosing lung cancer were 0.73 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68-0.78) and 0.86 (95% CI 0.81-0.91), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 5.4 (95% CI 3.8-7.5) and 0.31 (95% CI 0.26-0.37), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio was 17 (95% CI 12-26). The area under the curve of the summary receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.86 (95% CI 0.83-0.89). Race, assay method, type of cancer, sample size, and publication date might be sources of heterogeneity in our meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses showed that the sensitivity in Caucasians was higher than that in Asians (0.81, 95% CI 0.71-0.91; and 0.71, 95% CI 0.66-0.77, respectively), but the specificity in Asians was better than that in Caucasians (0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.92; and 0.85, 95% CI 0.73-0.97, respectively). The chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay had the highest sensitivity, with 0.79 (95% CI 0.73-0.97), and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay had the highest specificity, with 0.87 (95% CI 0.79-0.94). HE4 had high diagnostic efficacy when screening for small cell lung cancer with the highest specificity (0.90, 95% CI 0.77-1.00).

conclusionsHE4 is a relatively promising and effective biomarker for the diagnosis of lung cancer. Furthermore, given the limitations of our study, additional large-scale and well-designed studies are needed in the future.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorEarly Detection of CancerHumansLung NeoplasmsOdds RatioProteinsSensitivity and SpecificityWAP Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2Biomarkers, TumorProteinsWAP Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2WFDC2 protein, human

Identifiers

PMID31574828
PMCPMC6775374

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.