AUTHOR=Qin Shuang , Dong Bing , Yi Ming , Chu Qian , Wu Kongming 

TITLE=Prognostic Values of TIM-3 Expression in Patients With Solid Tumors: A Meta-Analysis and Database Evaluation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.01288

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2020.01288

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing molecule-3 (TIM-3), a novel emerging immune checkpoint molecule, was reported to express both on various kinds of immune cells and tumor cells. Many previous studies have investigated the prognostic significance of TIM-3 in cancer. However, the sample number from single study was limited and results remained controversial.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases for publications concerning TIM-3 expression in solid cancers up to March 2020. The correlations between TIM-3 and survival as well as clinical-pathological features were analyzed. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs), odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated by either fixed or random effects models.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> A total of 3,072 patients were included in our meta-analysis. The result suggested that TIM-3 protein overexpression was relevant to poor overall survival (HR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.39–2.15, <italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.001). Moreover, TIM-3 was shown to be connected with lymph node metastasis (N+ vs. N-, OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.10–2.29, <italic>P</italic> = 0.013), tumor grade (G2-3 vs. G1, OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.21–2.34, <italic>P</italic> = 0.002), as well as PD-1 expression (PD-1<sup>high</sup> vs. PD-1<sup>low</sup>, OR = 3.26, 95% CI = 2.20–4.82, <italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.001). In database test, significant correlations between high TIM-3 mRNA expression and poor overall survival for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and gastric cancer were observed (HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.23–1.72, <italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.001; HR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.12–1.77, <italic>P</italic> = 0.0038).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Our meta-analysis highlights that TIM-3 has the potential to serve as a prognostic marker and a valuable therapeutic target in solid tumors.</p>