Search Strategy
Aiming to systematically retrieve studies describing the relationship between rs3787016, rs3746444 and prostate cancer risk, we searched PubMed and EMBASE on March 1, 2020, and conducted the literature search as well as references list of included studies and reviews once more on Jun 4, 2020, which guaranteed the data of our research was current and available. The search attached importance to following subject terms and keywords: rs3787016, rs3746444, prostate cancer, of which detailed strategies are provided in the supplemental material.
Study Selection
As for literature eligibility, two investigators accomplished the assessments separately, while contradictory conclusions were resolved in terms of debate and unanimity. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) studies that was digging at the association of LncRNA POLR2E/miR-499 and PCa in full-text; (b) utilizing an irrelevant case-control design; (c) study published in English; (d) data provided make conducting an OR with 95% Cl possible; (e) sufficient counting of genotypes or allele frequencies. Exclusion criteria: (1) comment, review, meta-analysis, and editorial; (2) Only the largest sample was included when it turned to multiple publications from the same population/area (Figure 6).
Data Extraction
The following information was draw out and inducted to specially designed forms from the included studies by two investigators separately : first author's last name, year of publications, country of origin, ethnicity, study-design (sources of controls), sample size in cases and controls, the number of cases and controls with variant allele and wild type, genotyping methods and hardy weinberg equilibrium (HWE) of the studies respectively. For each publication, all data complying with the selection criteria were reviewed and extracted independently by two of the investigators. If dissent existed, the authors rechecked the original data and held a discussion to reach a consensus. When it still existed, discrepancies would be adjudicated by a third reviewer until the consensus was achieved on every item (Table 2).
Statistical Analysis
Based on the PRISMA checklists [55], the meta-analysis which we performed rest on the guidelines. Calculated to assess intensity correlations between rs3787016/ rs3746444 polymorphism and PCa risk, the pooled ORs with 95% CIs were performed for allelic comparison (LncRNA POLR2E: T vs C, miR-499: C vs T), heterozygote model (LncRNA POLR2E: CT vs CC, miR-499: CT vs TT), homozygote model (LncRNA POLR2E: TT vs CC, miR-499: CC vs TT), dominant model (LncRNA POLR2E: CT+TT vs CC, miR-499: CC+CT vs TT), recessive model (LncRNA POLR2E: TT vs CC+CT, miR-499: CC vs CT+TT), respectively. Z-test was used to determine the pooled OR and 95% CI, and P<0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Statistical heterogeneity among studies was estimated by the Q statistic (significance level of P<0.05) and I2 statistic (greater than 50% as evidence of significant inconsistency). The Q test and I2 statistic were used for testing variation in accordance with heterogeneity. Random effects model[56] would be used if PH was no more than 0.05 (PH<0.05), and when PH was > 0.05, fixed effects model was used21. Sensitivity analysis was also tested by removing one study at a time, to evaluate the effect of removal and effect of size of each study on the homogeneity of the whole. Furthermore, subgroup analyses were stratified by ethnicity, source of controls, country, genotype methods, HWE (only in rs3746444). Publication bias was conducted by Begg's funnel plots and further assessed by the Egger's regression test [57, 58]. When an asymmetric plot was shown or Begg 's test was P<0.05, we considered it as a significant publication bias. Besides, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was implemented to identify the effective records in our study [59]. All the statistical analyses and graphics above were available to run under Stata 12.0 software (Stata Corp LP 4905, Lakeway Drive College Station, TX 77845 USA). A two tailed P<0.05 was regarded as significant, except for specified conditions, which a certain P-value was declared, The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS)[60] was used to evaluate the quality of include studies (Figure 7).