Published online Sep 28, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i36.5240
Peer-review started: June 20, 2023
First decision: August 26, 2023
Revised: September 1, 2023
Accepted: September 7, 2023
Article in press: September 7, 2023
Published online: September 28, 2023
Processing time: 92 Days and 5.4 Hours
Currently, DNA methylation is one of the most commonly used detection targets for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in plasma, and is often explored as a diagnostic biomarker for cancer. The diagnostic value of combined methylated branched chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1)/IKAROS family zinc finger 1 (IKZF1) in plasma for colorectal cancer (CRC) has been explored since 2015. Recently, several related studies have published their results and showed its diagnostic efficacy.
To fully understand the diagnostic value of methylated BCAT1/IKZF1 in initial diagnosis and postoperative recurrence of CRC.
To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of methylated BCAT1/IKZF1 in plasma for screening and postoperative follow-up of patients with CRC.
We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wanfang databases. Studies on the diagnostic accuracy of methylated BCAT1/IKZF1 in plasma for CRC were retrieved. Data extraction, pooled analysis, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias analysis were performed.
The pooled sensitivity and specificity of methylated BCAT1/IKZF1 for CRC diagnosis were 60% [95% confidence interval (CI) 53-67] and 92% (95%CI: 90-94), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 8.0 (95%CI: 5.8-11.0) and 0.43 (95%CI: 0.36-0.52), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio and area under the curve were 19 (95%CI: 11-30) and 0.88 (95%CI: 0.85-0.91), respectively.
The detection of methylated BCAT1/IKZF1 in plasma, as a non-invasive detection method of ctDNA, has potential in the diagnosis of CRC, but the clinical application value still needs to be explored.
The detection of methylated BCAT1/IKZF1 in plasma, similar to other detection methods, has poor diagnostic sensitivity for early-stage disease, which may limit its clinical application in CRC screening. In the future, the clinical application of methylated BCAT1/IKZF1 in plasma can be promoted by combining it with other tests.